CL 24 - 'Mycenae Rich in Gold' : myth, murder, and
mayhem
Professor:
Kim Shelton
Office:
7209 Dwinelle Hall
Place: 210 Dwinelle Hall
Office
Hours: TTh 11:15-12 and by appointment
Day/Time:
W 3-4
Email:
sheltonk@berkeley.edu
Syllabus
and Readings
Course
Description: The epic poet Homer used the epithet
‘Rich in Gold’ in The Iliad
and The Odyssey to describe
Mycenae, the wealthiest, most powerful, and most infamous of all the
palatial citadels in Bronze Age Greece. Mycenae was the home or haunt
for many of the greatest heroes of mythology: Perseus, Herakles, and
Agamemnon, not to mention some of the most illustrious characters:
murderous and incestuous Atreus, husband-slaying Clytemnestra, and
matricidal Orestes. It is the setting for tragedy, epic, and intrigue.
Despite the fantastic tales associated with it, Mycenae is a real place
with a real history. The archaeological excavation of the site has
spanned more than a century and produced amazing treasures and
unbelievable modern legends, including characters, like Heinrich
Schliemann, almost as mythical as the ancient heroes he investigated.
Mycenae was indeed ‘Rich in Gold’ as it was also rich in mythology,
history, and modern adventure.
Mycenae will be the setting for our seminar, with the mythological
heroes and villains as its main characters, and the excavated artifacts
as its props.
Grading and
attendance policy: The coursework will consist primarily
of class discussion based on
readings. Information necessary for the completion of the writing
assignments will be presented in class and especially through class
discussion, so attendance and participation are vital. Grades of P/NP will be based on
attendance and participation in class
once a week together with several short written assignments on
questions and/or topics of discussion.
Required
Text:
French, Mycenae, Agamemnon's
Capital (2002) = Myc
Carson, An Oresteia: Agamemnon by
Aiskhylos; Elektra by Sophokles; Orestes by Euripides (2010) = Ore
Articles posted on B-Courses
website = BC
