| CLAS230 Classical MythologyDepartment of Classics
 Monmouth College
 SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTSSpring Semester 
MMX
 Part I: Introduction to MythJan 14  Course 
introductions, Definition of Myth, and overview of World Mythology
 James Weldon Johnson's "The Creation" (Bierlein 78-80)
 American 
Heritage Dictionary 
definition 
/ 
World Myths and Legends in Art
 Jan 19 What is a myth? Sisyphus: Bierlein 194-199
 Sienkewicz' "On 
Myths and Sisyphean Tasks; 
 Types 
of Myth  /
Some Definitions 
/ Myth and Folktale 
/ Folktale Themes
 
 Jan 21 What is a myth? Cont.
 Bierlein, 3-23; Rosenberg xiii-xxi
 Jan. 26 Trickster TalesNative American 
Trickster Tales / 
Native American Trickster Tales / 
Trickster & 
Coyote Links /
Riddle of the Trickster 
/ Transformations 
of the Trickster /
 Anansi: Beirlein 159-165
 More Tricksters: Bierlein 111-115
 
 Jan 28 Ways of Understanding Myth: Ancient
 Sienkewicz' "The 
Web of Myth" / 
Ways 
of Interpreting Myths
 
 Feb. 2 Ways of Understanding Myth: Modern
 Bierlein, 255-326 /
Some Theories of Myth
 
 Part II The Gods and Creation
 Feb. 4 Polytheism and Divine Pantheons. Bierlein, 24-33; 
 
Pantheons of Mythology /  
Greek 
Pantheon  / The 
Pantheon  / 
The Major Gods / 
Genealogies for Greek 
Myths / 
Genealogical Tables for World Myths / 
Thury and Devinney's 
List of Gods and Heroes / 
World Mythology
 Quiz on Part I (but not Modern Ways of Understanding Myth)
  Feb 9  Greek Mother GoddessRosenberg 93-99;  Venus 
of Willendorf / 
Outline of Homeric Hymn to Demeter / 
Homeric 
Hymn to Demeter / 
Eleusinian Mysteries 
Schedule  /
The Eleusinian Mysteries 
/
 Discuss
MAP/GEOGRAPHY QUIZ
 Feb. 11 Egypt. Isis, Osiris, Horus: Rosenberg 12-21; 
Bierlein, 51-52Discuss
Prospectus 
for
Individualized Project
 
 Feb 16 Greek creation myths
 Rosenberg 80-89
/
Structure of Hesiod's Theogony /
Hesiod's 
Theogony / 
Useful Study Guide / Ovid's 
Metamorphoses (Read about creation at beginning of Book I) /
Creation 
in Ovid
 
 Feb 18 and 23 and 25 Near Eastern Creation Myths
 Rosenberg 1-11; 22-25; 
Enuma Elish
 
 Feb 23
 1st 
MAP/GEOGRAPHY QUIZ
(focus on pantheons)
 
Feb 25 Odysseys and the 
Cyclops (193-536)Prospectus 
for
Individualized Project 
due.
 Archaeology lecture at 7:30 P.M. in Morgan Room of Poling Hall (on Odysseus and 
the Cyclops):  
EXTRA CREDIT
 
 Mar. 2  Genesis
 Book of Genesis 1-4 (Beirlein 73-76)
 
 Mar 4 Hercules
 Rosenberg 100-105
 Mid-course Evaluation 
due before you leave for Spring Break
 
 Mar 16 No class. Attend Archaeology lecture on Hercules Wed. the 17th instead (7:30 PM in 
Morgan Room)
 
 Mar 18
 Mayan Creation Stories:
Rosenberg 595-608
 India: Rosenberg 291-295
 China: Rosenberg 324-330
 Japanese Deities: Rosenberg 335-338
 New Zealand 351-360
 Hawaii 360-366
 Northern Europe 459-466
 Nigeria 509-514
 Zaire 515-517
 Bolivia 570-573
 Inca 574-578
 Venezuela 578-594
 Navajo: Rosenberg 615-621
 Iroquois/Huron 625-624
 Tlingit 634-636 (raven)
 Inuit 637-643 (Sedna)
 
 Part III Heroes
 March 23 Heroes Around the World
 The Hero 
Packet
 
 Mar 25/
Mar 30
 Quiz on Part II
 
 Apr 1
Heroes in the Trojan War: Achilles and Aeneas
 Achilles:
Rosenberg 106-158
 
 Progress report on 
Individualized Project due
 Apr 6 Heroes Around the World:Aeneas:
Rosenberg 255-288
 Apr. 8 Heroes Around the World Cont.Rama: Rosenberg 296-323
 
 April 12
 Gilgamesh:
Rosenberg 26-57
 
Part IV: Earliest Times, Floods and DestructionApr 14 Greece. Ages of Man and the Flood
 Rosenberg 90-102
 Hesiod. Works and 
Days (lines 156-201) Read about Ages of Man
 Ovid, Metamorphoses
Book I. Read about Ages of Man and the Flood
 Archaeology Lecture Tonight: EXTRA CREDIT!
 
 Apr 22
 Bible: Flood and Tower of Babel in Genesis 1-11
 Celtic Ages of Man
 Rosenberg 367-377
 Apr 27 Earliest TimesBierlein 91-120
 (Individualized Project
due.)
 
 Apr 29 Other Flood Myths
 Bierlein 121-135
 May 4 QUIZ on Parts III and IV and 2nd  
MAP/GEOGRAPHY QUIZ
(on world myths)
 May 10  Final Meeting for
Oral Presentations and 
Course Evaluation, 8 A.M.
 
 This material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom
Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can
contact him at toms@monm.edu.  Return to Monmouth College Department of Classics
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