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| For study guide, click here. (Hesiod &
Iliad)
For Odyssey study guide, click here. Argonautica questions at end of Odyssey. ***Museum Trip update, see below for more detail. Bus picks us up at 8:00 am on Nov. 3 in front of the Perkins Student Center. Bring anything you like on the bus (pillow, a book to read, breakfast); we have it for the day. For the museum: bring a pad of paper and a pen, also a digital camera if you have one. The museum has a cafeteria in case you'd like to have lunch after our second tour. Writing assignment guidelines here. Aeneid questions here. Metamorphoses questions (followed by Golden Ass questions) here. |
| Fall 2007 |
| LECTURE MWF 10:10-11:00, Willard 007 |
| Dr. Annette Giesecke |
| (Office: 111 Jastak-Burgess Hall, hours: 11:10-12 MWF by appointment, x0545) |
| Aims: The subject of Classical Greek and Roman mythology is a broad one, and this course will focus on myth as presented primarily in the medium of epic poetry. The course commences with Hesiod's account of the birth of the Greek gods and goddesses and moves next to the most famous myth of all, the tale of the rape of Helen and the fall of Troy. Particular emphasis will be placed on the possible historical reality of the Trojan myth and on Homer's depictions of the gods and heroes who participated in this saga. From Homer's warrior hero Achilles and the wanderings of Odysseus, we will proceed to the strange Hellenistic Greek tale of Jason, the witch Medea, and the quest for the golden fleece. The remainder of the course will be dedicated to Roman myths and adaptations of Greek material. On the syllabus is Virgil's Aeneid, the story of the Trojan Aeneas and his wanderings to Italy, where he will become the founder of the Roman race. Here emphasis will be placed on the new politicizing of myth and the manipulation of myth for propagandistic purposes. Next the bold and sacrilegious Metamorphoses of Ovid will be studied; here the familiar Homeric gods become something quite undeserving of respect and worship. The course will close with what is perhaps the strangest of all tales, the story of the "hero" Lucius who becomes, quite literally, an ass and a devotee of the seductive Egyptian goddess Isis. |
| Requirements: Two exams to be weighted at 30% of the final grade each and one paper to be weighted at 30% of the final grade. There will also be a short quiz (10%) before the first test to make sure everyone is on track and familiar with the format of questions on the first test. Please note that there will be no make-up exams or acceptance of late papers except in extreme and documented circumstances. It should be noted by all, however, that class attendance is essential to succeed in this course. Assigned readings are the basis for lecture discussions and not a substitution for the lectures. |
| Timetable: |
| Quiz: Sept. 28 |
| Test 1: Oct. 19 |
| Test 2/Final examination: as determined by the Registrar |
| Paper due: Nov. 16 ***no e-mailed papers accepted |
| Paper: Write your own epic (Greek, Roman, or dating to any historical, or future, period that you wish). The epic should be modeled on works studied in class and include at least one character from the various epics that we will have read (transformed as much as you like); you will have learned that epic has a certain formula for construction of plot, theme, and character. The epic should be a minimum of 1000 words, and it must be accompanied by a critical examination of 500 words. The critical examination is the author's explanation, for the benefit of the reader, what the characters represent and why the story, time, and setting were selected. |
| Texts: The following are required reading for the course: |
| The Iliad of Homer, Richmond Lattimore, transl. (University of Chicago: 1951) |
| The Odyssey of Homer, Richmond Lattimore, transl. (Harper: 1965) |
| Apollonius of Rhodes: The Voyage of the Argo, E. V.Rieu, transl. (Penguin: 1979) |
