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Episodes
- S1 E1 - The Titans in Greek MythologyAugust 20, 201535minWelcome to the ancient Greek myths: some of the most popular, well-known stories in Western civilization. When did these tales emerge, and what are our earliest sources for them? Find out in this lecture on father-son conflicts between Uranus, Kronos, Zeus, and the other first-generation gods known as the Titans.#Literature & LearningFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Complex Goddesses: Athena, Aphrodite, HeraAugust 21, 201531minMeet three iconic goddesses whose personalities and stories reflect how the ancient Greeks viewed women. They are: Athena, who emerged fully-formed from Zeus's head and is linked to legal courts; Aphrodite, best known for her wild love affair with Adonis; and Hera, Zeus's wife-sister, who presides over marriage and childbirth.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - Gods and Humanity in Greek ThoughtAugust 21, 201533minDiscover fresh insights into several Greek myths that teach us about the relationship between gods and humans. Is Prometheus a troublemaker (according to Hesiod) or a liberator (according to Aeschylus)? What happened after Pandora's box of evil spirits was opened? How did Persephone's kidnapping inspire the Eleusinian Mysteries?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Herakles and the Greek HeroAugust 21, 201532minInvestigate the mythological roots and legacies of the powerful--but flawed--Greek hero, Herakles. Explore common threads that run through some of his twelve labors, including the slaying of the Hydra and the cleaning of the Augean stables. Also, ponder Herakles's role in ancient Greek society as both mortal and god.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Odysseus, Master of SchemesAugust 21, 201533minTurn now to the hero of Homer's celebrated Odyssey: Odysseus. From his plans for the Trojan horse to his tricking of a murderous cyclops to his final arrival back in Ithaca, learn how Odysseus's scheming and lying led to heroic triumphs that made his story relatable to everyday ancient Greeks--and to modern readers.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - The Golden Fleece and the Hero's ReturnAugust 21, 201533minAn altogether different--and darker--mythological adventure story is Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece. In pondering the best-known versions of both Jason's story and his wife, Medea's, you'll begin to see Jason as a failed hero and Medea as more than just the woman who murdered her own children.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - Romulus, Remus, and Rome's OriginsAugust 21, 201533minNot all Roman mythology is indebted to Greece. Focus on several uniquely Roman myths about the empire's founding, including the lives of the brothers Romulus and Remus and the abduction of the Sabine women. What's the difference between creation and origin stories? What are some traditional mythic elements we find in ancient Rome?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - Roman Heroes and TraitorsAugust 21, 201533minDiscover why Aeneas, the ancestor of all Romans, and Tarpeia, who betrayed Rome for personal gain, are two sides of the same coin. As you explore their stories, you'll see how they offer inspirational (and cautionary) testaments to Rome's values--and reflect character types we see in almost every civilization's myths.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - The Mother Goddess in Rome and BeyondAugust 21, 201532minWhat does Cybele reveal about the great mother goddesses of mythological traditions? Learn how this classic figure evolved over thousands of years, how it adapted to different cultures, how it became connected in Rome with power and aristocracy, and where it appears (and doesn't appear) in other human cultures.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - The Dagda's Harp and Other Celtic MythsAugust 21, 201532minUsing the intriguing tale of Dagda and his magic harp as a framework, Professor McClymond introduces you to the often unappreciated world of Celtic mythology. Meet unforgettable heroes like Cú Chulainn and Lugh, and encounter powerful magical items and treasures with unique personalities, including the Stone of Fal.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - Norse Tales of Odin and ThorAugust 21, 201531minDark and brooding, Norse mythology reflects the harsh living conditions of ancient Germanic and Scandinavian people. Here, focus on two of the most well-known Norse gods: Odin (the god of war who sacrificed himself on a tree) and Thor (the god of order who wields his dwarf-crafted hammer, Mjolnir).Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Hammers, Rings, and Other Norse MagicAugust 21, 201533minSkidbladnir, the ship of the gods that can also fit in your pocket. Andvarinaut, a powerful ring that inspired a cycle of mythological stories. These and other magical items are the prized possessions of Norse kings, warriors, and heroes. And their importance--and legacies--are the subject of this final lecture.