LLT 121.2 Classical Mythology – Spring 10
9:30 TTH; 117 Siceluff Hall
Instructor: J. A. Johnson
Office: 105 Siceluff
Office Phone: 836-5122
Office Hours: 7:45-9:15, 12:15-1:15 TTH
E-mail:
JulieJohnson@missouristate.edu
and by appointment
Electronic Contact – Email checked daily am & pm
Texts: Ovid, Metamorphoses, translated by Rolfe Humphries (Indiana U.
Press)
Homer, Odyssey, translated by W.H.D. Rouse (Signet Classic)
Plus various handouts
Online Text of Ovid's Metamorphoses
Online Text of Homer's Odyssey
Films: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts,
Black Orpheus
| Schedule | Study Guide |
| Syllabus |
Tentative Schedule
Date
Class
Reading Assignments
Wk 1 Greetings & Overview Greek
Myth
Ovid – pp 3-27
(Jan 12/14) Ovid & Homer; Cosmogonies
Ovid - Wk 1
(Creation – Jove & Io)
Wk 2 Man vs. Gods – nature of the beast
(Jan 19/21) Theories of Myth – as primitive science Myth
of Phaeton
(Phaethon – Goddess Envy)
Wk 3 Theories of Myth – religious explanations Bacchus
(Dionysus) Pentheus
& Bacchus (musical)
Ovid – pp 54-80
(Jan 26/28) Ovid
- Week 3 Ovid
- Week 3b Centaurs Asclepius
(Europa – Pentheus & Bacchus)
Wk 4 Myth as inspiration
Ovid - Week 4 Intro
P&T Pyramus
& Thisbe (German) 1 P&T
2
Ovid – pp 81-100
(Feb 2/4) Midsummer Night’s Dream Sisyphus
1
Sisyphus 2
(Daughters of Minyas – End of Cadmus)
Dance of
the Furies
Cerberus
Wk 5 9th - Test 1
Ovid – pp 100-133
(Feb 9/11) Ovid
- Week 5 Arachne
Song Persephone's
Song
(Perseus – Minerva’s tales)
Persephone & Hades
Persephone & Hades: Rules of the Underworld
Wk 6 Moral Compasses – cultural values/gender roles
Ovid – pp 133 - 152
(Feb 16/18) Ovid
- Week 6 Philomela
- Raising the Wind
(Niobe – Tereus, Procne, Philomela)
Apollo and Marsyas, the
Satyr
Wk 7 Legends and Heroes Ovid
- Week 7 Medea
as Jason leaves her - opera Cherubini's Medea Ovid – pp 153 - 180
(Feb 23/25) Film: Jason and the Argonauts Theseus
& Minotaur
(Jason & Medea – Cephalus & Procris)
Wk 8 Mythic dysfunctional families Ovid
- Week 8
Ovid – pp 181 -- 198
(Mar 2/4) Heroic Patterns
(Nisus & Scylla – Brand of Meleager)
------------------------------Spring
Break----------------------------------------
Wk 9 16th – Test 2
Ovid – pp 200-237
(Mar 16/18) Further heroes...and one or two good examples Ovid
- Week 9 Week
9b
(Baucis & Philemon – Orpheus & Eurydice)
Orpheus &
Eurydice 1
Orpheus & Eurydice
2
Tennessee William's
"Orpheus Descending" (aka "Fugitive Kind")
Film:
"Black Orpheus"
"Don't
Look Back"
Baucis
& Philemon, Haydn
Erysichthon
Hercules 1 Hercules
2
Wk 10 Film: Black Orpheus G.B.