| The Aeneid of Virgil, Allan Mandelbaum, transl. (Bantam, 1971) |
| Ovid: Metamorphoses, Rolfe Humphries, transl. (Indiana University Press: 1955) |
| Apuleius: The Golden Ass, Jack Lindsay, transl. (Indiana University Press: 1960) |
| Study Guide: It is suggested that students read the works listed on the syllabus before they are discussed in class. It is further recommended that students review the day's notes on the day they were taken. It is remarkable how little time this takes and how much time it will save you when you prepare for tests. Early review fixes things in the memory! |
| SCHEDULE OF CLASSES |
| August 29: Introduction - Defining "Myth": From Hercules and Helen to Bigfoot and Area 51 |
| 31: Setting the mythical stage - key moments in Greek history |
| Sept. 3: Holiday, no class |
| 5: Setting the stage, cont. |
| 7 Hesiod: Myths of Creation and the Rise of Zeus |
| 10 Creation Myths, cont. |
| 12: Homer and the Homeric Question - Introduction to the Iliad |
| 14: from pasture to polis, the setting of the Iliad |
| 17 The Wrath of Achilles: Iliad cont. |
| 19: Homer and the Heroic Code: Iliad cont. |
| 21 Gods in the Iliad |
| 24: The Lesson of Achilles - what really makes a hero - Iliad |
| 26: Was there a Trojan War? |
| 28: Quiz on all material covered to date - Introduction to the Odyssey - a new age hero |
| Oct. 1: Odysseus' Ghosts - Journeys to the Underworld |
| 3: : Odyssey /Cyclopes, Circe, and Island Utopias - Odyssey * |
| 5: NO CLASS - professor at conference; it is suggested that Honors Section students make an appointment in the Writing Center for assistance with development of the paper |
| 8: Penelope and the Heroics of the Web - Odyssey |
| 10: Apollonius and the Hellenistic East |
| 12: Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece - Argonautica |
| 15: Medea's Magic - Argonautica |
| 17: review for test and catch up |
| 19: Test 1 |
| 22: go over test, shift to Rome ; |
| 24: Outline of Roman History, real and mythological Honors section, outline of your paper (general concept and characters) is due in class |
| 26: FALL BREAK |
| 29: Virgil and Rome |
| 31: Augustus and the Aeneid |
| Nov. 2: Rome rises from the ashes of Troy - Aeneid |
| 5: What Medea, Dido, and Cleopatra have in common - Aeneid; Honors section, first draft of the paper is due in class, a good time to make appt. for a 2nd Writing Center conference |
| 7: Aeneas as Achilles, Aeneas as Odysseus - Aeneid |
| 9: Violence and Violent Demons in the Future of Rome - Aeneid |
| 12: Introduction to Ovid - the Metamorphoses |
| 14: Ovid's new cosmogeny - Metamorphoses |
| 16: love and lust in the Metamorphoses papers due in class (except Honors section) |
| 19: Ovidian sacrilege - Metamorphoses |
| 21: no class, Thanksgiving Holidays |
| 26: Ruler cult and the debunking of the hero - Metamorphoses; Honors section, paper due in class |
| 28: Introduction to Apuleius and Isis - The Golden Ass |
| 30: How Lucius becomes an ass- The Golden Ass |
| Dec. 3: donkeys and the grace of a goddess - The Golden Ass -
5: review for final exam HONORS SECTION: Course requirements: Midterm exam: 25%
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Arcaheology and Anthropology - Honors Section Trip Nov. 3. Tours of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Galleries 10:00-12:00am. Transportation from UD has been arranged. Our van is arriving at 8:00 am to pick us up from the area in front of the Perkins Student Center. Those students not participating must inform the instructor well in advance. Paper: The form of the course paper is the same
except that the minimum word count for the "epic" is 1500 words. Additionally,
the epic must contain "authentic" and detailed reference to an artifact
in the Greek and Roman Collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum
of Anthropology and Archaeology. A field trip to the museum will be arranged
for the class.
