Classical Mythology
f
Part I f
Professor Elizabeth Vandiver
f f
THE TEACHING COMPANY ®
F F F
,
, ElizabethfVandiver,fPh.D.
Visitingf Assistantf Professorf off Classics,f Universityf off Maryland
ElizabethfVandiverfdidfherfundergraduatefworkfatfShimerfCollege,fMt.fCarroll,fIllinoi
s,fwherefshefmatriculatedfinf1972fasfafsixteen-year-
oldf“earlyfentrant.”fAfterfreceivingfherfB.A.finf1975,fshefspentfseveralfyearsfworkingf
asfaflibrarianfbeforefdecidingf tof pursuef graduatef workf inf Classicsf atf thef University
f off Texasf atfAustin.fShefreceivedfherfM.A.fin f1984fandfherfPh.D. finf1990.
Inf additionf tof teachingf atf thef Universityf off Maryland,f Professorf Vandiverf hasfhel
dfvisitingfprofessorshipsfatfNorthwesternfUniversity,fwherefsheftaughtffromf 1996ftof
1999;fthefUniversityfoffGeorgia;fThefIntercollegiatefCenterfforfClassicalfStudiesfinfR
ome,fItaly;fLoyolafUniversity,fNewfOrleans;fandfUtahfStatef University.f Herf coursef
onf Classicalf Mythologyf hasf beenf particularlyf successful.
Inf 1998,f Dr.f Vandiverf receivedf thef Americanf Philologicalf Association’sfExcelle
ncefinfTeachingfAward,fthefmostfprestigiousfteachingfawardfavailableftofAmericanfc
lassicists.fOtherfawardsfincludefthefNorthwesternfUniversityf DepartmentfoffClassic
sfExcellencefinfTeachingfawardfforf1998fandfthefUniversityf offGeorgia’sfOutstandin
gfHonorsfProfessorfawardfinf1993fandf1994.
Dr.f Vandiverf hasf publishedf af book,f Heroesf inf Herodotus:f Thef Interactionf offMy
thfandfHistory,fandfseveralfarticles,fasfwellfasfdeliveringfnumerousfpapersfatf nation
alf andf internationalf conferences.f Shef isf currentlyf workingf onf af secondfbookftha
tfexaminesfthefinfluencefoffthefclassicalftraditionfonfthefBritishfpoetsfoff WorldfWarfI
.fHerfpreviousfTeachingfCompanyfcoursesfincludefThefIliadfoff Homer,fThefOdyssey
foffHomer,fandfVirgil’sfAeneid.
Dr.fVandiverfisfmarriedftofFranklinfJ.fHildy,fPh.D.,fProfessorfandfChairfoffthefDepartmentf
offTheatrefatfthefUniversityfoffMaryland.
©2000f Thef Teachingf Companyf Limitedf Partnership i
, TablefoffContents
ClassicalfMythologyfP
artfI
InstructorfBiography .................................................................................................. i
Foreword .................................................................................................................... 1
LecturefOne Introduction .................................................................... 4
LecturefTwo Whatf Isf Myth? ................................................................ 8
LecturefThree Whyf Isf Myth? ............................................................... 12
LecturefFour “Firstf Wasf Chaos”........................................................ 16
LecturefFive ThefReignfoffthefOlympians.......................................... 20
Lecturef Six ImmortalsfandfMortals .................................................. 24
LecturefSeven Demeter,f Persephone,f andf thef Conquestf of
Death ............................................................................ 29
LecturefEight Thef Eleusinianf Mysteriesf andf tfhef Afterlife .................. 33
LecturefNine ApollofandfArtemis ....................................................... 36
LecturefTen Hermesf andf Dionysos ................................................... 40
LecturefEleven Laughter-Lovingf Aphrodite ......................................... 45
LecturefTwelve Culture,f Prehistory,f andf thef “Greatf Goddess” .............. 49
Timeline .................................................................................................................... 54
Glossary .............................................................................. (seefBooklet,fPartfII)
BiographicalfNotes ................................................................................................... 58
Bibliography ....................................................................... (seefBooklet,fPartfII)
ii ©2000f Thef Teachingf Companyf Limitedf Partnership
f
Part I f
Professor Elizabeth Vandiver
f f
THE TEACHING COMPANY ®
F F F
,
, ElizabethfVandiver,fPh.D.
