Anthropology/Religion 225
Gods, Heroes, Magic, and Mysteries: Religion in Ancient Greece

How This Electronic Syllabus Works

For an introduction to Perseus and for on line help using it, take a look at Perseus at Bates.

Course Objectives

• Religion in Minoan and Mycenaean Culture
  (the bronze age on Crete and in the Aegean basin:
  ca. 2700-1100 B.C.E.)

  Religion in the "Heroic Age" as reflected in Homer and Hesiod

  (the bronze age on the mainland of Greece:

  ca. 1100-750 B.C.E.)

  Religion in the Classical Age of skepticism and rationality

  (the "Golden age" of Athens, 6th-4th c. B.C.E.)

  Religion in the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman periods

  (the period of westward movement of foreign or "diaspora" religions into the Greco-Roman world,
  2nd c. B.C.E.-2nd c. C.E.)

From a historical perspective, the primary objectives of this course are

1. to become familiar with central religious concepts of each of the periods outlined above and how they relate to the social, political and economic conditionss of their times;

2. to learn what sources are available to us for the study of religion in ancient Greece;

3. to learn how to utilize these sources critically, that is, how to recognize what kinds of conclusions the evidence will support. The sources available to us include archaeological, iconic (pictorial) and literary evidence. Literary sources (such as Homer's Iliad or Euripides' play, The Bacchae) may be studied as evidence either for religious ideas of the time in which they were written, or for the time which the literary sources themselves describe;

4. to learn how to draw analogies between religious ideas of our own culture and those of foreign ones (in this case, those of Ancient Minoans, Myceneans, and Greeks) while resisting the tendency to allow our own values and beliefs to color our reading of the evidence.

   From an anthropological perspective, the primary objectives of this course are:

   1. to serve as an introduction to the way in which anthropologists attempt to understand cultures very different from our own;

   2. to understand different religions as attempts to "say something" about the relationships between human beings and their gods;

   3. to learn how to analyze religious symbols, institutions, beliefs, and practices in their wider socio-cultural context. These include myth, sacrifice, conversion, death rituals, healing rituals, rites of passage, trance and possession, and beliefs about the soul and life after death;

   4. to appreciate the power of other religions as well as the beauty of the art and literature they inspire.
   

   Using Perseus to Achieve These Objectives

   The wider our exposure to ancient evidence, the better equipped we are to do justice to ancient Greek thinking. Perseus is a superb resource for widening our exposure to ancient Greek thinking and religious experience. For example, several World Wide Web-based Perseus tools enable us to find instantly a wide range of evidence on any subject we might want to pursue in our reading:
   • Perseus editions of ancient Greek literature
   • Perseus English-Greek Word Search
   • English Index to Perseus 2

   Perseus is also available on the Bates College network in two versions. Perseus 1.0, the original version, and the new Perseus 2.0. Since the College is a beta-testing institution for Perseus 2.0, we will be using its greatly expanded resources in this course. For information:

   • Introduction to Perseus at Bates
   • Tutorial on using Perseus at Bates
   

   Required Books

   1. Apuleius, The Golden Ass (R. Graves, ed.)
   2. Euripides, The Bakkhai (R. Bagg, ed.) or Perseus On Line ed.
   3. Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods
   4. Hesiod, Theogony (N.O. Brown, ed.) or Perseus On Line ed.
   5. Homer, The Iliad (R. Lattimore, ed.) or Perseus On Line ed.
   6. Rice & Stambaugh, Sources for the Study of Greek Religion
   7. Starr, The Ancient Greeks
   

   Reserve Readings

   1. Athanasakis, The Homeric Hymns (see also the Perseus On Line edition)
   2. Bolton, Aristeas of Proconnesus
   3. Chadwick, The Mycenaean World
   4. Crapanzano, Saints, Jnun, and Dreams: An Essay in Moroccan Ethnopsychology
   5. Danforth, Firewalking and Religious Healing
   6. Edelstein, Asclepius
   7. Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande
   8. Homer, The Odyssey (see the Perseus On Line edition)
   9. Hubert & Mauss, Sacrifice
   10. Kallimachos, Hymn to Zeus
   11. Kirk, Myth: Its Meaning and Functions in Ancient and Other Cultures
   12. Lessa and Vogt, Reader in Comparative Religion
   13. Levi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology, Part I
   14. Mylonas, Eleusis
   15. Marinatos, Minoan Religion: Ritual, Image, and Symbol
   16. Parke, The Delphic Oracle
   17. Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana
   18. Plato, The Republic (See the Perseus On Line edition).
   19. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts
   20. Rice & Stambaugh, Sources for the Study of Greek Religion
   21. Sargent, The Homeric Hymns (see also the Perseus On Line edition)
   22. Turner, The Forest of Symbols
   23. Wace, A.J.B. & Stubbings, F.H., A Companion to Homer
   

   Calendar of Topics and Readings

   1. Introduction

   
   

   Jan 8 (M)

   Method and Theory in the Interdisciplinary Study of Ancient Greek Religion Introduction to our World Wide Web home base and our Newsgroup

   Note: Students are urged to download a copy of Netscape to their personal computers in order to access and participate in the Greek Religion Newsgroup set up for this class. Instructions for Setting up Netscape are available on line as well as instructions for the Greek Religion Newsgroup.

