Greek myth, adopted by the Romans, dominated classical literature, art and religion, providing the basis of a cultural unity which spread across continents and millennia and still continues to provide a shared intellectual background around the globe. This unit begins from early creation myths and examines the development of Greek and Roman myth in this literature and art, exploring the development of many famous myths, such as those of the Golden Fleece and of the Trojan war. Various modern attempts to explain myth are examined including the complicated relationship between myth and history: how far can we use the former to reconstruct the latter? Finally, the unit looks at some of the... -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Neil O'Sullivan