Visitingf Assistantf Professorf off Classics,f Universityf off Maryland
ElizabethfVandiverfdidfherfundergraduatefworkfatfShimerfCollege,fMt.fCarroll,fIllinoi
s,fwherefshefmatriculatedfinf1972fasfafsixteen-year-
oldf“earlyfentrant.”fAfterfreceivingfherfB.A.finf1975,fshefspentfseveralfyearsfworkingf
asfaflibrarianfbeforefdecidingf tof pursuef graduatef workf inf Classicsf atf thef University
f off Texasf atfAustin.fShefreceivedfherfM.A.fin f1984fandfherfPh.D. finf1990.
Inf additionf tof teachingf atf thef Universityf off Maryland,f Professorf Vandiverf hasfhel
dfvisitingfprofessorshipsfatfNorthwesternfUniversity,fwherefsheftaughtffromf 1996ftof
1999;fthefUniversityfoffGeorgia;fThefIntercollegiatefCenterfforfClassicalfStudiesfinfR
ome,fItaly;fLoyolafUniversity,fNewfOrleans;fandfUtahfStatef University.f Herf coursef
onf Classicalf Mythologyf hasf beenf particularlyf successful.
Inf 1998,f Dr.f Vandiverf receivedf thef Americanf Philologicalf Association’sfExcelle
ncefinfTeachingfAward,fthefmostfprestigiousfteachingfawardfavailableftofAmericanfc
lassicists.fOtherfawardsfincludefthefNorthwesternfUniversityf DepartmentfoffClassic
sfExcellencefinfTeachingfawardfforf1998fandfthefUniversityf offGeorgia’sfOutstandin
gfHonorsfProfessorfawardfinf1993fandf1994.
Dr.f Vandiverf hasf publishedf af book,f Heroesf inf Herodotus:f Thef Interactionf offMy
thfandfHistory,fandfseveralfarticles,fasfwellfasfdeliveringfnumerousfpapersfatf nation
alf andf internationalf conferences.f Shef isf currentlyf workingf onf af secondfbookftha
tfexaminesfthefinfluencefoffthefclassicalftraditionfonfthefBritishfpoetsfoff WorldfWarfI
.fHerfpreviousfTeachingfCompanyfcoursesfincludefThefIliadfoff Homer,fThefOdyssey
foffHomer,fandfVirgil’sfAeneid.
Dr.fVandiverfisfmarriedftofFranklinfJ.fHildy,fPh.D.,fProfessorfandfChairfoffthefDepartmentf
offTheatrefatfthefUniversityfoffMaryland.
©2000f Thef Teachingf Companyf Limitedf Partnership i
, TablefoffContents
ClassicalfMythologyfP
artfI
InstructorfBiography .................................................................................................. i
Foreword .................................................................................................................... 1
LecturefOne Introduction .................................................................... 4
LecturefTwo Whatf Isf Myth? ................................................................ 8
LecturefThree Whyf Isf Myth? ............................................................... 12
LecturefFour “Firstf Wasf Chaos”........................................................ 16
LecturefFive ThefReignfoffthefOlympians.......................................... 20
Lecturef Six ImmortalsfandfMortals .................................................. 24
LecturefSeven Demeter,f Persephone,f andf thef Conquestf of
Death ............................................................................ 29
LecturefEight Thef Eleusinianf Mysteriesf andf tfhef Afterlife .................. 33
LecturefNine ApollofandfArtemis ....................................................... 36
LecturefTen Hermesf andf Dionysos ................................................... 40
LecturefEleven Laughter-Lovingf Aphrodite ......................................... 45
LecturefTwelve Culture,f Prehistory,f andf thef “Greatf Goddess” .............. 49
Timeline .................................................................................................................... 54
Glossary .............................................................................. (seefBooklet,fPartfII)
BiographicalfNotes ................................................................................................... 58
Bibliography ....................................................................... (seefBooklet,fPartfII)
ii ©2000f Thef Teachingf Companyf Limitedf Partnership