   Jan 10 (W)

   An Introduction to MacIntosh computers and Perseus.

   2. Orientation to the Lands of the Aegean: Their History and Culture

   Jan 12 (F)	Starr, The Ancient Greeks, pp. 1-103 (pay particular attention to pp. 1-36 and 79-103). Explore the Perseus Atlas. Locate Minoan cities on the map of Crete.
   Jan 15-19 (M-F)	Kirk, Myth, pp. 84-118 (the nature of myths in Ancient Mesopotamia). Geertz, "Religion as a Cultural System," in Lessa & Vogt, pp. 78-89

   3. The Aegean in the Bronze Age: Minoan and Mycenaean Culture and Religion
   

   Reading Reviews: Demeter, Hercules

   Jan 22-26 (M-F)	In-class study of Minoan artifacts from Palaces, Cave Sites & Tombs, and Mountain-top shrines Chadwick, The Mycenaean World, Chapters 1, 5, and 6. Turner, The Forest of Symbols, pp. 19-47.
   Jan 29 (M)	The Frescoes from Thera; hunting rituals & male coming of age; the birth of Zeus story
   Jan 31 (W)	Video on Mycenae and the Bronze Age on the Mainland Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods, pp. 27-73. Hesiod, Theogony, pp. 66-67 (The account of the birth of Zeus, see also the Perseus On Line ed.). Groups Posting Class Notes: Jan 22 (M): Semele Jan 24 (W): Theseus Jan 26 (F): Thetis Jan 29 (M): Agave Jan 31 (W) Gaia

   4. Cosmogonic Myths
   

   Reading Reviews: Iris, Kronos

   Feb 2-5 (F-M)

   Hesiod, Theogony (including introduction. See also the Perseus on Line ed.). Leach, "Cronus and Chronos," in Lessa and Vogt, Reader in Comparative Religion, pp. 109-113 (third edition; pagination varies in other editions). Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Creation Epic, in Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, pp. 60-72. Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 2 (F): Demeter Feb 5 (M): Hercules

   5. Gods and Men in Homer
   

   Reading Reviews: Lucius, Medea

   Feb 7-9 (W-F)

   Fate and Magic: Alternative Ways of Dealing with Evil. Homer, The Iliad, opening lines of each book, plus Books l, 7, and 19. The Bible, I Samuel 17:1-54 (the story of David and Goliath). Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft and Magic Among the Azande, pp. 63-83. Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 7 (W): Iris Feb 9 (F): Kronos

   Feb 12 (M)

   Rites of Sacrifice. Homer, The Iliad, Book 2 and Book 6 Hubert & Mauss, Sacrifice, pp. 9-49 Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 107-115 Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 12 (M): Lucius

   Feb 14 (W)

   Morality and Belief. Homer, The Iliad, Book 5, Book 6, Books 14-16. Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 31-38 Guthrie, pp. 113-127. Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 14 (W) Medea

   6. The Cult of Orpheus: Ideas About Immortality and the Soul
   

   Reading Reviews: Nereus, Rhea

   Feb 16 (F)

   Starr, The Ancient Greeks, chapter six, pp. 141-151, and Part III, pp. 193-211 (for general orientation). Guthrie, pp. 307-332. Plato, Republic, 10,614-end (The Myth of Er). The Derveni Papyrus (handout) Orphic Inscriptions (handout) Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 39-42, 161-164, 229-31 Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 16 (F): Nereus

   Feb 19-23 Winter Recess

   7. Trance and Possession in the Worship of Dionysos
   

   Reading Reviews: Semele, Theseus

   Feb 26 (M)	Guthrie, pp. 145-182. Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 195-209 Danforth, Firewalking and Religious Healing, Chapter 2.
   Feb 28 (M) -Mar 1 (F)	Euripides, The Bakkhai. See also the Perseus On Line edition. Groups Posting Class Notes: Feb 26 (M): Rhea Feb 28 (W): Semele Mar 1 (F): Theseus

   8. The Other Side of Apollo: Shamans and Wonder-Workers
   

   Reading Reviews: Thetis, Agave, Rhea

   Mar 4 (M)	Starr, The Ancient Greeks, Part II, pp. 153-190 (for general orientation). Guthrie, pp. 73-87 and 183-204 Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 93-106 Parke, pp. 72-89 Bolton, Aristeas of Proconnesus.
   Mar 6-8 (W-F)	Philostratus, The Life of Apolonius of Tyana. Levi-Strauss, "The Sorcerer and his Magic," in Structural Anthropology, pp. 161-180. Groups Posting Class Notes: Mar 4 (M): Thetis Mar 6 (W): Agave Mar 8 (F): Gaia

