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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Greek and Roman Mythology by University of Pennsylvania

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About the Course

Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. 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 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 a set of blinders that all of us wear, though we do not realize it? Or are they just entertaining stories that people like to tell over and over? This course will investigate these questions through a variety of topics, including the creation of the universe, the relationship between gods and mortals, human nature, religion, the family, sex, love, madness, and death. *********************************************************************************************************** COURSE SCHEDULE • Week 1: Introduction Welcome to Greek and Roman Mythology! This first week we’ll introduce the class, paying attention to how the course itself works. We’ll also begin to think about the topic at hand: myth! How can we begin to define "myth"? How does myth work? What have ancient and modern theorists, philosophers, and other thinkers had to say about myth? This week we’ll also begin our foray into Homer’s world, with an eye to how we can best approach epic poetry. Readings: No texts this week, but it would be a good idea to get started on next week's reading to get ahead of the game. Video Lectures: 1.1-1.7 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 2: Becoming a Hero In week 2, we begin our intensive study of myth through Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey. This core text not only gives us an exciting story to appreciate on its own merits but also offers us a kind of laboratory where we can investigate myth using different theoretical approaches. This week we focus on the young Telemachus’ tour as he begins to come of age; we also accompany his father Odysseus as he journeys homeward after the Trojan War. Along the way, we’ll examine questions of heroism, relationships between gods and mortals, family dynamics, and the Homeric values of hospitality and resourcefulness. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 1-8 Video Lectures: 2.1-2.10 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 3: Adventures Out and Back This week we’ll follow the exciting peregrinations of Odysseus, "man of twists and turns," over sea and land. The hero’s journeys abroad and as he re-enters his homeland are fraught with perils. This portion of the Odyssey features unforgettable monsters and exotic witches; we also follow Odysseus into the Underworld, where he meets shades of comrades and relatives. Here we encounter some of the best-known stories to survive from all of ancient myth. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 9-16 Video Lectures: 3.1-3.10 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 4: Identity and Signs As he makes his way closer and closer to re-taking his place on Ithaca and with his family, a disguised Odysseus must use all his resources to regain his kingdom. We’ll see many examples of reunion as Odysseus carefully begins to reveal his identity to various members of his household—his servants, his dog, his son, and finally, his wife Penelope—while also scheming against those who have usurped his place. Readings: Homer, Odyssey, books 17-24 Video Lectures: 4.1-4.8 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 5: Gods and Humans We will take a close look at the most authoritative story on the origin of the cosmos from Greek antiquity: Hesiod’s Theogony. Hesiod was generally considered the only poet who could rival Homer. The Theogony, or "birth of the gods," tells of an older order of gods, before Zeus, who were driven by powerful passions—and strange appetites! This poem presents the beginning of the world as a time of fierce struggle and violence as the universe begins to take shape, and order, out of chaos. Readings: Hesiod, Theogony *(the Works and Days is NOT required for the course)* Video Lectures: 5.1-5.9 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 6: Ritual and Religion This week’s readings give us a chance to look closely at Greek religion in its various guises. Myth, of course, forms one important aspect of religion, but so does ritual. How ancient myths and rituals interact teaches us a lot about both of these powerful cultural forms. We will read two of the greatest hymns to Olympian deities that tell up-close-and-personal stories about the gods while providing intricate descriptions