Myths were created by many early civilizations. A myth is a narrative, usually involving the supernatural and explaining natural events. Myths may be thought of as stories that answer basic questions about the world of early people. For example, what questions are answered by the Biblical story of Adam and Eve? What about the story of Job? Another example from the Bible is the Tower of Babel.
             Educated people must know the myths our culture has inherited because they are imbedded in our literature, our language, and our traditions. They are among our common points of reference. All cultures have myths--they are simply stories from their early past. Our myths are no more valid, wise, or foolish than those of other cultures. They are not better than myths from Africa, China, India, or any other culture. They are simply our myths!
             Greek myths and stories are among our most common allusions. From the Greeks we will study three areas. The first are the best known myths in our culture; these are the "must know" allusions and references to Greek mythology that educated people in our culture must recognize. Secondly, we need to be familiar with at least basic plots of Homer's famous book length poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Lastly, we will become familiar with Oedipus the King, the most famous Greek play.
             The Greek myths we know today were originally created by oral story tellers at a time written language was not generally known in the Greek world. The myths included in this course are a mere sampling of the many stories which comprise early Greek teachings. These myths, along with Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, formed the basis of early Greek education. The earliest Greek religious ideas and moral models of conduct were found in these last two works. From the Hebrews we get our religion, but we are the intellectual, artistic, and political descendants of the Greeks. Democracy, for examp
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