Classical Mythology

Moving beyond the Mediterranean canon, this Advanced Agora Seminars course treats mythology as the fundamental “software” of human civilization. Students engage in a rigorous comparative study of diverse origin stories, hero cycles, and ethical myths from across the globe to identify universal archetypes and distinct cultural variations. The seminar investigates how these foundational narratives encode a society’s values regarding power, gender, and the environment, and how those stories are reclaimed or contested in contemporary life. By analyzing the “mythic structures” behind modern political movements, popular culture icons, and social identities, students will learn to see the ancient patterns that still drive human behavior today. (Note that Agora offerings are updated each semester)