In contrast to modern definitions of myth and history, which draw a sharp line between the two categories, myth for the ancient Greeks was integral to history. It is no exaggeration to say that historiography was born out of myth. How does myth help us to understand ancient Greek society? Through a variety of sources, this module looks at the role of myth in the political, military and social history of the ancient Greek world, exploring the following topics: constructions of social memory; identities (local and panhellenic, Greek and non-Greek); elite and democratic ideology; interstate diplomacy and colonial politics; leadership; audiences; war and death; athletics; female representations; Greek religion.

• demonstrate a knowledge of a range of literary and non-literary sources for Greek myth and its relationship to history.
• demonstrate an understanding of modern theoretical approaches to myth.
• interrelate and discuss these sources critically towards an understanding of the embeddedness of myth in all spheres of life of ancient Greek society.
• demonstrate an understanding of the complex relationship between myth and ritual practice.
• demonstrate an understanding of the poets’ contribution to the historical consciousness and thought of the Greeks, and of the fact that there was no history without myth for the first historians.
• discuss these issues in written work with coherent and logical arguments, clearly and correctly expressed.

20 lectures and 4 seminars; independent study; 1 coursework feedback tutorial

The lectures provide an introduction to a particular topic, establishing the key points of major course themes, identifying important issues, and providing guidance for more in-depth reading. They aim to provide a basic framework for understanding, and should be thought of as a useful starting-point for further discussion and independent study. Slides and, where appropriate, handouts are used to illustrate the material discussed.

The seminars provide an opportunity for students to analyse and discuss key issues and topics in the module, and to get feedback on their ideas from the tutor and their peers. Handouts with material for study and suggestions for preparatory reading will be circulated prior to the seminars.

Independent study enables students to familiarise themselves with the primary source material and the most important modern approaches and debates on the subject. A reading list is provided, with guidance on key items of reading for major themes and lecture topics.

Coursework feedback tutorials provide students with an opportunity to get feedback and guidance on all aspects of their written work.

• analysis of a variety of different types of historical evidence, such as literary texts and material evidence
• assimilating and synthesising complex information and ideas
• independent thinking andcritical skills, such as analysing and evaluating evidence, critiquing interpretations or arguments, and challenging assumptions
• constructing and defending arguments based on evidence
• clear, accurate and effective communication of ideas and arguments in writing and in debate
• employing basic skills and conventions in the presentation and use of literary and material evidence
• bibliographic and referencing skills
• contributing to group discussions
• using IT resources effectively
• independent working and time management

The module will be assessed through a 2000-word essay and an exam consisting of one essay question and one source criticism exercise, weighted 70:30.

The essay and exam questions will require knowledge and critical deployment of evidence and critical understanding of modern scholarship to answer questions and construct arguments relating to the role of myth in ancient Greek history and society.

In the source criticism exercise, specific written or material sources relating to the syllabus and the main themes of the module will be set, and students will have to assess their significance, thus deploying their knowledge of the topic and interpretations of it.

The opportunity for reassessment in this module

Students who fail the module will normally be expected to resit the failed component(s) in the summer resit period.

Topics to be examined in the lectures and seminars of the course are the following:

• what is Greek myth? definitions, origins, concepts, media
• ancient and modern approaches to myth
• the uses of myth in Greek politics, territorial claims, wars
• myths of identity
• the role of myth in ethnographic imagination and representations of the Other
• the Greeks’ critical attitude to myth and the heroization of the past
• myths, heroes, heroines and cult
• female representations in Greek myth and female rituals
• myth and the art of persuasion
• myths, beliefs about the afterlife and societal boundaries

J. Bremmer (ed.), Interpretations of Greek Mythology (1987)

J. Bremmer, ‘Mythology’, in S. Hornblower, A. Spawforth and E. Eidinow (eds.), Oxford Classical Dictionary (fourth edition, 2012) 991–993

L. Bruit Zaidman and P. Schmitt Pantel, Religion in the Ancient Greek City (English translation by P. Cartledge, 1992; originally published 1989), chapter 12, ‘Myths and Mythology’

W. Burkert, Structure and History in Greek Mythology (1979)

R. Buxton, Imaginary Greece: The Contexts of Mythology (1994)

R. Buxton (ed.), From Myth to Reason? Studies in the Development of Greek Thought (1999), especially chapter 6, C. Calame, ‘The rhetoric of Muthos and Logos’, pp. 119–143

T.H. Carpenter, Art and Myth in Ancient Greece (1991)

M. Clark, Exploring Greek Myth (2012)

E. Csapo, Theories of Mythology (2005)

M. Detienne, The Writing of Orpheus: Greek Myth in Cultural Context. (English translation by J. Lloyd, 2003;  originally published 1989)

K. Dowden, The Uses of Greek Mythology (1992)

K. Dowden and N. Livingstone (eds.), A Companion to Greek Mythology (2011)

L. Edmunds (ed.), Approaches to Greek Myth (1990), especially C. Brillante’s chapter on ‘Myth and history’

R. Fowler, Early Greek Mythography (2 volumes, 2000–2013)

T. Gantz, Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources (2 volumes, 1993)

F. Graf, Greek Mythology: An Introduction (1993)

G. Hawes, Rationalizing Myth in Antiquity (2014)

L. Junker, Interpreting the Images of Greek Myths: An Introduction (English translation by A. Künzl-Snodgrass and A. Snodgrass, 2012; originally published 2005)

E. Kearns and S. Price (eds.), Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion (2003, paperback 2004)

R. Parker, Polytheism and Society at Athens (2005)

J. Skinner, The Invention of Greek Ethnography: From Homer to Herodotus (2012)

J.-P. Vernant, Myth and Society in Ancient Greece (1982)

P. Veyne, Did Greeks Believe in their Myths? (English translation by J. Lloyd, 1988)

R.D. Woodard (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Greek Mythology (2007)

See the module hand-out for the full reading list.