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| STUDY GUIDE
1. Carefully review the main points of Hesiod's creation myth. Is this tale unique? 2. What are the conventions of epic poetry? (How do they begin? What meter are they composed in?) Iliad 3. Book 1: What is the subject of the Iliad? Describe the character of Achilles and of Agamemnon. Why has each come to Troy? What is each fighting for? What does Thetis contribute to our conception of Achilles? 4. Book 3: Consider the scene of Helen on the wall, the duel between Paris and Menelaos, and the conclusion of that duel. What is the effect of this episode on the story Homer is telling? 5. Book 6: Describe the character of Hektor. What is he fighting for? What more do we learn about Achilles? (see lines 414-428 p. 164 and lines 55-65 pp. 154-55) 6. Book 7: Read carefully Hektor's words at verses 76-92 (p. 170) What are the terms of battle? What is the prize to be won? 7. Book 9: What is added to the character of Achilles? What is the issue Achilles is grappling with? What is the function of song (poetry)? Look at verses 189-90 and 524-25 in conjunction with 411-416. Read in connection with these verses 6. 145-50 p. 157 and 2. 484-492 p. 89. 8. Book 16: What is the relationship between Achilles and Patroklos? Examine Achilles' words carefully. Do you see any contradictions in what he says? How do you feel about Hektor at the end of this book? 9. Book 18: What exactly does Achilles choose to do? What is his motive? Summarize the pictures on Achilles' shield; what do they signify? 10. Book 19: What do you think is Achilles' predominant emotion in this book? Do you see any progression in his character? Pay special attention to Achilles' arming scene (349-391). Does any particular image stand out? What is the mood at the end of the book (Achilles' conversation with his horses)? 11. Book 21: What is the effect of the scene with Lykaon (21. 34-135)? How would you compare gods and men in Homer's world? 12. Book 22: Read carefully the simile at verses 26-31. What nuances does it add to your conception of Achilles as he races toward his final duel with Hektor? How do you react to Hektor's long soliloquy at 98-130? What may have been Homer's purpose in creating this speech for Hektor? During the chase scene, whose side are you on? Does any of the imageryhelp sway your feelings? How do you feel about Athena's intervention (verses 214-277)? Read carefully verses 254-267. What has Achilles become? What is the general effect of verses 404-515? (Who is mourning, and on what basis? In what light do we see Hektor?) Summarize how you think Homer wants us to view Hektor in this book? - how Achilles? 13. Book 24: Consider carefully references to the human condition, especially versus that of beasts or of gods. What is the difference between beasts and humans (see esp. verses 34-49 p. 476)? What is the difference between gods and humans (see esp. verses 525-551 p. 489)? What do you think is the essential characteristic of human life as Achilles sees it? On what human emotion does Homer seem to place the highest value in this book? Looking back - Homer states that this poem is about Achilles' anger. We can expand this to encompass his "humanity." Where in the Iliad does Achilles show his human failings most readily? What events turn him away from his "human half" so to speak? In what ways does he change from Book 9 to Books 18-24? Do you see any significance in the fact that the poem ends with the funeral of Hektor? |
| Study Questions, Odyssey
1. (proem 1. 1-21) Read carefully. What things are associated with Odysseus? What is the Odyssey going to be about? Why do Odysseus' companions lose their lives? 2. (Books 1-4) Why do you think Homer puts off the entrance of Odysseus for four books? Pay attention to the behavior that is considered proper for a host and for a guest in Homer's world. Be able to describe what a person is supposed to ddo when a stranger arrives at the door. Do you see any change (progression) in Telemachos' character? 3. (Book 1) Council of the gods - What is the moral program of the Odyssey? 4. (Book 2) What do we learn about Odysseus' family? About Odysseus? 5. (Book 3) What do we learn about the Trojan War? What relevance does the story of Agamemnon and Klaitaimestra have? 6. (Book 5) What is the point of having a second council of the gods? Where is Odysseus when the action of the Odyssey begins? Describe Kalypso's cave and its surroundings. Does it remind you of anything you have heard in other mythology? What is Odysseus doing when we first see him? How does Odysseus react to Kalypso's offer to let him go? Read similes at 328-33, 368-370, 394-398, 488-491 carefully. Note (re)birth imagery. 7. (Books 6-8) Odysseus has gone from "nowhere" to somewhere. What is the nature of this somewhere? (consider esp. 6. 