CourseraGreek and Roman Mythology
4.8(2,562)English
Korshub's take
Old stories, still doing work
This Coursera course starts from a genuinely good question: why do myths, stories about heroes, founding events, or ordinary people caught in extraordinary trouble, keep getting retold across generations? Rather than treating Greek and Roman mythology as trivia, it uses these stories as a lens on what humans have always cared about: courage, adversity, meaning, and belonging.
Who will enjoy this
Anyone drawn to storytelling, classics, literature, or history will find a natural entry point here, and no prior background in mythology or the ancient world is implied by the course description. It's as suited to casual readers of Greek myths as it is to students building toward classical studies.
Because the course centers on why myths endure rather than a dry chronological survey, expect these tales treated as living material worth interpreting, not a memorization exercise, a solid pick if you want depth beyond pop-culture references.
About this course
Myths are traditional stories that have endured over a long time. Some of them have to do with events of great importance, such as the founding of a nation. Others tell the stories of great heroes and heroines and their exploits and courage in the face of adversity. Still others are simple tales about otherwise unremarkable people who get into trouble or do some great deed. What are we to make of all these tales, and why do people seem to like to hear them? This course will focus on the myths of
Price
Free
This course is free to enrol.
