CLAS 190 Ancient Mysteries
Fall2107 MW 2-3:30 pm
Prof. Patricia A. JOHNSTON
MandelHumanities Center 216
Off. Hrs. M 1, Th1or by appointment
Tel: 781 736 2182
CLAS 190 THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES, CULTS, AND MYTHS
Patricia A. Johnston, Department of Classical Studies
The Ancient Mysteries were so-named from the Greek word, mystes, which means “initiate.” Membership in the various cults was based on initiation into rituals and doctrines which were kept secret from the outside world, and hence much that we know about them comes from related myths. In this course we will examine these cults and their related myths as revealed in literature and art, and consider the degree to which many of these cults’ practices persist in the modern world. We will begin by studying the phenomenon of Mystery Cults generally, and then proceed to the art and literature through which we know of particular cults. We will first examine the phenomenon of a cult, and then consider later reflections of the practices, principles, etc.—to the extent we can identify them—in later organization, religions, or general beliefs. Students will make presentations in class on given assignments, and then will choose a particular cult to research and write a paper about, which they will present in class.
Primary Course Goals: The purpose of this course is to open students’ minds to a range of religious beliefs which are far removed from modern experience, yet influence modern religion is subtle ways. Ancient cults embody many of the roots of our behaviors and beliefs, yet can be dealt with objectively and hence open the students’ minds to examining their own mode of thought about things sacred. Students will examine certain of these cults and then make oral presentations in class about them and discuss whether—and to what extent they have an impact in the modern world. The extended bibliography is intended to assist students preparing their oral and final presentations.
Course Requirements: One critical essay (10-15 pages), one midterm identifying the various gods and their related cults, and a final exam.
Grading: Papers and Quizzes and Class participation: 40%; midterm 30%; final exam 30%
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Hugh Bowden, Mystery Cults of the Ancient World, Princeton 2010.
Manfred Clauss, The Roman cult of Mithras: the god and his mysteries, Translated by Richard Gordon. New York: Routledge, 2000
The Homeric Hymn to Demeter(on-line)
Apuleius, The Golden Ass, trans. J. C. Relihan, Hacket Pub. (available on-line)
Euripides Bacchae, trans. and Intro by Stephen Esposito; Focus Publishing. (available on-line)
Aristophanes, Frogs (available on-line)
Vergil, Georgics(available on-line)
Recommended: (On reserve)
Giovanni Casadio, Patricia A. Johnston, eds., Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia, Univ. Texas Press 2009.
Manfred Clauss, The Roman cult of Mithras: the god and his mysteries, Translated by Richard Gordon. New York: Routledge, 2000
P. A. Johnston, A. Mastrocinque, S. Papaioannou, Animals in Greek and Roman Religion and Myth, Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2016.
G. E. Mylonas, Eleusis and the EleusiniP. an Mysteries, Princeton 1961.
R. Turcan, The Cults of the Roman Empire, Blackwell 1992.
M. J. Vermaseren, Cybele and Attis: The Myth and the Cult1977 Thames and Hudson.
R. E. Witte, Isis in the Graeco-Roman World, Cornell U. P. 1971
SCHEDULE
Please try to read the materials listed before the class in which they are discussed:
Aug.30 ThIntroduction
Sept. 4 MNo Class-- Labor Day
6WBowden pp. 1-25: Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean.
11 MBowden pp. 26-48: The Eleusinian Mysteries--Demeter and Persephone.
Read: Homeric Hymn to Demeter;
13 WEleusis today
18MBowden pp. 47-48: Read Aristophanes’Frogs:
25 W Dionysus:.Bowden pp.105-136.
EuripidesBacchae
25 MBowden pp. 49-67 Samothracian Mysteries; Dioscuri..
27WBowden pp. 68-82 Complete Samothracian mysteries;
Andanian and other Mysteries of Greece.
Oct 2 M– Bowden pp.85-104: Magna Mater/Cybele (Kubebe) and Attis
4WCompare Diana/Artemis; Demeter, and Cybele.