201-5; 7. 117-32, 199-206; 8. 245-53) How would you rank the Phaiakians as hosts? Why do you think Homer focuses so much on marriage motifs (6. 34-8, 158-9, 244-5, 275-88, 311-5)? 8. (Books 9-12) Think of the groups of "people" Odysseus meets as exemplifying modes of partial existence. Compare and contrast them with the life of the Phaiakians. 9. (Book 11) The Nekuia or Katabasis (visit to the world of the dead).What is it like to be dead in Homer's world? What do we learn about Odysseus? What is the temptation of the Sirens? (What does their song offer?) In the Cattle of the Sun episode, do you see any parallel between the companions and Penelope's suitors in Ithaka? How do the Phaiakians react to Odysseus' song? 10. (Book 13) What is the relationship between Odysseus and Athene? Read Odysseus' lying tale carefully. Compare it later with the ones you will read in Books 14, 17, 19, and 24. 11. (Book 15) What evidence can you find that Homer wants us to regard Telemachos as grown up? Pay attention to motifs of hospitality. 12. (Book 16) lines 424-442 - What is the significance of what we learn in these lines? (Place in theme of hospitality). 13. (Book 17) Why does Odysseus enter the palace as a beggar? 14. (Book 19) Why does Penelope take such good care of the "beggar"? What do you think is the basic reason for the importance given to hospitality? (358-60, 370-2, 379-81) 15. (Book 21) How did Odysseus originally get the bow that will be used in the contest? Is Telemachos becoming more like his father? 16. (Book 22) Note things that remind you of the episode of the Cattle of the Sun. 17. (Book 23) Describe the character of Penelope. What is the stratagem for concealing the slaughter (133-6, 149ff)? 18. (Book 24) What ends still need tying up even after Penelope and Odysseus are rejoined? Argonautica What is Jason's personal history? Where exactly does his heroic journey take him and why? How does this epic differ from the Homeric epics - how, specifically, the gods? Writing Assignment Guidelines 1. Compose an "epic" on the model of works studied in class. The subject, characters, etc. are all of the students' choosing. The work should be structured like a standard epic; that is, there should be a proper "proem" with an invocation and identification of main character/s and themes followed by the "body" of the epic. Bear in mind that an epic has the following additional standard features: a hero/heroine and a divine machinery (however credible or not). The epic itself should be a minimum of 1000 words. Students may wish to write only part of an epic, and if this course is elected, it will be necessary for the remainder of the plot to be summarized briefly. 2. A major component of this writing assignment is the critical introduction to the "epic." The introduction should be a minimum of 500 words and should include the following: a. A brief summary of the plot. b. A list of characters and discussion of why these characters have been created or selected. What do they represent? c. A brief discussion of the setting and time and the reasons for their choice. If yours is a "political" epic, be sure to explain the historical moment you are commenting on. d. A critical analysis of the epic as a whole. What are the main themes and concerns of the work and by what means are you trying to bring them to the readers' attention? AENEID study questions
2. What is the role of the gods in this epic, and how much freedom do they allow the individual? 3. Define Virgil's attitude towards Dido's love for Aeneas. Do you see any resemblance between V's attitude towards Dido and his later attitude towards Turnus? 4. Discuss the implication of the concepts of pride and fame in the Aeneid (esp. books 7, 8, 10, 12). 5. How does V. use scenes and concepts from the Iliad and Odyssey to deepen the meaning of his own poem? Book I Proem: Compare the opening of this epic with that of the Iliad and Odyssey. What are the differences and similarities? Background: List reasons Juno hates Aeneas. Compare with Poseidon's hatred of Odysseus. Character of the gods: Describe character of Juno (esp. 7, 54-75, 76-78). In what ways is Jupiter the opposite of Juno (312-17, 354-423). Aeneas: (131-144) Why does he wish he were dead? (266-292) What do we learn about his inner feelings? (307-311) What do these lines add? (443-584) What is Aeneas' relationship with his mother? (638-697) What are the pictures on the gates about? Note the role of Achilles. (619-21, 847-49)) What do these lines add? Book II The Fall of Troy: What do you think of Sinon (pp. 32-4)? Why do the Trojans decide to bring the horse into their city (See, for example, 75-80, 150-1, 338)? What does Hektor tell Aeneas to do - and what not