Greek Mythology

Overview

Are the Greek Mythology at University of Oxford damaged history, allegories, or reflections of the inner workings of our minds? By going back to the original texts (in translation), and the analysis of ancient works of art, this course will exlore some of these fascinating tales from the past and evaluate various ways in which scholars have tried to make sense of them from antiquity to the present day. 

Course aims

This course aims develop an understanding of the presentation, content, and context of some of the major Greek myths, and of ways in which these might be interpreted.

The course will:

• Seek to gain a knowledge of some on the most important mythical tales to come down from antiquity;
• Analyse the different contexts and media in which Greek myths are narrated;
• Attempt to understand and assess different ways in which these tales have been interpreted from antiquity to the present day;
• Endeavour to develop skills of observation and analysis with further applications in study, work and leisure, and provide an interesting, enjoyable and relevant course of study.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course you will:

• Have a general overview of some of the major Greek myths, along with the culture of the world of of the Greeks gained through a variety of types of literary and archaeological evidence;
• Have grasped the nature of the evidence pertaining to Greek myths and the problems of interpretating this;
• Have developed an awareness of the differences and similarities between the ancient Greek civilisation and our own, and of the influence of Greek mythological tradition

By the end of the course you will have gained the following skills:

• The ability to assess the context and importance of varying types of evidence
• An ability to think laterally across a range of issues, to see how different types of evidence interrelate, and to have an awareness of the potential diversity of response to any given problem
• The facility critically to discuss issues and evidence in a clear, balanced, and effective manner

Accreditation

10 CATS points, FHEQ level 4