Well thought out well presented. I feel I have gained a very knowledgeable and thorough understanding of both Greek and Roman mythology and their historical gods and goddesses from taking this course.
I loved this course. It covers material that is generally available to those who can afford an expensive private education. It was a great way to keep myself occupied during the coronavirus lockdown.
автор: Manveer S
•Was incredibly well done, engaging, and interesting. But, I recommend buying a text book, I did this course without one and not all the answer questions were covered in the lectures.
автор: Sandy R
•Overall an excellent and informative course. One or two confusions in the narrative of the lecture but nothing major. Thank you very much.
Sandy Robertson
автор: Hima K
•This course is well made, however, the stories of Greek myths are not clearly mentioned which makes it difficult for beginners. this course was more focused on the poets of ancient Greece and Rome and of other philosophers which was unexpected and not mentioned in the course description. Professor Struck was engaging but diverted from the main topic quite often. The videos were appealing and the quiz at the end of each week was well constructed and challenging. Thank you!
автор: Noa M
•Literally the best course on Coursera ever! Before this course I found Greek Mythology so perplexing and only knew the basics from Grade 5 History Class and Disney's Hercules (+ the Dwayne Johnson Hercules Movie + other classic Hercules and Greek Myth Adaptations) + Geronimo Stilton's Adaptation of the Odyssey for Kids + Rick Riordan's adaptation for teens in the Percy Jackson Series that I watched aged 10 in 2010 too. Nevertheless, I was always very interested in Greek and Roman Mythology and wanted to learn about it deeper and get a digestible oversight and overview about what it was about. And Peter Struck was the BEST Professor anyone could've ever asked for. Not only was he engaging, super interested and knowledgable in the subject itself and witty, he found so many interlinks and compared the Mythology of today with its meanings and was able to analyse it with different tools and lenses, such as deeper meaning Functionalism, Binary comparison Structuralism, Freudian Psychoanalysis, Fontanelle Studies, Defining Mythology in different ways (though preferring the definition by academic Buckert) and through Allegories and . You will love and want to plunge into the worlds of Homer, Virgil, Ovid and more - and THANK YOU Mr. Peter Struck for explaining everything so detailedly and vivaciously and always doing it in such a way that was engaging and never boring. Thus, through this course, you'll realise it's more inter-disciplinary and pulling reigns from the domains of Psychology, Sociology and more and you may end up not only with an increased Athena-style wisdom and foundation, but also with better tools to compare literary parallels and be able to read and understand the motivations of the characters in the plays of the Iliad, Odyssey, Homer's Hymns, Aeniad and more (there are many lovely plays to discover here, whether for the first time or for a review trip down memory lane). Thank you thank you thank you and could not recommend this course enough to any Greek/Roman Mythology heads enough :)! 5 Stars!
автор: Victoria G
•I loved everything about this course. I was mesmerized for ten weeks, taking notes, wandering at the marvels of these ancient texts. I'm very thankful to professor Struck for his approach to the material and the thorough analysis of each piece, plus his evident love and excitement over telling these stories and digging into them. His take allowed me to delve so much deeper and get a grasp of things I may have been unable to get without that extra bit of help. I've come out of the course inspired, with many ideas for stories based on Greek and Roman myths, and in awe of the wondrous heritage of Western literature. I've also turned into the person who sees renditions of myths everywhere while reading every take I can get my hands on, whether it's ancient or contemporary. Thank you for this rich introduction that has already turned into a key part of my own journey as a storyteller, visit to the underworld and all.
автор: Carla L G
•Este é um curso que permite conhecer partes importantes da mitologia grega e romana e suas motivações. Existem várias teorias (muitas vezes conflitantes entre si) para explicar os mitos e seus fundamentos. Por ser complexo, cada teoria e cada parte da história são subdivididas em vários vídeos. Os temas são complexos e ao mesmo tempo fascinantes. A leitura antecipada dos livros indicados faz com que os vídeos sejam ainda melhores, pois muitas vezes jogam interpretações e análises que não conseguimos perceber ao lermos sozinhos. O contrário também é muito útil, principalmente com Virgílio: Assistir aos vídeos antes pode facilitar bastante a leitura desta obra complexa. (Eu fortemente recomendo a leitura de pelo menos os resumos de todas as obras abordadas no curso)
Novos cursos sobre análises de literatura mitológica são muito bem vindos. Não necessariamente de mitologia greco-romana.
автор: Gail J
•This course explores mythology from several perspectives. At least four come to mind: literature, history, culture, and psychology. The lectures are enriched by online references to original source material as well as lively online forums where responsive mentors and other students explore questions of interest to participants. Prof. Struck of University of Pennsylvania clearly knows his subject well. He also brings his enthusiasm and his sense of excitement about ancient myths which make the lectures come alive. I have listened to recorded lecture series on mythology in the past as well as read several books on the subject, but I found this to be by far the most enjoyable. After taking this course you will have the analytical tools you need to evaluate, appreciate, and understand on many levels the myths of the past and perhaps of the present.
