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
This class takes a break from considering single heroes to take a multi-generational view of one family. Such a view can help us to understand (1) how motifs and stages from the so-called heroic pattern can be recycled from one generation to the next and how (2) the Greeks integrate a theme of ‘ritual pollution’ … More Classical Mythology Class, Day 11
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
Classical Mythology 