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - The World's Oldest Myth: GilgameshAugust 21, 201533minStart these riveting lectures at the only appropriate point: the oldest story in the world. In looking at the epic of Gilgamesh, you'll learn how this foundational Babylonian myth reflects real historical tensions between ancient Eastern city-states; tensions mirrored in the myth's concerns with civilized--and untamed--human nature.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - The Babylonian Creation StoryAugust 21, 201531minWhere did ancient Babylonians believe the world came from? What startling similarities does their account have with the Bible's? Explore these and other questions in this look at the Enuma Elish, a sophisticated creation story (or cosmogony) that casts the average Babylonian as a mere afterthought in the eyes of the gods.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Chaos and Order in EgyptAugust 21, 201533minPerpetual violence. A destructive struggle between order and chaos. Welcome to the mythography of ancient Egypt, which includes multiple creation stories tied to different city centers; a fantastic pantheon of gods; different historical and mythic "time lines"; and maat, the overarching concept of morality and justice.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - Horus, Osiris, and RaAugust 21, 201532minFocus on three Egyptian gods who are inextricably linked with the pharaohs. They are the murdered and resurrected Osiris, associated with nature; Horus, the sky god responsible for unifying Upper and Lower Egypt; and Ra, the popular sun god known for his nightly journeys through the land of the dead.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - Myths of the PharaohsAugust 21, 201532minThe pharaohs themselves played a vital role in Egyptian culture: maintaining cosmic order throughout the land. Investigate the lives and deaths (and possible afterlives) of several of ancient Egypt's 330 pharaohs, including King Amenhotep IV, who tried to become a supreme god, and Cleopatra, the civilization's last pharaoh.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - The Book of JobAugust 21, 201530minExamine the biblical Book of Job through a mythological lens and learn how it addresses the same basic questions of other myths. How do Job's trials and tribulations at the hand of the Hebrew god force us to look at the world--and our role within it--from a fresh perspective?Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - The Great Indian EpicsAugust 21, 201533minGet inside Indian culture with this lecture on its two great epics: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Both are frame narratives that bring together hundreds of smaller stories. Both help establish Vishnu's importance among other Hindu gods. And both have had a lasting effect on Indian spirituality, politics, and literature.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - The Bhagavad GitaAugust 21, 201532minTurn now to a section of the Mahabharata known as the Bhagavad Gita. You'll peel back the layers behind the popular story of the warrior Arjuna; learn how to read the Gita as a devotional story and a manual for life; and discover how it shaped Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - Stories of the BuddhaAugust 21, 201531minAccording to Professor McClymond, it's best to understand the mythology of Buddhism as a grand anthology of short stories. With this in mind, explore the life and beliefs of the Buddha, ponder the teachings of Buddhist myth as told through its stories, and examine stories that pit Buddhism against other religious traditions.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Persia's Book of KingsAugust 21, 201531minThe Book of Kings is widely regarded as the national epic of the world's Persian-speaking community. Go inside this 11th-century epic poem that traces 50 generations of Persian kings and heroes, including Rostam--whom you'll follow on his famous "seven labors" and his battle with the crown prince of Persia.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - One Thousand and One NightsAugust 21, 201531minCan an overwhelmingly secular text be read as mythology? Find out in this lecture on the One Thousand and One Nights, known in the West as The Arabian Nights. You'll get insights into great heroes like Sindhbad the sailor, mythical creatures like jinns, and the text's use of the supernatural to provide real-world guidance.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - Tales of Flood and FireAugust 21, 201533minFire and flood are universal images, so it's not surprisingly that many myth traditions in South Asia and the Middle East include them in their stories of destruction and eventual renewal. See this powerful theme at work in Gilgamesh, Zoroastrian mythology, and the Buddha's "Sermon of the Seven Suns."Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E25 - The Beauty of African MythologyAugust 21, 201532minJump into the distinctive elements of African mythology with the story of Shango--a fearsome king of the city-kingdom of Oyo who later became a god. Explore how the cyclical structure of the story is another distinctive feature of African myths. Rather than moving in a straight line, African myths may start in the middle, seem to end, circle back to the beginning, and then reach a conclusion.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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