In this class we return to individual heroes, Bellerophon and Theseus. These narratives return us to a more traditional heroic narrative with important developments. Bellerophon in particular invites us to think about the “hero’s fall” while Theseus offers the model of hero as law-maker and civilizing force. Both heroes also ask us to reflect more … More Classical Mythology, Day 12
In this class we move from the exceptional figures who follow the heroic pattern and receive immortality to the more ‘classic’ heroes who go through challenges, overcome them, and then live mortal lives. The narratives of Perseus and Oedipus exhibit two shared patterns: both are ‘exiled’ from their proper social positions because of prophecies and … More Classical Mythology, Day 10
This is our second class to examine the narrative patterns and cultural effects of the ‘hero’. In the first class, we take a broad overview of a range of interpretive approaches to what we will call the heroic pattern and discuss some problems presented by this pattern (primarily its limited view of human life and … More Classical Mythology, Day 9