автор: Nigel S
•This course has given me a very approachable overview of a wide range of knowledge on Greek and Roman mythology. I have very much enjoyed hearing insights into all that we have studied, especially The Odyssey which remains a favourite reading; but now I have been led to see all sorts of subtleties in it which enriches each re-reading of it or parts of it.
I enjoyed everything else, I liked the use of paintings, and found the mapping out of key words and phrases very helpful too. Peter Struck's very approachable delivery struck just the right note of lightheartedness and seriousness.
This course has led me to read works I would never have read - and I'm so glad I have been encouraged to do so - so, a very big Thank You for all your hard work and enthusiasm for all this wonderful material!
I am now keen to learn much more about the Iliad!
автор: Sonia E
•I am an elementary teacher, at home during Covid. I loved this course, and instructor. My favorite readings were The Oddyssey, Book 3 of Metomorphosis, and Oedipus. My husband [engineer] also got interested, and we have been reading aloud together from The Oddyssey. My brother-in-law [elementary school principla] also decide to read The Odyssey, and he loves it! Neither my husband nor I have ever read anything like these writings, and the lectures gave the needed insights and explanations.
The text interpretations of the lectures could be better. Sometimes when it said "undecipherable" I could clearly hear the word. Other times, it didn't feel necessary to write every example of "uh" and "UM" . I suspect the transcripts are done by machine. Better than nothing!
автор: Bruna F P
•I can't believe the course is over! I'm kinda sad actually? Because I'm really gonna miss it! Prime work, EXCELLENT professor (and I truly mean it!), the approached themes and discussions are marvelously interesting (and explained so effortlessly by the professor, he really makes himself easily understood, terrific teaching technique), I've always loved greek mythology and all theses classes shed so many different lights and debates and great topics on it! My most sincere thanks and congratulations to all involved in this fantastic class! I'm gonna definetely take all this knowledge to life, and what I thought it would be impossible just happened, I'm even more passionate about ancient history and myths! I really appreciate all efforts put on this, many many thanks!
автор: Tami V L
•I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The lectures were interesting, well-delivered, and the course materials offered a broad sampling of Greek and Roman mythology as well as various lens through which to interpret them. I would definitely recommend this course to others. I found myself taking trips to the library to find the recommended texts, watching theatrical performances of Oedipus online while reading the text, listening to an audio recording by Ian McKellen of the Odyssey (Fitzgerald translation) at bedtime, and finding all sorts of connections between the ancient myths and modern life. All in all, this was an excellent and very enjoyable course! Thank you to Peter Struck and all who helped offer this course in the Coursera open courseware format.
автор: Haykuhi A
•Dear Peter, I cannot begin to thank you enough for this wonderful course!
I first studied Greek and Roman mythology as part of my foreign literature class back in 2011, in my third year of studies at university. Your course turned out to be the best way to revisit the ancient myths that I have been so fond of for many years. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of detail and insight that you so kindly delivered in the course. Each video lesson has been a delight! Your presentations have enriched my knowledge on myths which I originally received from my professor of Foreign Literature at Yerevan State University, my beloved Natalie Gonchar-Khanjian.
I am looking forward to new courses designed by you.
Take care and stay healthy!
автор: K L
•What a fantastically clear and totally absorbing course presented by Peter Struck. Complex stories analysed and broken down into easily digestible lectures so that difficult to understand concepts are well understood. Nice use of language and subject matter presented in a thought provoking way. Great explanations on the rationale and use of powerful toolbox of analytical tools to help us to understand the core direction, nuances and subtleties of the work that is being analysed. Many thanks to Peter and his supporting team on the creation of such an informative, seemlessly delivered and hugely enjoyable and educational course. I am very grateful to you Peter Stuck and again many thanks to you.
автор: ROSANN W
•I am new to these courses and took up three, of which this was one, at the end of last year. I completed all three of them, and can definitely say that this course was the most enjoyable of the three: although the lecturer was speaking to the already converted in that I was already interested in his subject matter, I felt the whole course was so well delivered: it was very methodically organised, the content, as split between the language, the storyline, the historical context, literary techniques and analysis, was good, and the lecturer himself made the whole subject so enjoyable by his easy and natural manner, and by his knowing his subject well and rarely referring to notes. THANK YOU!
