The objective of this course is to give an in-depth understanding of the great feminine divinities of Ancient Greece and of what they might represent, for the ancients as well as for ourselves in the 21st century. Many of the notions and concepts that are relevant to the Greek goddesses will be studied. In particular, participants of the course will question how the notion of the feminine has been constructed and translated through myth, and review both the speculative and historical record of the shift from worship of the Goddess over time to sky-god, patriarchal religion/s. In order to do that, coursework will examine works of art and literature that deal with the different aspects of the Goddess, not simply her displacement, but the different ways she is portrayed and referenced – both positively and negatively. A great part of the course lectures are centered around Classical Greece, aimed at taking advantage of the location in which students are studying. An attempt is made to cover a certain sweep of eras and countries to give an indication of how various and profoundly omni-present is the idea of the female Deity.

 

3 credits.