Myth in the Ancient World

• • Defining what myth is
  • Understanding the meaning of myth
  • Genesis and Mesopotamian Creation myths
  • Biblical and Mesopotamian Flood myths
  • Ancient Egyptian myths of creation and uncreation
  • Ancient Egyptian kingship myths
  • The Amazons
  • The Trojan War
  • Myth, Ritual and Religion
  • Greek Hero myths
  • Roman adoption of Greek mythology
  • Myths of the foundation of Rome
  • Literary and political themes in Roman myth
  • Jesus: the birth narratives
  • Gallipoli: the creation of the Australian hero

Equivalent subjects

You cannot enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• MAQ-HST140
• MAQ-AHIX140-Myth in the Ancient World

You are recommended to have completed the following subjects(s) or have equivalent knowledge before starting this subject:

• MUR-BAR100-Academic Learning Skills
• MUR-ISU110
• MUR-ISU103
• MUR-ISU111

Special requirements

• OtherDetails -

  Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.

This subject was previously known as AHIX140 Myth in the Ancient World.

Please note: This unit is available in Macquarie Semester 3. This is an intensive semester which spans only 9 weeks (including recess). Students are advised to enrol in only one or two subjects in Semester 3.

Gain an understanding of Greek, Roman and Near-Eastern society and culture through the study of myth. You will begin with the earliest creation myths, examining the development of myth in literature and art. The subject is largely based upon Greek and Latin texts in translation as well as the representation of myth in art. Near-Eastern, Egyptian and biblical texts will also be studied. The subject focuses on the relevance of key themes in myth to the cultures in which the myths arose, investigating their roles in the religious, political and social life of the classical world.

• Essay (40%)
• Online Participation (20%)
• Quizzes (20%)
• Tutorial Paper (20%)