1. Introduction to
Classical Mythology
Dr. Michael Broder
University of South Carolina
March 27, 2012

2. Daily Write #16: Review
In the traditional myth of Herakles, the hero is driven
mad by Hera, kills his wife and children, and must
complete a series of labors to atone for his crime.
Euripides changes this order of events. E.A. Haigh, in
The Tragic Drama of the Greeks (1896), explains that by
Euripides’ change, “The legend acquires a new
significance, as an example of pathetic and
unmerited suffering, and of stubborn endurance in
the face of calamity.” What do you think of this
interpretation? Can you think of any other reason(s)
for making the madness and murders come after the
labors instead of before?

3. Daily Write #16: Review
• Some of you pointed out that the traditional
version of events already illustrates endurance in
the face of unmerited suffering
– What does Euripides gain by switching the order of
events?
– Pokes a bit of a hole in Haigh’s interpretation
• Many of you suggested that Herakles “snaps”
under the psychological pressure of his 12
labors: a kind of mythological PTSD
– Very interesting interpretation, very relevant to our
current engagement in two foreign wars

4. Daily Write #16: Review
• Some of you pointed out that Euripides’
version illustrates not only endurance in the
face of unmerited suffering, but also the
arbitrary nature of the gods
– Herakles commits his divinely inspired crime,
carries out his divinely imposed sentence, and the
gods still destroy his family and ruin his life

5. Daily Write #16: Review
• Some students said they like the traditional story
better, either because
– It illustrates the heroism of Herakles
– It teaches the lesson of atonement for one’s sins
• That’s fine, but: You still need to account for
why Euripides chose to depart from the
traditional account
– Just because he felt like it?
– Because he believed the traditional account was not
true to the human condition?

6. Daily Write #18
• List 3 mythological references from Plato’s
Symposium
• Include the context in which the reference
occurs (which speaker, which speech, etc)

7. Daily Write: Grading Criteria
• Engage with the question
– If the question relates to a passage from the text, make
sure to comment on the passage
– If the question relates to a quote from a scholarly article,
make sure to comment on the quote
– Make sure to address all part of the question
• Show knowledge of the text
– Use examples from the text to illustrate your points
Now that we are well into the second half of the
course, I am holding you to a higher standard for
your Daily Writes.

8. Philosophy is the pursuit of knowledge
about nature and humanity
• philo– = love of < Gr. philia, lo
• sophy– = wisdom < Gr. sophia, wisdom

9. Like history, philosophy was a new
alternative to mythological thinking
• Where history is a type of knowledge about
past events, philosophy is a type of
knowledge about
– The natural world (nature)
– The human world (humanity or culture)
– The rational world (mathematics, logic)
• Just as Herodotus is considered the father of
history, the father of philosophy is Socrates

10. Life of Socrates
• Born in Athens c. 469 BCE
• Little is known about how Socrates earned a living,
although some ancient sources say that he worked as a
stonemason
• Like other Athenian men, Socrates served in the military
and the government, but he was not interested in a military
or political career
– His main interest in life was philosophical inquiry
• Died in Athens in 399 BCE
– Did not die of old age or natural causes
– He was put on trial for his philosophical views and sentenced
to death by the Athenian people because his commitment to
truth and justice posed a danger to the people in power

11. Socratic Values
• Socrates placed the highest value on wisdom
and virtue
– Wisdom = the pursuit of knowledge and truth
– Virtue = the pursuit of excellence in qualities that
define humanity
• The four major Socratic virtues:
– Wisdom
– Courage
– Moderation
– Justice

12. Introduction to
Classical Mythology
Dr. Michael Broder
University of South Carolina
March 27, 2012