to do (p. 39)? What does Aeneas in fact do, and what is the result? What should Creusa's words (p. 55) make perfectly clear to us and Dido? Book IV Look at intimations of coming tragedy (28-33, 60-65, 190-200) What has Dido lost besides her heart (pp. 91, 95)? How does Dido see herself (pp. 97, 101)? Pay attention to the imagery of tragedy: flame, wound, frenzy (pp. 81, 83, 84, 91, 93, 103, 104, 105). What are the ramifications of this personal tragedy for Carthage (p. 84, 103) and on Rome ( p. 102)? How do you think V. wants us finally to judge Dido? What is the role of the gods in this episode? Does Venus help Aeneas? Does Juno help Dido? Whom does Jupiter help? Can you make generalizations about the role of women in V's epic world? Book VI Underworld: Note the differences between Homer's "underworld" and this one. What are the Odyssean counter parts of Aeneas' encounters Palinurus, Dido, Deiphobus, and Anchises? What is the significance of these parallels? What is Anchises doing when we first see him, and what very important statement does he make about the future character of the Romans and their imperial policy? Book VII What kind of people are the Latins (see pp. 164-66)? What is the case of the war in Italy? What Muse does V. invoke to aid his efforts as he turns to the theme of war? What is Juno's purpose in starting the war (what is her reason and what her means)? Note what Juno does with respect to Amata (pp. 174-5), Turnus (pp. 176-8), and the pet stag (pp. 178-9). Book VIII Aeneas' shield: who makes it? What scene from a previous work of literature does it recall? Book IX How is Turnus like Achilles (pp. 217, 219, 239)? How is he unlike Achilles (p. 239)? How is he like Hektor? How is V. using traditional material for his own ends? Book X Compare the council of the gods with the council of the gods in Iliad 20. Compare and contrast Zeus with Jupiter. When you read 377-79 (p. 252) Think of other fire omens you have seen in the epic (2. 924028, 7. 90-98, 8. 878-883). Does the simile at 380-4 recall anything from the Iliad (22. 26-31)? Look closely at the heroics of Pallas and Turnus in pages 256-60. Is Aeneas' reaction to the death of Pallas justified? How does Jupiter judge Aeneas' behavior (p. 263)? What do you think of Aeneas before and after he kills Lausus? Does Mezentius deserve what happens to him (see pp. 271-3, 266-8)? Book XII Turnus and Aeneas meet. What is Turnus like at the beginning of this
book (pp. 305-8)? How does his role change (pp. 325-7)? What role do the
gods (including Juturna) play in the action? Does the chase scene remind
you of anything in the Iliad? How do you respond to Turnus at the time
he is killed? What do you think of the end of this epic?
1. Review the following stories with an eye to the main themes they reflect. Theme: behavior of the gods - what does Ovid think of them? (Lykaon, Deucalion and Pyrrha, Daphne and Apollo, Io, Phaethon, Callisto, Europa) Theme: hubris - what is it that causes the downfall of these characters? (Echo and Narcissus, Pentheus, daughters of Minyas, Arachne,Niobe) Theme: excessive human passion - what does Ovid think of "amor", and how does this differ from Virgil's view? (Tereus, Procne, and Philomela; Jason and Medea; Procris and Cephalus; Nisus and Scylla; Caunus and Biblys, Myrrha and Cinyras, Althaea and Meleager) Theme: commentary on the heroic code and Augustan Rome - what does Ovid have to say about the value and desirability of being a traditional epic hero, and what does he think about Augustan propaganda re. a Rome that will be eternally splendid and peaceful, a model imperial city? (Lapiths and Centaurs, Ulysses and Ajax [what is the meaning of the logos vs. ergon debate?], Pythagoras [what does the transmigration of the soul have to do with Rome?]) Golden Ass Study Questions 1. Is this work an epic? Is there a hero and a
divine machinery? How is this story similar to or different from the other
heroic epics we have read ?
The Greek Pantheon - outline in accordance with Hesiod Chaos produces: Gaia (Earth), Eros (Desire), Nyx (Night), and Erebos (Darkness) Gaia produces: Ouranos (Sky), the Mountains, and the Sea Gaia and Ouranos produce: 12 Titans (including Kronos), the Cyclopes, and the Hekatoncheires castration of Ouranos yields: the Erinyes (spirits of vengeance), the Giants, and Aphrodite (Roman Venus) Kronos marries his sister Rhea, and they produce:
Zeus marries Hera, and they produce:
Zeus and Metis produce Athena (Roman Minverva)
goddess of defensive war, wisdom, patron goddess of craftsmen
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Department of Foreign Languages
and Literatures
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Delaware, Newark DE 19716
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