автор: Живлова Т А
•That is such a wonderful course. I loved that the material was so in-depth, and the quizes! really testing the thoroughness of your knowledge. Sadly, I didn't have the time to complete the written assignments, but I think that the questions were very well posed. I am not a native English speaker (I'm Russian), and there are some issues even with the best (Soviet Union) translations of the Odyssey. I'd previously bought the Fagles translation, and this course allowed me to explore it in a much more efficient way; it has added a lot to my understanding of the epic. Great many thanks to all the compilers of the course and the lecturer! Keep up the good work)
автор: Richard L B
•I am a retired educator in art history. I took the course for something to do at the outset of the COVID-19 lockdown. I had some passing knowledge of mythology, and this course filled in many gaps in that knowledge. I was especially pleased with the structure of the course, and enjoyed the aspect of considering mythology through a variety of analytic lenses.
I admire Professor Struck's natural and relaxed demeanor in front of the camera. My only complaint is one that many other learners have mentioned: the quality of the transcripts ranges from mediocre to appalling. A good proofreader would make reading through them much easier and more sensible.
автор: Alderick b
•Dear Dr. Peter Struck and Team,
You guys can be proud of yourselves. This course was very informative, easy to follow and a whole lot of FUN! This was the perfect introduction into Mythology. You've handed me the perfect tools to not only dissect stories of Mythology, but you've introduced me to a culture and history that was until now unbeknownst to me. As a history student - mainly modern history - I would like to thank you form the bottom of my heart. And Peter, I have really enjoyed you lectures. Your knowledge and passion for this subject was very captivating. I thoroughly enjoyed it, thank you!
автор: Hassan R
•The course contains very nice guidelines for reading and understanding Greek and Roman myths and epics. The idea of the toolboxes was an excellent way of interpreting the different meanings contained int he literary works and they were also extremely useful in differentiating the different styles of each Poet and their intended goals and objectives. The suggested materials also cover most of the needed resources to cover Greek and Roman Mythologies. As a personal recommendation, I would suggest to read the entire reading material and not limit yourself to the suggested pieces and chapters.
автор: Doris F
•This course was intellectual adventure, an "odyssey" touching on some of the classic myths of our culture. Reading Homer's epics, some important Greek plays, and the Aenead and tasting the tales of Ovid--these encounters will stay with me both for their meaning and their literary quality. Professor Struck's analytical "tools" were helpful in thinking about the many ways of learning how myths offer a unique insights into our culture and our many conflicting values. I would recommend the course to anyone interested in understanding more about the normative foundation of our world.
автор: Pete T
•This was an excellent course. It gave a full picture of the world of Greek mythology and how that lead on to the mythology of Rome. The different ways and emphases used by various poets handling the world of men and gods was fascinating. Reading the texts was challenging and maybe the course was a bit too long. But we (my daughter and I both took this course) enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it. The lecturer was excellent and showed a great love for the subject with the occasional unexpected injections of humour. Believe me, this is the truth and not a myth.
автор: Ellen E
•Wonderful! If you've been meaning to read more of the Greek and Roman classics (Homer, Hesiod, Aeschylus, Virgil, Ovid, etc), this is a great way to do it. Dr. Struck not only helps you understand the texts themselves-- their themes, literary devices, and use of language-- but also uses them to look at several contrasting interpretations of myth and its role in human society. The lectures were lively and informative, the discussion questions were engaging, and the result is that I'm sure I'll be thinking about the ideas I learned in this course for years to come.
автор: Kevin T
•Professor Stuck is outstanding. The course is very well structured to provide a great easing in point for ancient mythology, which helps allay the fear that can come from undertaking such a daunting challenge as trying to understand the lessons and stories from texts that are thousands of years old. Once you've got your toes in the water, Professor Struck quickly gets you up to speed so that by the end of the course, you've learned to recognize a lot of the subtleties that flew right over your head at the beginning. Cannot recommend highly enough!
автор: Jesus A B S
•Loved it. I took this course because I wanted to know more about these particular myths, since they have always caught my attention. Since I can recall, I have always loved them. This course made see them in a way I would not, even if I read the same Tragedies, Epic poems and plays that I read during this course. Fantastic course to do. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes or has some kind of curiosity about these myths. Cheers! Best of luck to everyone out there! And congratulation to all the Penn team and professor struck. My respects to you.
автор: Shravya K
•This course was amazing. As someone who was a complete beginner to the Classics and is only doing this out of curiosity and a passion for Greek Myth I found myself completely enveloped in the world of Ancient Greece. Highly recommend not just reading the texts, but looking up audiobook or play versions on YouTube. I did full readings of all the plays and poems, and then some. Huge thanks to Professor Peter Struck, who smiles while he teaches - he has a genuine passion for his subject, and is a great teacher. Loved this course.
автор: Chalee B
•This was a fun and enjoyable course to take! It was nostalgic to read some old favorites like the Odyssey and learning more in-depth theories and readings about what occurs in Greek and Roman mythology. I appreciated how the videos were broken up - there was never too much information in video and they were all easy to sit through and watch. The added visuals helped keep things interesting as well. Overall, I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to dive a little deeper into Greek and Roman mythology!