of the rituals they like us humans to perform. Readings: Homeric Hymn to Apollo; Homeric Hymn to Demeter (there are two hymns to each that survive, only the LONGER Hymn to Apollo and the LONGER Hymn to Demeter are required for the course) Video Lectures: 6.1-6.7 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 7: Justice What counts as a just action, and what counts as an unjust one? Who gets to decide? These are trickier questions than some will have us think. This unit looks at one of the most famously thorny issues of justice in all of the ancient world. In Aeschylus’ Oresteia—the only surviving example of tragedy in its original trilogy form—we hear the story of Agamemnon’s return home after the Trojan War. Unlike Odysseus’ eventual joyful reunion with his wife and children, this hero is betrayed by those he considered closest to him. This family's cycle of revenge, of which this story is but one episode, carries questions of justice and competing loyalties well beyond Agamemnon’s immediate family, eventually ending up on the Athenian Acropolis itself. Readings: Aeschylus, Agamemnon; Aeschylus, Eumenides Video Lectures: 7.1-7.10 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 8: Unstable Selves This week we encounter two famous tragedies, both set at Thebes, that center on questions of guilt and identity: Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Eurpides’ Bacchae. Oedipus is confident that he can escape the unthinkable fate that was foretold by the Delphic oracle; we watch as he eventually realizes the horror of what he has done. With Odysseus, we saw how a great hero can re-build his identity after struggles, while Oedipus shows us how our identities can dissolve before our very eyes. The myth of Oedipus is one of transgressions—intentional and unintentional—and about the limits of human knowledge. In Euripides’ Bacchae, the identity of gods and mortals is under scrutiny. Here, Dionysus, the god of wine and of tragedy, and also madness, appears as a character on stage. Through the dissolution of Pentheus, we see the terrible consequences that can occur when a god’s divinity is not properly acknowledged. Readings: Sophocles, Oedipus Rex; Euripides, Bacchae Video Lectures: 8.1-8.9 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 9: The Roman Hero, Remade Moving ahead several centuries, we jump into a different part of the Mediterranean to let the Romans give us their take on myth. Although many poets tried to rewrite Homer for their own times, no one succeeded quite like Vergil. His epic poem, the Aeneid, chronicles a powerful re-building of a culture that both identifies with and defines itself against previously told myths. In contrast to the scarcity of information about Homer, we know a great deal about Vergil’s life and historical context, allowing us insight into myth-making in action. Readings: Vergil, Aeneid, books 1-5 Video Lectures: 9.1-9.10 Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. • Week 10: Roman Myth and Ovid's Metamorphoses Our consideration of Vergil’s tale closes with his trip to the underworld in book 6. Next, we turn to a more playful Roman poet, Ovid, whose genius is apparent in nearly every kind of register. Profound, witty, and satiric all at once, Ovid’s powerful re-tellings of many ancient myths became the versions that are most familiar to us today. Finally, through the lens of the Romans and others who "remythologize," we wrap up the course with a retrospective look at myth. Readings: Vergil, Aeneid, book 6; Ovid, Metamorphoses, books 3, 12, and 13. Video Lectures: 10.1-10.9. Quiz: Complete the quiz by the end of the week. *********************************************************************************************************** READINGS There are no required texts for the course, however, Professor Struck will make reference to the following texts in the lecture: • Greek Tragedies, Volume 1, David Grene and Richmond Lattimore, trans. (Chicago) • Greek Tragedies, Volume 3, David Grene and Richmond Lattimore , trans. (Chicago) • Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, M. L. West, trans. (Oxford) • Homeric Hymns, Sarah Ruden, trans. (Hackett) • Homer, The Odyssey, Robert Fagles, trans. (Penguin) • Virgil, The Aeneid, Robert Fitzgerald, trans. (Vintage) • Ovid, Metamorphoses, David Raeburn, trans. (Penguin) These translations are a pleasure to work with, whereas many of the translations freely available on the internet are not. If you do not want to purchase them, they should also be available at many libraries. Again, these texts are not required, but they are helpful....