9 MBowden pp. 156-180.The Egyptian cults: Isis, Zeus-Serapis; Fortuna.
11 W No Class (= Brandeis Thursday)
16 MBowden 100-101; Apuleius Golden Ass book 11. A comparison of Mother-Goddess figures in the mystic context (Demeter, Isis, Cybele; Diana): Dea Syria]
18 WApuleius Golden Ass 8.24-9.10.
23 MIsis in Szombathely (Hungary)
25 W Bowden 137-155; Orpheus. Vergil Georgics 4.
30 MThe Derveni Papyrus
Nov 1 WDionysus and Sabazius
6 MFilm: Camus: Black Orpheus
8 WFilm: Cocteau: Orphée
13 MBowden 181-197, Mithras.
15 WBowden 198-221: End of the Mysteries and their Influence Mithras (Read Clauss: TBA;)
20 M
22WNo class [22-24 Thanksgiving]
27 MFinal Essays Due. Film: Ingmar Bergman’s The Magic flute
29 W
Dec. 4 M
6 WLast Class
Final Exam (TBA)
Paper topics will be discussed: student should choose any deity/associated mysteries studied, do research on the cult and make a presentation to the class before turning in the final paper.
PREPARING YOUR PAPER.
1. Double-space the text.
2. Don’t forget the Title, the introductory paragraph (“this is what I am going to examine,” and the concluding paragraph “This is what I have examined and my conclusions are that….” at the end of the paper.
2. Quotations:
a. all foreign languages cited in the text should be in italics.
b. longer passages (two or more lines) should be written (and off-set from the text) with the line breaks retained.
First quote the Latin, then put the source at the end of the quote, and then the English translation (and the name of the translator if you have not translated it yourself):
Prose quotation (example):
“Libertas, liberty, is one of the first personified abstractions in Rome to be worshipped as a divinity. Cicero introduces her as such in his work, On the Nature of the Gods, where he begins his short discussion of the gods Wealth, Safety, Concord, Liberty and Victory:
Tum autem res ipsa in qua vis inest maior aliqua sic appellatur ut ea ipsa nominetur deus.
(Cic. N. D. 2.23.61;
(Then, however, the thing itself in which there is some exceptionally potent force is itself designated as is a god.) (Add a footnote: “All translations are my own unless otherwise indicated.)
Poetry quotation:
OccupatAprilisIduscognomine Victor
Iuppiter: hacillisunt data templa die.
hac quoque, ni fallor, populo dignissima nostro
atria Libertas coepit habere sua. (Ovid, Fasti 4.621-624)
The Ides of April belong to Jupiter under the title of Victor:
a temple was dedicated to him on that day. On that day, too,
if I mistake not, Liberty began to own a hall well worthy of
our people. (trans. J. G. Frazer)
3. Put a “Works Cited” (“Bibliography”) list at the end of the paper, and then you can abbreviate the reference in the footnotes, citing there only the author, date of publication, and the page numbers:
Works Cited:
Andreussi, M. 1996, “Iuppiter Libertas, Aedes” in LTUR 3: 144.
Barchiesi, A. 1997, The Poet and the Prince: Ovid and Augustan Discourse. Berkeley.
Bendlin, A. 2000, “Personifikation. I Begriff. II HistorischeEntwicklung” in DNP 9: 639-643.
Borg, B. 2002, Der Logos des Mythos: Allegorien und Personifikationen in der frühengriechischenKunst. Munich.
Brunt, P. A. 1988, “Libertas in the Republic” in Brunt, The Fall of the Roman Republic and Related Essays. Oxford: 281-350.
Cairns, F. 1979. Tibullus: A Hellenistic Poet at Rome. Cambridge.
Cicero, De naturadeorum, Academica, with trans. by H. Rackham 1972 (LCL 298) Cambridge, MA.
Deubner, L. 1902-1909, “PersonifikationenabstrakterBegriffe” in AusführlichesLexikon der griechischen und römischenMythologie, ed. by W. H. Roscher, vol. 3.2. Leipzig: 2068-2169.
Elm, D. 2003, “Die Kontroverseüber die ‘Sondergötter’ – EinBeitragzurRezeptions- und Wirkungsgeschichte des Handbuches ‘Religion und Kultus der Römer’ von Georg Wissowa” in ArchivfürReligionsgeschichte 5.1: 67–79.
Footnotes might be, for example:
1. Andreussi (1996) 144.
2. Barchiesi (1997) 33-51.