Week 1 Lecture Notes: Introduction to Classical Mythology

Instructor and Course Overview

  • Instructor: Randall “Randy” Pogorzelski (preferred: Randy). Western University, Department of Classical Studies since 2011. Prior positions: Scripps College (Claremont, CA), UC Irvine, University of New England (Armidale, NSW). Research focus: poetry of the early Roman Empire, especially Virgil and Lucan; interest in the use of classical literature and myth in modern literature and culture. PhD from UC Santa Barbara on Virgil and James Joyce; taught courses including Watchmen and Frankenstein. Open to questions about the course or Ancient Greece and Rome.
  • Format and delivery philosophy:
    • Audio kept separate from slides for flexibility; audio can be consumed like podcast/audiobook.
    • PowerPoint slides accompany lectures; slide numbers referenced during lecture.
    • Transcript provided; aim to make lectures comprehensible without slides.
    • He will not provide multiple alternate formats (e.g., an audio-in-PowerPoint file) for every update due to time and practicality concerns.
    • If students prefer a different format, they should assemble it themselves from provided materials.

Course Format and Materials

  • Purpose of format choices:
    • Smaller file sizes for audio-only consumption; flexibility to listen while multitasking (walking, driving, gym, chores).
    • Slides and transcript accompany the lectures to enable note-taking and alignment with visuals when desired.
  • Transcript and slides:
    • Slides are available and referred to during lectures.
    • Students can still benefit from listening without the slides, but slides provide additional context.
  • Rationale for not providing every possible format:
    • Updating lectures in many formats would incentivize static content and reduce the course’s dynamism.
    • The course aims to stay current and engaging, not locked to a single delivery format.

The Story of Ajax (Intro to Classical Mythology Topics)

  • Slide 1: Image detail from an Attic black-figure amphora (ca. 540–530 B.C.E.) showing Achilles and Ajax playing draughts; image by Exekias. Source: Attic vase painting; the first page of the syllabus features the same image.
  • Slide 2: Context for the image:
    • Amphora: shape with oval body and narrow neck.
    • Exekias, 540–530 BCE; common motif of Ajax rolling a die (4) vs. Achilles (rolls a 4 or higher advantage). Link for further reading: https://classical-inquiries.chs.harvard.edu/a-roll-of-the-dice-for-ajax/
  • Slide 3: The scene as a thematic choice:
    • Two Trojan War heroes in a peaceful, non-warfare setting (around a table, rolling dice).
    • War-weary figures depicted with spears and helmets; labeled as heroes of the Trojan War.
    • Implies Ancient Greek games and possible evidence of board games in antiquity.
  • Slide 4: The vase scene as a message about “the best of the Achaeans”:
    • Achaea: region in Greece; “Achaeans” used as synecdoche for Greeks in many Greek texts.
    • In Homer’s Iliad, Achilles is the best; Ajax is the second best. On vases, Achilles consistently rolls higher than Ajax; narration suggests Achilles is superior in both combat and chance (dice).
  • Slide 5: Focus on Ajax’s story (caution about difficult topics):
    • Ajax’s suicide is a central, difficult element in the broader myth.
    • The syllabus notes that the course will discuss challenging topics (suicide, gender-based and sexual violence, colonialism, racism, violence, and injustice). Students should discuss accommodations with the instructor; no explicit warnings will be given every time a difficult topic arises.
  • Slide 6: Ajax narrative summary (fits with the vase image):
    • After Achilles’ death, Ajax and Odysseus defend his body; armor awarded to Odysseus by Agamemnon and Menelaus; Ajax goes mad, kills sheep (mistaking them for enemies); dies by suicide after rejection by leadership and strained family relations.
    • The vase emphasizes friendship and emotional power amid war; the broader story includes betrayal and disillusionment with leadership.
  • Slide 7: Sophocles’ Ajax and modern resonance:
    • Sophocles’ tragedy Ajax as a canonical text exploring grief, trauma, and alienation after war.
    • Connections to modern veteran experiences: trauma, disconnection from leaders, and the struggle to reintegrate with family and community.
    • Peter Meineck’s Warrior Chorus and Aquila Theatre: use myth to help combat veterans discuss and cope with war trauma.
    • Tension among classicists about comparing ancient trauma to modern trauma; discussion of differing life expectancy, violence, and social contexts.
  • Slides 8–9: Myth as both entertainment and social commentary:
    • Tragedy as a frame to address explosive social issues with some critical distance.
    • Mythology in daily life (art, vases) shows myth’s ubiquity and its use in discussing difficult topics while maintaining a necessary distance for analysis.
    • The course will balance “fun and wild” storytelling with serious topics and social issues.
  • Slide 9 (thematic synthesis):
    • Myth connects to everyday life; theatre as a civic institution; stories matter beyond entertainment; the course aims to show the social relevance of myth.
  • Slide 10–11: The broader rationale for studying myth:
    • Fiction and myth have long-term benefits for social skills and lifespans; stories are foundational to human cognition and education.
    • The course emphasizes that myth and narrative offer ethical and practical insights for modern life.

