Mapping Myth

Mythologies of the ancient Mediterranean are inextricably bound to geography, from conceptual spaces to specific places. While their relationship is extensive and diverse, it can be divided into six main categories: the specific places that the narratives of myth were believed to have occurred; the metamorphic shaping and divine animation of landscapes; places that memorialize the events of myth in ritual; ties between the events and individuals of myth and real-world toponyms; places that myths are depicted in public and private spaces; and the harnessing and manipulation of myth in human activities and interactions, from poetic performance to civic propaganda to identity politics. In this course, we explore myth through the various spatial lenses that these categories afford, while learning to use the spatial systems software QGIS and some methods of spatial analysis. Depending on the semester, this course will focus on either Greek or other Mediterranean mythologies; see course note.