Unit name | Myth |
---|---|
Unit code | CLAS20065 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Zajko |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The aim of this unit will be to explore a number of aspects of Greek and Roman mythology, using texts from a variety of genres and periods. We will explore the significance of the way that the term myth-ology combines both 'muthos' and 'logos' and so can be seen to encode the struggle for mastery between a story and its interpretation. Myth has generally been negatively defined against other forms of discourse, against e.g. history, philosophy, or theology, and it has been claimed that it was the Greeks themselves who invented this kind of taxonomy. In the modern world this kind of negative definition of myth can be seen to structure on-going debates about e.g. the relation of myth to feminism or to science. We shall explore both ancient and modern debates in relation to particular stories and their numerous and various interpretations.
Aims:
The aim of this unit will be to explore a number of approaches to Greek and Roman mythology, using a variety of texts and images as source material. Myths will be shown to respond to a range of different interpretative strategies.
On successful completion of this units, students will be able to:
1x one-hour seminar and 1x two-hour seminar per week.
One group video project (50%) [ILOs 1, 3, 4].
One 90-minute exam (50%) [ILOs 1, 2, 4].