Myth in Everyday Life and Modern Relevance

  • Myth’s integration into everyday Greek life; vessels as ubiquitous myth-telling objects.
  • Myth as a shared cultural universe (analogy to a single “Harry Potter-like” universe) that everyone is presumed to know, which enriches everyday objects and social life.
  • The course will explore how myth functions beyond entertainment, including its role in social issues, education, and personal development.

Course Policies, Practicalities, and Structure

  • Weekly structure (Slide 12):
    • Each week includes a reading assignment, an audio lecture, and PowerPoint slides.
    • Links to readings, slides, lectures, and transcripts on the OWL site.
  • Quizzes (Slide 13–14):
    • Online quizzes due by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday each week.
    • Quizzes: open-book (books, notes, AI tools, internet, and collaboration allowed); untimed; automatically graded by OWL.
    • You can redo each quiz as many times as you like; only the highest score counts.
    • You must submit the final attempt before the quiz closes; the fifteen best quiz scores count; the five lowest scores are dropped.
    • No late quizzes; no extensions for any reason, even with academic consideration—missed quizzes are dropped totals, not made up.
    • Quizzes are designed to prepare you for exams and reflect similar question types to the exams.
  • Exams (Slide 19–22, 24–25):
    • December and April in-person exams; 50 multiple-choice questions each; 120 minutes per exam.
    • No books, notes, or electronic devices; no collaboration; instructors and proctors will not answer questions during the exam.
    • Exams cover material from both lectures and readings; you should know both for high scores.
    • Exam format: questions may rely on images or passages from lectures/readings; you may be asked to apply interpretive strategies to new material.
    • Identity verification: bring Western ID card; if not available, other IDs allowed but noted on nominal roll sheet; pencil or pen required; sign a nominal roll; mark answers on both the exam and a Gradescope bubble sheet.
    • If a Gradescope sheet is lost, the printed exam serves as the fallback; if you did not mark answers on the bubble sheet, you may need a makeup exam.
  • Special Examinations and accommodations (Slides 24–26, 27–28):
    • Accommodations for disabilities: arrange through Accessible Education and Accommodated Exams.
    • Special Examinations to compensate for December/April exams due to illness, conflicts, or multiple exams (“Multiple Exam Situation”). Same format as regular exams; dates listed on the syllabus.
    • The Student Absence Portal should be used to initiate requests for special examinations as soon as possible.
  • Grading and standards (Slides 16, 28–29):
    • Components: weekly quizzes (20%), December exam (40%), April exam (40%).
    • Final course grade is rounded to the nearest percent. Example policy: 89.49% -> 89%; 89.50% -> 90%.
    • No extra credit opportunities, no additional assignments, and no reweighting of grades unless an official accommodation is recommended by an academic counsellor/advisor (special exam only).
    • The university policy (two decimal places, rounding rules) applies to official records; course grades are typically reported to the nearest percent.
  • Use of books and translations (Slides 18–19):
    • No required books for the course; Loeb Classical Library translations are provided through Western Libraries’ institutional subscription.
    • Passages from Loeb translations will be used on tests and exams; alternative translations may be used, but questions will be based on Loeb passages.
    • Access to Loeb Library will be explained in detail in Week 2; more instructions will be provided then.
  • Artificial intelligence (Slide 30):
    • December and April exams: no digital tools allowed (no AI tools).
    • Outside of exams, students may use AI tools to assist learning; use of AI is encouraged to discuss course material and to help learning when used responsibly.
    • The instructor believes AI has potential to enhance learning, but misuses (e.g., doing the work for you) undermine learning; students should use AI to support learning, not substitute it.
  • Accessibility of contact and structure (Slide 11–12):
    • Instructor contact: rpogorze@uwo.ca; office hours roughly 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on weekdays; response within one business day; not typically checked before 8 a.m., after 5 p.m., or on weekends/holidays.
    • In-person office visits encouraged by appointment.
    • OWL site provides links to readings, slides, lectures, and transcripts; students should engage with assigned readings and lectures weekly.

The Meaning of “Classical” in “Classical Mythology”

