Summer 2013 - Session II

Department of Classical Studies

CLST 271 Classical Mythology                                                                                  Dr. J. Makowski

Rome Center Summer II 2013                                                                                  jmakow1@luc.edu

TTH 8:30 A.M.-12:40 P.M.

 

Description

In this course you will study the myths and legends of ancient Greece and Rome.  You will learn about the gods and the goddesses of the classical pantheon, their major myths, and various theories of mythology based on psychology, anthropology, and comparative religion. Legends you will learn will include tales of heroes like Hercules as well as sagas like the Trojan War.   Although the bulk of classical mythology is Greek, this course, because its venue is the city of Rome, will feature an expanded component on Roman legend as well as Roman religion. Thus, you will learn the foundational stories of Rome’s beginnings and early history as well as the myth-based cults of Roman religious belief.  Because classical mythology has survived mainly in literature, and because this course is part of the literature core, we will read masterworks of prose and poetry as found in our main text.  In addition, because classical mythology has generated a vast creation of great art, the course will have a focus on myth-inspired art including painting, mosaic, and sculpture especially the productions to be found in Italy from ancient through modern times. 

 

Required Texts

                               B. Powell, Classical Myth. 7^th ed. Pearson ISBN 978-0-205-17607-6

                               J. Gardner, Roman Myths. U. of Texas. ISBN 0-292-768-2

 

Course Calendar

1.  July 2 T                        Powell, Ch. 23, “Legends of Aeneas” & Ch. 24, “Legends of Early Rome”

pp. 631-683

 

1. July 4 Th                      Gardner, Roman Myths

Powell, Chs. 4 & 5, “Myths of Creation” pp. 82-143

 

1. July 9 T                         Ch. 6, “Myths of Zeus, His Wife Hera, and His Brothers Poseidon and Hades,” pp.

144-166; Ch. 7, “Myths of the Great God Apollo,” pp. 167-186

Quiz

 

1. July 11 Th                    Ch. 9, “Myths of the Female Deities Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena,”

pp. 211-235; Ch. 10 & 11, “Myths of Fertility,” pp. 236-302

 

1. July 16 T                      Mid-Term Examination

Ch. 12, “Myths of Death,” pp. 303-335

 

1. July 18 Th                    Ch. 15, “Heracles,” pp. 375-413; Ch. 18, “Oedipus,” pp. 475-501

 

1. July 23 T                      Ch. 19, “Jason, (selection)” pp. 502-530;

 Chs. 20 & 21, “Trojan War (selection),” pp. 539-555; 579-597

 

1. July 25 Th                    Odysseus & Aeneas TBA

 

1. July 26 F                       Final Examination

 

Course Requirements and Grading

Course requirements are a quiz, mid-term and final examinations, and a research project with the following distribution:               

quiz                                                                10 %

research project (powerpoint)                       30 %

mid-term examination                                    30 %

final examination                                           30%

The research project may be either a paper (6-8 pages, topic subject to magisterial approval) or, preferably, it may be a PowerPoint presentation on some aspect of mythology as it relates to art and architecture in ancient Rome.  The presentation should last about fifteen minutes and must be accompanied by a 2-3 page précis summarizing your key points and your use of visual materials. 

Here are some suggested topics:

                Mythological Painting in Pompeii

                Mythological Art in the Vatican Museums, the Borghese Gallery, the Uffizi, etc.

                Monuments of Rome and Myth

                Roman Legend in Art (Romulus & Remus, Rape of Sabine Women, Roman heroes, etc.)

                Classical Myth and Renaissance Art (Bernini, Botticelli, Titian, etc.)

                Aeneas and Augustus

                Roman Cults and Rituals

                Myth and Archaeology

 

Grading will be done on the basis of a ten-point scale, that is, A=100-95, A-=94-90, B+=89-87, B=86-83, B-=82-80, C+=79-77, C=76-73, C-72-70, D+=69-65, D=64-60, F=59 and below.   

 

Academic Dishonesty

Academic Honesty is sacrosanct.  All work on papers and examinations must be original.  Appropriation of another’s work is not acceptable, and the use of sources must be documented.  This applies to both the printed word as well as to electronic information (“cutting and pasting”), and note that plagiarism extends not merely to undocumented appropriation of words but also ideas and images.  Please familiarize yourself with the department’s statement on Academic Integrity at:

                http://www.luc.edu/classicalstudies/academics.shtml#integrity

 

Ground Rules

*Please do the reading before coming to class and bring the text with you. 

*All discussion must be conducted with courtesy and respect for all participants.

*Examinations must be taken on the day assigned, make-ups being given only for serious documented medical excuse or personal emergency. No make-ups will be given for the purpose of raising a grade.

*No grade of “I” (Incomplete) will be given in this course except for grave reason (e.g. hospitalization).     

*During videos observe movie etiquette. Please do not talk, fidget, or rustle papers, and please try to keep coming and going to a minimum.  

*Cheating on exams or plagiarism on papers will insure a grade of zero for the assignment and possibly failure for the entire course (at the instructor’s discretion) with notification to the departmental chairman and the dean of the college. 

*Please turn off cell phones and put away—no text-messaging, internet, cameras, and the like. *No laptop computers allowed.

*No eating in class, and no bubble gum. Please do not discard trash (pop bottles, wrappers, etc.) on classroom floor.