• expired

Audio Lectures: Classical Mythology - The Great Courses Series - USD $4.95 (Normally $24.95)

90

I use The Great Courses pretty often. They're sort of like TED Talks in that they're usually engaging and entertaining but unlike TED Talks which focus more on the inspirational the Great Courses are definitely educational.

Always wanted to know more about Greek and Roman Mythology but always got bored when trying to read about them? Audiobook/lectures make it much easier and more engaging. You've got 12.5 hours of general mythology along with detail on a bunch of the tent pole stories.


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.

Disclaimer: Please note that this recording may include references to supplemental texts or print references that are not essential to the program and not supplied with your purchase.

Related Stores

Audible US
Audible US

closed Comments

  • +1

    Thank you I picked up another series with the free credit from the 1 month trial. $5 for 30 hours of knowledge is a bargain!

  • -3

    Why not just read?

    • You want to read a lecture series? How do you intend on doing that?

  • +1

    bit hard to do while driving, cooking dinner, having a shower etc. audio is an awesome format!

  • The Great Courses series is awesome.. Fantastic if you want to spent your free time learning new things.

    • yeah, right. Learn everything. Learn until you're dead.

  • Until a reader has tried Audible or audio books in general, they can't see why anyone would listen to a book. But as soon as they try it, they are hooked. I'd suggest to anyone who hasn't tried audio books, try it once and you'll be addicted. Listen while you're cooking, vacuuming, walking or as a bedtime story. It's great!

    • I,ve found music to be similar. Audiobooks sounds like a substituted for chatter.

      • Dido ftw

  • Does it come with the course guidebook? I find that they're a really useful reference to have - kind of like lecture notes from the biggest nerd at uni that you used to borrow from.

    • Sadly, no. And the deal has expired.

Login or Join to leave a comment