Shaw's Pygmalion #1 Pygmalion
#2
Pygmalion #9 Ovid – pp 239 – 261
(Mar 23/25) Adaptation of myth Ovid
- Week 10
(Ganymede – death of Orpheus)
Pygmalion & Galatea
[ 10th week – Deadline for Dropping with automatic
W]
Wk 11 Trojan War background
Odyssey, Books 1-4
(Mar 30) Trojan War
background
TW background B
Calypso's Island
Greek
Song for Helen
Song for Helen #2
Wk 12
Odyssey, Books 5-8
(Apr 6/8) Penelope's Song
Message
for Calypso
Greek
Song for Calypso
Wk 13 Sagas & Songs: Faraway Places with strange-sounding names… 13th-Test
4
Odyssey, Books 9-12
(Apr 13/15)
The Sirens - Greek Song
Call of
the Siren
Odysseus and Circe
Odysseus and Cyclops
Scylla and Charybdis - History Channel
Wk 14 Home at last! (cf. homecoming vets) Odysseus'
arrival
Odyssey, Books 13-16
(Apr 20/22)
Ithaca by
Cavafy
Ody's trip to the
Underworld - History Channel analysis
Wk 15 27th - Test 4
Odyssey, Books 17-20
(Apr 27/29)
Wk 16 What now? (cf. Tennyson & Brooke) Ulysses'
Gaze
Odyssey, Books 21-24
(May 4/6)
Odysseus -History Channel Summary
Odysseus' return -History Channel
Final – Tuesday, May 11, 8:45 AM
Course: LLT 121 fulfills 3 hours of General
Education requirements under the area of inquiry "Culture
and Society". As such, it aims at the General Education Goals under both Part
One: Intellectual Abilities and Dispositions and Part Two, B. Understanding
Culture and Society. The details of these goals are laid out at the following
web site and factor into the specific sectional course objectives:
http://www.missouristate.edu/GeneralEducation/Faculty_Senate_Approved_GenEd.htm
LLT 121 also connects to the MSU Public Affairs mission by addressing two of the
main themes of Public Affairs: (1) Ethical Leadership (in the study of ancient
heroes) and (2) Cultural Competency (in understanding ancient European societies
and their concerns).
LLT 121 is an introduction to the principal tales of ancient Greece,
particularly those which form the mythic heritage of Greece and Rome and which
now serve as the common tradition and cultural legacy of the west and, in
particular, as the store of symbols and icons from which we draw in expressing
values and communicating interests.
Course Objectives:
• Acquire familiarity with basic Greek and Roman myths as shown in ability to
speak and write about them and to recognize references to them in art,
literature, and music (what the myths are and their occurrence in any context)
• Acquire understanding of the sources and cultural functions of these tales in
their original contexts as shown by an ability to recognize and interpret
ancient uses of myth (how and why we have them) with special attention to the
human values expressed by these myths and to the leadership qualities accorded
to mythic heroes
• Acquire appreciation of the ongoing power of ancient myth and its use in
contemporary times, as shown by the recognition of the various uses of myths in
today’s culture (how they still appeal)
• Acquire appreciation for the ancient poetic sources of myth through
assimilation of primary sources as shown by a familiarity with Ovid’s and
Homer’s works (why generations of men and women have dug them)
Class: Class time will be spent in a combination of lecture,
discussion, and films. You are responsible for reading and pondering assigned
material in advance of the class in which it will be covered, for attending
promptly and cheerfully, and for chewing over the material in class with gusto
and thoughtfulness. To prime our conversational pumps, you should always come to
class with at least one question prepared in writing prompted by that week’s
reading assignment. [These may be collected on occasion, so make them good.]
Testing: There will be 4 tests and a final exam during the
term. The tests will total 100 points (25 points each); the final exam, 35
points. All exams will cover the information from our primary sources (who,
what, where, and when of myth), class handouts, lectures, graphic
representations, discussions, activities, and whatever else is pertinent.
Study guides for all tests and for the final will be available by link to the
online course page.
Participation: Participation will be assessed based on faithful
attendance and lively engagement as shown by discussion, raising questions,
comments, and general sharing in the work of the class. This is your class, and
its level of interest depends upon the contributions of each and every students.
Excessive absences will certainly impair your ability to perform on tests. If
you should miss class, it is your responsibility alone to acquire notes and
information from other students. (Do feel free, however, to e-mail me at any
time with questions about the material or about assignments.)
