Classical Mythology and Its Media

The course will consist of a preliminar section that will present some key tools related to the study of classical mythology, with a specific interest in the definition of the peculiar nature of the ancient hero and the presence of some narrative patterns related to it in the Mediterranean area. A specific focus will also be devoted to the survival of the mythical "heroic" narrative in modern and contemporary culture, through literary, iconographic, musical sources, and more generally in new media.
In the second part of the course, the figure of the hero Heracles will be specifically examined: his mythical biography, his deeds, but also permanence in a broad geographic area that includes, in addition to East and West Greek world, the Phoenician-Punic area, the Sumerian culture, the Etruscan world, and again Central Asia, India, and Medieval China. A specific in-depth study will be devoted to the adaptations of the hero in new media (performance art, cinema, music).

1.Knowledge and understanding: Knowledge of the limits and perspectives of historiographical traditions and the problems associated with reading and interpreting the history of classical mythology; knowledge of the basic lines of development of the history of mythology and its channels of communication.
2.Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: Ability to critically use the main bibliographical tools to search for information in the history of classical mythology; ability to read (synchronic and diachronic) the main historical dynamics with reference to classical mythology; ability to recognise the value of the complexity and multiplicity of interpretations of the sources; ability to understand, analyse, and reuse the scientific literature related to the discipline covered in the syllabus; ability to compare different hypotheses formulated in the scientific literature and to understand what arguments are brought to support them.
3.Making judgments: ability to form an autonomous, reasoned idea, free from fashions and preconceived theories, in relation to the historical and cultural phenomena of classical mythology; ability to grasp and critically interpret and historically contextualise the complex elements of diversity and otherness of the various mythical traditions; ability to select information for the purpose of formulating one's own autonomous and critically examined judgements; ability to critically intervene in a debate on the value and role of classical mythology for understanding the present.
4.Communication skills: ability to express with logical rigour in written and/or oral form (in English) the knowledge and skills learnt in the course of study of classical mythology.
5.Learning skills: ability to autonomously find and consult resources and tools for learning and updating knowledge and skills in the area of the study of religions; autonomous ability to interpret sources in the study of the religion of one or more civilisations; ability to develop questions in a clear and articulate manner in order to deepen, complete and integrate the knowledge and skills learnt.