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Classical Mythology
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
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Classical Mythology
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Publisher's Summary
These 24 lectures are a vibrant introduction to the primary characters and most important stories of classical Greek and Roman mythology. Among those you'll investigate are the accounts of the creation of the world in Hesiod's Theogony and Ovid's Metamorphoses; the gods Zeus, Apollo, Demeter, Persephone, Hermes, Dionysos, and Aphrodite; the Greek heroes, Theseus and Heracles (Hercules in the Roman version); and the most famous of all classical myths, the Trojan War.
Professor Vandiver anchors her presentation in some basics. What is a myth? Which societies use myths? What are some of the problems inherent in studying classical mythology? She also discusses the most influential 19th- and 20th-century thinking about myth's nature and function, including the psychological theories of Freud and Jung and the metaphysical approach of Joseph Campbell. You'll also consider the relationship between mythology and culture (such as the implications of the myth of Demeter, Persephone, and Hades for the Greek view of life, death, and marriage), the origins of classical mythology (including the similarities between the Theogony and Mesopotamian creation myths), and the dangers of probing for distant origins (for example, there's little evidence that a prehistoric "mother goddess" lies at the heart of mythology).
Taking you from the surprising "truths" about the Minotaur to Ovid's impact on the works of William Shakespeare, these lectures make classical mythology fresh, absorbing, and often surprising.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about Classical Mythology
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- srouch
- 23-12-2022
Fascinating
Fascinating and beautifully communicated from start to finish. Very accessible and well paced introduction to mythology!
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- W. C. Nesmith
- 20-09-2024
Great Cultural Exploration of Classical Mythology
This is the best course I have ever taken. I learned the myths previously without any cultural reference. But this course provides great information regarding how and why they existed and what they meant for the time they were first propagated and documented. I am sad that it is over but I have more courses from the same professor on other aspects of classical mythology. Thank you for making this available to me. I learned a great deal.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emma
- 02-01-2020
Incredibly informative.
I really enjoyed these lectures and found them easy to listen to and wonderfully entertaining. I adore Greek Mythology and can't wait to listen to more form Elizabeth Vandiver.
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- tashimi76
- 25-04-2023
A great overview
This is the third course by Vandiver that I have listened to. At first I was concerned because I had listened to The Iliad and The Odyssey courses first but I believe they were created in this order so it works. Vandiver is an excellent lecturer, I envy her students. I now better understand myths I had previously studied and each lecture was engaging, leaving me wanting more.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Renae
- 23-10-2016
Engaging and informative
I feel like I learned so much about not just Classical Myth but so much about the enduring influence on our culture. Well presented, interesting lectures stew presented by a clearly knowledgeable and enthusiastic lecturer. Thoroughly enjoyed every lecture!
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- Anonymous User
- 06-11-2019
Great!
Having studied Ancient Greek and Latin at school I thought I knew a lot about classical mythology, but this was extremely clear, insightful and comprehensive. Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 16-01-2023
Enormously gripping with a fantastic academic lens
Professor Vandiver delivers my favorite Great Courses subjects. She is informative, erudite and can render what can be intimidating subjects into concise, wondrous and engaging lectures that encourage a deeper curiosity and appreciation for, in this case, a text I have always found daunting and impossible to even come close to a good fraction of all there is to appreciate in the Iliad. I will be listening and reading more of her material, and re-listening many a time ones I have already consumed.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kateeliz
- 01-01-2020
Intelligent and engaging
Really smart, interesting lecture series that I learned a lot from. Elizabeth Vandiver is terrific - great balance between making detailed/complex concepts accessible to the layperson, without oversimplifying.
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- Hayley
- 22-02-2020
Brilliant
This is well worth investing in to gain a solid understanding of classical Mythology. Easy to follow and with an accompanying PDF covering the subject matter.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- S.Attenborough
- 18-03-2023
Topic Well Covered
The topic is fairly well covered but, with an American cultural slant.
The performance was annoying in that - please: there is no ‘D’ in the word ‘important’. It never is ‘impordent’
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