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the_weirdling's review
3.0
Not exactly a great intro to Roman mythology, but certainly a competent one.
I have only one main criticism. I think the lecturer has a tendency to assume too much knowledge on the part of his listeners. Greek myth is barely taught anymore. Roman myth is almost never taught. Classical history is also nearly non-existent nowadays as well. He has a tendency to speak about Roman history as if listeners would know who he meant when he referred to Augustus or Julius Caesar. I’m not sure that can be assumed anymore. If you are a neophyte to classical history and myth, this should be your second read. Your first should be a plainer introduction.
I have only one main criticism. I think the lecturer has a tendency to assume too much knowledge on the part of his listeners. Greek myth is barely taught anymore. Roman myth is almost never taught. Classical history is also nearly non-existent nowadays as well. He has a tendency to speak about Roman history as if listeners would know who he meant when he referred to Augustus or Julius Caesar. I’m not sure that can be assumed anymore. If you are a neophyte to classical history and myth, this should be your second read. Your first should be a plainer introduction.
readingthroughthelists's review
3.0
A good introductory course to Roman mythology that covers most of the major myths and authors of Rome's early myth-making period. Of course listening to the lectures while on the bus going to class meant that if I zoned out for two seconds, I would miss ten important names and then proceed to be completely lost as to what was going on. There were entire portions where I wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but I know that if I had sat down with a pencil and a pad of paper, I would have gotten more out of it.
But if nothing else, the course alerted me to works that I need to read, primarily the Aenied by Vergil, and Ovid's Metamorphoses.
But if nothing else, the course alerted me to works that I need to read, primarily the Aenied by Vergil, and Ovid's Metamorphoses.
revslick's review
2.0
I admit that my low rating is mostly on my irritation with what I had hoped it contained and by the time I relaxed and went with the material it did contain it was too late; I was terminally bored. It contains a look at how the Roman culture integrated myths and/or adjusted their cultural mythos with lies and manipulation, which reminded me too much of f*x. The saving grace was the last chapter which shows how the Roman myths have carried over into our own culture and history.
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