Notate Bene: There will be no make-ups on tests without my
permission prior to the day in question. Medical absences should be verified by
a physician’s note. However, in the case of a natural disaster (e.g., blizzard,
ice storm, flood, and plague of locusts) we shall adjust the schedule as
appropriate. Risk neither life nor limbs. In the event of inclement weather, if
you suspect the roads are impassible, you should check the course page to see
whether class has been cancelled or call Mrs. Burlison, MCL Executive Secretary,
at 836-5122.
There will be absolutely no fudging on the official date and time of the final
exam (Thursday, December 17th). Do not ask. A necessary (but not sufficient)
requirement for any change of an individual’s final schedule is the written
permission of that student’s college dean.
Grading: At the end of term, the point total for the tests and
final will be added (along with any possible bonus points) and a grade will be
assigned on the basis of the percentage achieved out of the total possible
points according to the following scale: 100-90% = A; 80-89% = B; 70-79% = C;
60-69% = D; 0-59% = F.
The approximate percentage breakdown of the course work is as follows:
4 tests = 100 points or 63 %
Participation = 25 points or 16 %
Final = 35 points or 21 % Total: 160 points
Procedures for Grade Inquiries: If you have any questions about
test, written work, or final course grading, please see me first. If you have
further questions, I shall refer you to Professor Madeleine Kernen, Department
Head, Modern & Classical Languages.
Some of you (e.g., athletes, pledges, scholarship recipients, etc.) may require
regular feedback on your grade. If so, please apprise me early in the term and
check with me often. If you wish a ‘snapshot’ estimate of your grade at any
time, just email your request.
Courtesies: Late arrivals to and early departures from class
are both rude and disruptive. Inclement weather aside, such comings and goings
will not be tolerated. If special circumstances pertain (e.g., a 8:00 or 11:00
in the Professional Building), please let me know at the start of term.
Integrity: I presume at the outset that everyone is of the
highest moral character and probity. However, in a case of suspected cheating or
plagiarism (‘Plagiarism’ means the theft of intellectual property, stealing the
ideas or words of another and passing them off as one’s own.), I shall return
the exam without a grade, and the student must see me immediately. If good faith
has been restored, a grade will be given. In the case of unquestioned
dishonesty, the test or written material will be given an automatic zero; and
the student must still see me immediately. In the latter instance, the student
will be counseled to drop the course and the Academic Integrity Council may be
notified.
Missouri State University is a community of scholars committed to developing
educated persons who accept the responsibility to practice personal and academic
integrity. You are responsible for knowing and following our student honor code,
Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures, available at
http://www.missouristate.edu/acadaff/AcademicIntegrity.html and also available
at the Reserves Desk in Meyer Library. Any student participating in any form of
academic dishonesty may be subject to sanctions as described in this policy.
Accommodations: To request academic accommodations for a
disability, contact Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, Director, Disability Services,
Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 or (417) 836-6792 (TTY),
http://www.missouristate.edu/disability. Students are required to provide
documentation of disability to Disability Services prior to receiving
accommodations. Disability Services refers some types of accommodation requests
to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic, which also provides diagnostic testing for
learning and psychological disabilities. For information about testing, contact
Dr. Steve Capps, Director, Learning Diagnostic Clinic, (417) 836-4787,
http://www.missouristate.edu/contrib/ldc.
Nondiscrimination: Missouri State is an equal
opportunity/affirmative action institution, and maintains a grievance procedure
available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against.
At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible
discrimination to Jana Estergard, Equal Opportunity Officer, 111 Park Central
Office Building (PCOB), telephone (417) 836-4252. Website:
http://www.missouristate.edu/equity/. Other types of concerns (i.e., concerns of
an academic nature) should be discussed directly with your instructor and can
also be brought to the attention of Professor Madeleine Kernen, Head, Department
of Modern & Classical Languages.
Emergency Response
Students who require assistance during an emergency evacuation must discuss
their needs with their professors and Disability Services. If you have emergency
medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in
case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon
as possible.
For additional information students should contact the Office of Disability
Services, 836-4192 (PSU 405), or Larry Combs, Interim Assistant Director of
Public Safety and Transportation at 836-6576.
For further information on Missouri State University’s Emergency Response Plan,
please refer to the following web site:
http://www.missouristate.edu/safetran/erp.htm.
Dis Volentibus!
(With gods willing!)