Top reviews

TS

Jul 7, 2020

Well thought out well presented. I feel I have gained a very knowledgeable and thorough understanding of both Greek and Roman mythology and their historical gods and goddesses from taking this course.

KW

Aug 19, 2020

I loved this course. It covers material that is generally available to those who can afford an expensive private education. It was a great way to keep myself occupied during the coronavirus lockdown.

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76 - 100 of 677 Reviews for Greek and Roman Mythology

By Matthew V

Feb 8, 2021

This is my fourth coursera course and probably my favorite yet! I thought I knew this material well having taken classes on it in high school and college, but the amount I learned in this course is EXPANSIVE!! I love how Professor Struck presents lectures. It was difficult. There are lots of videos (over an hour a week, not including reading time), so it's ten weeks of hard work. But very worth it if you're willing to put in the effort!

By Matthijs R

Jan 29, 2022

I found this course very interesting, not only does it cover myth but it branches out to many other subjects which are connected to myth. This gives the course a multiple faced personality which certainly keeps things refreshing!

The instructor, Professor Struck, has an accomplished background regarding the subject and is in my opinion the perfect man for the job.

I Would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in myth.

By Karen G

Apr 21, 2019

A suprising, engaging and thorough exploration of the topic. Prof. Struck is a gifted teacher and the course material is wonderful. I thought I was taking a class to further my knowledge of mythological stories and characters- but I learned so much more. This course is a wonderful adventure and left with me with new ideas and new questions about the stories we tell and how they shape how we live and who we think we are.

By Jonathan I L

Dec 5, 2018

This is a fantastic course. Don't expect to get a very deep knowledge, intricate concepts or really complicated theory since this course offers only an introduction to Greek and Roman myths and some very useful tools to interpret them. The language used by Peter Struck is quite friendly, and he is able to make you feel like you're actually travelling with Odysseus, Orestes and all of the heroes of Greek and Roman Myths.

By Diane M

Sep 30, 2021

Peter (sorry for the familiarity - his warm style mabe it feel like he a friend) has an insight and knowledge level which made this course a pleasure to complete. He has a way of bringing history to life with his ability to relate , interpret and deliver content. Thank you - I am now looking at how to continue my passion for history with another of your courses

Di

Dr Di McGreal

Psychologist MAPS

Melbourne, Australia

By Carlos L

Jul 3, 2017

i´m very glad to have chosen this course in my ongoing learning. i studied oedipus´story in college as part of the psychoanalysis class and in the history of psychology is a very important but underrated part of learning. i want to thank peter struck for his energy throughout the whole ten sessions and hopefully he would have a bottle of water nearby to water his throat a little between videos. such a great teacher!!

By Veronica S

May 31, 2020

A very interesting course for those who already have some previous knowledge of greek and roman mythology. I learned a lot more about the historical and social backgrounds of the myths I grew up with and studied on my own, but I also "gained new glasses" to see them from different perspectives. Thank you so much Peter, although I did not engage much on class discussions, your course made my quarantine more bearable.

By Daniel S

Jan 14, 2023

Dr.Struck is a remarkable interpreter of this genre. His insights really lent clarity to the stories and brought them alive for the modern reader. I enjoyed the class thoroughly! I would recommend that all future students of this course read the suggested readings before,not after the lectures. The lectures will fill out the gaps in understanding from the readings much better when they are used for follow-up

By Shyamasri M

Jun 14, 2020

I am very glad that I have completed this course successfully. The syllabus was comprehensive. The lectures were informative and analytical. I express my sincere thanks to Prof. Peter Struck (Course Instructor) and the academic team, for making the difficult topics of Classical literature interesting to the learners. Thanks, Coursera, for offering such a wonderful course on Greek and Roman Mythology.

By Emily W

Aug 29, 2020

This was an excellent course, I'm so glad it was recommended to me! I have experience in history, but not Classics specifically. I learned so much in this course and was introduced to important, seminal works. Professor Struck not only presents the information and analysis in an accessible way, but also always keeps it interesting. This course made me want to continue delving into the Classics!

By Natalia B

Sep 26, 2019

Thank you for the course. It was systematic, provided deep understanding of mythology and, particularly, deeper understanding of the current human being, identity, the roots of humanity, etc. I really enjoyed the useful and very interesting information. Moreover, the course sees mythology through the prism of a range of tools, thus, providing the explanation of the importance of its learning.

By Gerald H

May 2, 2019

The course is presented in a quite interesting and humorous manner. I ended up really enjoying the course and acquired a number of the reading materials for personal use after the course. I had never thought about myths beyond simple stories, why they exist, how it might be they come about, and now am always thinking about the world I live in today and how myths play a role. Great Course!