   9. Death & the Underworld
   

   Reading Reviews: Gaia, Demeter

   Mar 11 (M)	Guthrie, pp. 205-241. The Odyssey, Book 11 (Odysseus in the underworld) in the Perseus On Line edition, or Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 221-245
   Mar 13-15 (W-F)	Guthrie, pp. 254-277 and 294-306 The Iliad, Book 23 (the funeral of Patroclos) in the Perseus On Line edition Groups Posting Class Notes: Mar 11 (M): Demeter Mar 13 (W): Hercules Mar 15 (F): Iris

   10. The Cult of Asclepius: Dreams and Ritual Therapy in Ancient Greece
   

   Reading Reviews: Hercules, Iris, Semele

   Mar 18 (M)	Guthrie, pp. 242-253 (Chthonioi). Crapanzano, "Saints, Jnun, and Dreams." Edelstein, Asclepius (Testimonies).
   Mar 20-22 (W-F)	Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 69-80 Levi-Strauss, "The Effectiveness of Symbols," in Structural Anthropology, pp. 181-201. Groups Posting Class Notes: Mar 18 (M): Kronos Mar 20 (W): Lucius Mar 22 (F): Medea

   11. The Eleusinian Mysteries
   

   Reading Reviews: Kronos, Lucius, Theseus

   Mar 25 (M)	Guthrie, pp. 277-294 and p. 306, number 6. Mylonas, Eleusis, pp. 224-243. Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 184-193 Leach, "Time and False Noses" in Lessa and Vogt, pp. 113-116 (third edition; pagination varies editions).
   Mar 27-29 (W-F)	Mylonas, pp. 243-285 "The Hymn to Demeter," in Sargent, The Homeric Hymns, or in Rice & Stambaugh, pp. 171-183, or in the Perseus On Line edition. Groups Posting Class Notes: Mar 25 (M): Nereus Mar 27 (W): Rhea Mar 29 (F): Semele

   12. Conversion and Salvation
   

   Reading Reviews: Medea, Nereus, Thetis

   Apr 1-3 (M-W)	Apuleius, The Golden Ass.
   Apr 5 (F)	Turner, "Betwixt and Between," in The Forest of Symbols, pp. 93-111. Groups Posting Class Notes: Apr 1 (M): Theseus Apr 3 (W): Thetis Apr 5 (F): Agave

   

   Course Requirements

   Minoan Religion Paper, due anytime during the week following completion of our study of Minoan religion. A short paper (2-3 pp.) written in the form of a short encyclopedia article on the subject: "Minoan Religion." (20% of course grade)

   The Cave Project, to be completed by March 31. When you look at the Perseus On Line encyclopedia, or observe what special terms in Greek literary texts have been indexed in Perseus, you will notice that caves have been missed. Yet it will be obvious to you by the second week of the semester that caves played a very important role in Greek religion.

   Our class is going to carry out a coordinated class research project on the the significance of caves in ancient Minoan and Greek religion. Due date for completion of the whole project is March 29. Students will work in groups, conducting research on Perseus and in traditional sources. Each group will decide upon a group topic related to caves in Minoan and Greek religion. The papers of individuals in the group will be no more than five pages in length and will examine in depth some passage or passages from a primary source important to the group topic (e.g., Homer, Hesiod, Apollodorus) in light of the theoretical ideas and approaches discussed in class. Each group project will include a group-authored introduction, table of contents, and conclusion integrating the results of the individual papers. Further information regarding the time frame and use of the Greek Religion Newsgroup for this project will be posted in the Greek Religion Newsgroup. (40% of course grade)

   Several short exercises in the use of Perseus will be announced from time to time during the semester. The first, the Altar Project, will begin in the Perseus Orientation Session. (20% of course grade)

   Class attendance and participation in class discussion and contribution to the work of your group. Regular and valuable contribution to class discussion and group work will raise a student's grade. Poor attendance and participation will lower it.

   Final Exam - Tuesday, April 9, 1:15 p.m. Half of the final exam will be an essay on religious symbolism in Apuleius' Metamorphoses (The Golden Ass). The topic will be circulated in advance, but the essay will be written in the exam period. Special arrangements will be made for students with learning disabilities who need extra time for exams and quizzes. (20% of course grade)

   All students are responsible for reading and understanding the Bates College statements on academic honesty, crediting of sources, and plagiarism.

   

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   Maintained by Robert W. Allison
   Dept. of Philosophy & Religion and
   Classical & Medieval Studies,
   Bates College
   Lewiston, Maine 04240

   Responses may be sent by e-mail to
   

   rallison@abacus.bates.edu

   Last Updated: January 7, 1996