COML108 - Greek & Roman Mythology

Status
C
Activity
REC
Section number integer
405
Title (text only)
Greek & Roman Mythology
Term
2019A
Subject area
COML
Section number only
405
Section ID
COML108405
Course number integer
108
Registration notes
Registration also required for Lecture (see below)
Meeting times
R 03:00 PM-04:00 PM
Meeting location
WILL 301
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Mary Somerville
Description
Myths are traditional stories that have endured many years. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of ancient Greece and Rome, as well as a few contemporary American ones, as a way of exploring the nature of myth and the function it plays for individuals, societies, and nations. We will also pay some attention to the way the Greeks and Romans themselves understood their own myths. Are myths subtle codes that contain some universal truth? Are they a window on the deep recesses of a particular culture? Are they entertaining stories that people like to tell over and over? Are they a set of blinders that all of us wear, though we do not realize it? Investigate these questions through a variety of topics creation of the universe between gods and mortals, religion and family, sex, love, madness, and death.
Course number only
108
Cross listings
CLST100405
Use local description
No