By Adriana

Mar 3, 2017

Great course! I enrolled knowing nothing (just the basic stories/myths you read everywhere) and I end literally Loving Greek and Roman Mythology. Unfortunately the time is short for such rich and deep topic. Professor Peter Struck was great transmitting the enthusiasm for the stories with a very understandable structure. Thank you for putting together this course, I guess it was and odyssey.

By Johan S H

Jun 6, 2020

The course was great! the teacher explains his ideas in such a way that it is easy to understand them even for foreigner like me. Furthermore, the quizes and the discussions are an interesting way of assessing and comparing the knowledge that we have got. Thank you! Something I did not like tough, is that the certification is a little bit expensive for some people who do not live in the US.

By Marco M

Jun 26, 2020

Peter Struck and team do an excellent job to introduce “universal truths” and a tool box that have enhance my scholarly ability to analyze texts. Really enjoyed the delivery, and course material. It was a great introduction to various texts that I explored further using the same strategies. Thank you, and will be looking out for more courses!! I look for the myth in my everyday life now.

By ana l n

Oct 6, 2022

Descubrir un mundo mágico con la guía de un excelente maestro fue una experiencia maravillosa que he disfrutado totalmente. Ahora pienso adentrarme en los textos para realmente tener el conocimiento después de haber tomado este excelente curso. Incluso creo conveniente tomarlo más adelante nuevamente porque mis calificaciones no me dejan satisfecha. Gracias por la enseñanza recibida

By David H

Aug 9, 2017

Anyone taking this particular course will be in for an awakening in what's real or not and how to see the difference in the story telling. A great way to show and explain life in ancient times even though stories have been told to express life as it was. A very worthwhile learning experience taught in a very relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest or not.

By Bappy S

Feb 12, 2022

This is a course about the Mythology of a part of the world. In our world, there are many cultures and also many mythologies and all of those mythical stories have an interconnection in them. I have learned a lot of things and it turns on my thrust for knowledge so much. I am looking forward to knowing the World's mythology and want to stitch the gap between the world's mythology.

By Barana M

Oct 15, 2023

One of the better, if not the best, courses on Greek and Roman Mythology for any Greek nerd. The instructor is the most amazing and passionate instructors I've seen who really knows how to engage their students in a very captivating retelling! All the very best to future students who're going to enroll in this course (you're going to have a great time) and for Mr Peter Struck!

By Maria J V

Oct 22, 2020

Excelente curso introdutório, com tópicos que varrem bem o estudo dos mitos e sua evolução. O prof. Peter Struck é ótimo! Ele é preciso nas suas definições, mas leva o aluno a pensar sobre o tema por diferentes perspectivas. A leitura dos livros ficou completamente diferente e mais rica com suas análises. Além disso, ele é dotado de uma ironia fina e elegante. Parabéns!

By Loh J H

Aug 9, 2020

listening to the myths were very interesting as well as the lessons learnt from them, which i think to a certain extent is still relevant and applicable today. it was very informative and i really enjoyed it, and i believe i have much deeper understanding of Greek and Roman myths and how they came to be, as well as have a clearer understanding of the purposes of myths.

By José A J H

Sep 10, 2019

Beatiful course !! I have enjoyed it and I hope to continue by my own or with other courses trying to understand the meaning of myths. In any case, whatever the meaning, they are exciting and entertaining stories that help us understand that few things have really changed. Congratulations to Prof. Struck and rest of the team. The course is informative and esthetic.

By Анастасия-Николь Д

Jun 4, 2022

The course is really great, I`ve learned so much in this short period and I see that there`s much more ahead! I`m really happy I took this course because it made me understand some aspects of the Greek and Roman culture I`ve never known about before, thank you so much for informative lectures, I feel that my itch will grow with time and I`m ready to scratch on )))

By Miguel C

Jun 10, 2020

This course was a gateway to the ancient cultures and allowed me to have a wider vision about myths and a bigger picture of the Greek and Roman Society. I had the chance to review all the subjects I took at School and at the University but with a deeper and sharper approach. I truly enjoyed all the lessons and I highly recommend this course for all History lovers.