  • Course aim: explore myths of Ancient Greece and Rome; a cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary approach to classical antiquity.
  • Definitions and etymology (Slides 31–33):
    • Etymology is not destiny: words’ meanings shift with usage over time; “classical” does not strictly derive from etymology but has historical usage that shaped its modern meaning.
    • Latin origin: classis (1) a class or social rank; (2) a levy or military class; (3) a naval force; (4) a class or grade—two main senses: social/miscal classification and military assemblage.
    • “Classical” as a descriptor for Greek and Latin texts emerged in the Second Century CE (Attic Nights 19.8.15) in the phrase classicus adsiduusque scriptor (as used in Gellius).
    • Gellius’s discussion includes examples such as harenae (sand) and quadrigae (four-horse chariot) and debates about grammar (plural vs. singular) and what constitutes a “classical” author (adsiduus, proletarius) in Latin.
  • 16th–19th century developments (Slide 35):
    • Humanists in the 16th century revived interest in Greek and Latin texts; modern concept of “classics” or “classical texts” emerged.
    • Museums and libraries’ manuscript discovery fed the sense that classical texts were produced by aristocrats and reflected “older times.”
  • Western’s transformation (Slides 36–37):
    • The 1922–23 Academic Calendar marks the department’s shift to the Department of Classics (later Classical Studies) with a broader mission beyond Greek/Latin linguistic training.
    • Mission statement summarized: “to present classical literatures as interpretations of ancient Greek and Roman life and thought; to treat them as sources and models for modern literature; and to emphasize grammar, syntax, translation, and reading of classic texts.”
    • The department now focuses on Classical Studies as an interdisciplinary field that makes Greek and Roman stories, art, architecture, philosophy, etc., accessible to a broader audience, not just those who can read Greek/Latin.
  • Modern perspective (Slide 37–38):
    • Classical Studies today aims to democratize access to Greek and Roman myths and culture; learning Greek/Latin is valuable but not a prerequisite for engagement with myth.
    • Emphasis on the broad, interdisciplinary study of antiquity: philosophy, history, art, linguistics, archaeology, sociology, economics, political science, criminology, and popular culture.
  • Key reflections (Slide 39):
    • The instructor’s view: the study of classical mythology is about fun and compelling stories, but also about their genuine importance in life.
    • Grades are not the sole measure of worth; the course aims to cultivate lifelong engagement with myth and fiction and to demonstrate its relevance.
    • The course prioritizes material and discussion over grades as the primary objective.

Connections to Real-World Relevance and Ethical Considerations

  • Mythology and modern trauma: Ajax’s story resonates with modern veterans’ experiences of grief, disrupted relationships, leadership betrayal, and PTSD-like symptoms; Sophocles’ tragedy connects with contemporary conversations about war trauma and reintegration.
  • Use of myth to address social issues: Tragedy as a safe space to discuss violence, trauma, and social problems; theatre as a civic institution that builds community by working through issues.
  • Ethical and practical implications in pedagogy: Acknowledging difficult topics in myth; offering accommodations; stress on access to materials (Loeb Library); emphasis on responsible AI usage and the dangers of online proctoring based on institutional experience.
  • The importance of fiction and narrative across society: Reading and storytelling foster social skills and long-term wellbeing; narrative helps people understand and navigate real-world situations.

Practical Reminders and Takeaways for the Course

  • Regular weekly rhythm:
    • Read assignments, listen to the audio lecture, review slides, and take online quizzes by Thursday 4:00 p.m.
  • Exams and grading structure:
    • In-person December and April examinations; 50 MC questions each; 120 minutes; no external materials or collaboration; ID verification with Western ID preferred; bubble sheet and paper copy for grading with Gradescope; make-up policy via Special Examinations if eligible.
    • Quizzes contribute 20% of the grade; exams 40% each; overall grading policy includes careful rules on rounding to the nearest percent with standard rounding behavior (e.g., 89.49% → 89%; 89.50% → 90%).
  • Reading materials:
    • No required books; Loeb Classical Library readings provided via Western Libraries’ subscription; you may use other translations, but Loeb passages will be used on tests.
  • Use of artificial intelligence:
    • AI tools allowed outside of December and April exams; during exams, no AI or digital tools; use AI to supplement learning and discussions, not to substitute for actual learning.
  • Accommodations and support:
    • Accessible Education and Special Examinations available for eligible students; use the Student Absence Portal for absent/exam-conflict situations; consult with academic counsellors/advisors for accommodations.
  • Attitude toward learning and community:
    • The speaker emphasizes the value of reading fiction and myth for personal growth, social connection, and educational development; aims to create a sense of community and mutual care among a large, online cohort.

Quick Reference: Key Facts and Figures

  • Exam format and timing:
    • In-person exams: December and April; 50 questions each; 120 minutes per exam; no books/notes/devices; no proctor assistance during the exam.
  • Grading components:
    • Quizzes: 20%
    • December exam: 40%
    • April exam: 40%
  • Quiz policy:
    • Available from 9:00 a.m. on the Friday of the week before they are due.
    • Untimed; open-resource; multiple attempts allowed; only the highest score counts; no late submissions accepted.
    • Fifteen best quiz scores count; five lowest scores dropped.
  • Reading material policy:
    • Loeb translations via Western Libraries; primary readings come from Loeb; copies can be substituted but questions will align with Loeb passages.
  • AI policy (summary):
    • Allowed for general learning purposes outside exams; prohibited during December and April exams.

Connections to Prior and Future Course Content

  • Early emphasis on the integration of myth into everyday life foreshadows later discussions of myth’s role in art, literature, and modern media.
  • The Ajax story will be revisited in relation to themes of leadership, honor, trauma, and reintegration; Sophocles’ Ajax will be compared to modern veterans’ experiences.
  • The department’s evolution from Classics (language-centered) to Classical Studies (interdisciplinary) sets the framework for the course’s approach to myth as a cultural and social phenomenon beyond linguistic mastery.

Final Note from the Instructor

  • The instructor’s core message: classical mythology is not just entertainment but a meaningful, relevant field that can improve life through understanding stories, ethics, and human experiences. He invites students to embrace the material with curiosity, engage with fiction, and build a community that values learning for its own sake as well as for its practical outcomes.