During this self-paced class, students will be taught about the gods, goddesses, heroes, and villains of Greek Mythology. They will learn about earlier mythologies that influenced Greek Mythology as well as later mythologies that were influenced by the Greeks. Students will also discover the relevance of mythology in our world today. 

Using Edith Hamilton's Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes as our guide, we will explore the worlds of Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern Mythologies. Greek Mythology will be our main study; however, I will also be teaching students some things about the other mythologies previously mentioned and about how different cultures borrowed or incorporated the myths of others. Students will also learn how and why some myths changed over time or had variations. 

Students will need to purchase Edith Hamilton's Mythology. The link to purchase this book will be provided in the supply list section and the sources section of this listing. Students will read the book outside of class. I will post reading assignments and discussion questions for each lesson. I will post video lectures discussing the material for each of the twelve lessons. Students will be expected to respond to the posted materials by replying to each lesson post. I will also post poems or works of art related to each lesson.

Here is the reading schedule:
*I am posting the schedule as sections rather than page numbers because students may have different editions of the book. When students have the books in their hands, this schedule will make more sense; however, please feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Also, a pdf file of this reading schedule will be made available upon enrollment. 

For Week 1: Students need to read the following *sections of Edith Hamilton's Mythology: 
Introduction to Classical Mythology - The Mythology of the Greeks; The Greek and Roman Writers of Mythology; PART ONE: (1)The Gods - The Titans and the Twelve Great Olympians myth through The Underworld myth

For Week 2: PART ONE (1) The Lesser Gods of Earth; The Roman Gods (2)The Two Great Gods of Earth - Demeter; Dionysus/Bacchus; (3)How The World and Mankind Were Created

For Week 3: PART ONE (4)The Earliest Heroes - Prometheus and Io; Europa; The Cyclops Polyphemus; Flower-Myths and PART TWO (5)Cupid and Psyche; (6)Eight Brief Tales of Lovers - Pyramus and Thisbe; Orpheus and Eurydice

For Week 4: PART TWO (6)Ceyx and Alcyone; Pygmalion and Galatea; Baucis and Philemon; Endymion; Daphne; Alphaeus and Arethusa (7)The Quest for the Golden Fleece (8)Four Great Adventures - Phaethon; Pegasus and Bellerophon; Otus and Ephialtes; Daedalus

For Week 5: PART THREE: The Great Heroes Before the Trojan War - (9) Perseus; (10)Theseus; (11)Hercules (Herakles);
(12) Atalanta

For Week 6: PART FOUR: The Heroes of the Trojan War - (13)The Trojan War; (14)The Fall of Troy; (15)The Adventures of Odysseus

For Week 7: PART FOUR (CONT.) - (16)The Adventures of Aeneas -- Parts One, Two, and Three

For Week 8: PART FIVE: The Great Families of Mythology (17)The House of Atreus

For Week 9: PART FIVE (CONT) - (18)The Royal House of Thebes (19)The Royal House of Athens

For Week 10: PART SIX: The Less Important Myths (20)Midas--and Others
 
For Week 11: PART SIX (CONT) (21) Brief Myths Arranged by Alphabetical Order

**For Week 12: PART SEVEN: Introduction to Norse Mythology - (22)The Stories of Signy and Sigurd; (23)The Norse Gods 

This class consists of video lectures, reading assignments, and weekly posts.

Students do not need any prior knowledge of mythology. They should, however, be prepared to read the assigned pages, watch video lectures, and reply to each lesson post. This is usually not a problem, as I find most students thoroughly enjoy reading and learning about mythology.