Modern Scholar: Classical Mythology: The Greeks

I picked up this lecture series on Greek mythology because I've always been interested in myths, especially the Greek myths. These myths are the foundation of much of Western literature, starting with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Professor Meineck, whom I discovered in the series on Greek drama, does a great job illustrating the great arc of Greek mythology.

First there's an overview of mythology and ways of looking at myths. The professor discusses the ways that myths worked in the ancient world. One of my favorite ideas is that myths are always fluid and there are often many versions of the same myth.

Much of mythology stems from the creation myths and Zeus' fear that he will be overthrown by his son as he overthrew his father.

Nearly everything ties to the Trojan War or its aftermath. I was intrigued by the fate of Agamemnon and the contrast to the fate of Odysseus. The professor details both of their returns. He also describes the myths of the cities and ties them to events in history. Even though I was already familiar with the myths, I found this series to be most illuminating. I think it should be required listening. It's a definite A.

http://www.recordedbooks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=scholar.show_course&course_id=58