ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN MONSTERS

CLASSICS 150

Course Description

Ancient monsters were forces of chaos that threatened the natural order of the universe: they had to be contained, banished to the edges of the world or destroyed. But the Greeks and Romans also believed them to be magical beings that held the promise of special knowledge - of the past, of dangers to be faced, of musical arts - or which, like the Sphinx, possessed an enigmatic intelligence capable of fooling all but the most cunning of mortals. Investigate these contrasting aspects of ancient monsters, drawing directly on texts (in translation) and works of art through which the Greeks and Romans explored the monstrous and its place in their world. Compare ancient representations with those in modern artistic media - comics, games, stories and movies - considering both how our notions of the monstrous are influenced by or contrast with those of our ancient predecessors, and how our very identities are created by and enacted through our depictions of monsters.

Prerequisties

None

Satisfies

This course does not satisfy any prerequisites.

Credits

Offered

Every Other Spring

Grade Point Average

3.55

2.65% from Historical

Completion Rate

99.24%

1.53% from Historical

A Rate

39.39%

16.73% from Historical

Class Size

132

34.09% from Historical

Instructors (2025 Fall)

Sorted by ratings from Rate My Professors

William BROCKLISS

[email protected]

4.3

Rating

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