Course Description
This course examines the historical background, characteristics, theories, and themes of ancient Greek and Chinese mythology from a comparative perspective.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to have

a better understanding of the theories and themes of comparative mythologies, especially those in ancient Greece and China;
critically thought about related issues of mythology;
gained a basic understanding of comparative mythology of the world as a whole.

Jan. 6 2015 Introduction: Characteristics and Historical Background
Barry B. Powell, Classical Myth. 4th ed., (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2003), pp. 1 – 74.

Jan. 13 Types and Cultural Contexts of Myths
J. F. Bierlein, Parallel Myths. (New York: Ballantine, 1994), pp. 1-36.
David Adams Leeming, The World of Myth. (Oxford University Press, 1990), pp. 3-9.

Jan. 20 Main Themes: (1) Creation of the Universe
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.75-125.
Hesiod, Theognis. London: Penguin, 1973.

Jan. 27 (2) “Human Beings”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.109-114.

Feb. 3 (3) “Hero & War”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.138-195 and 318-420..

Feb. 10 (4) “Goddess”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.196-253.

Feb. 17 (5) “Love”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.475-597.

Feb. 24 HOLIDAY

Mar. 3 Mid-term Quiz
(No Lecture Powerpoint for Quiz Day)
Mar. 10 (6) “Flood”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.126-137.

Mar. 17 (7) “Monster”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.351-387.

Mar. 24 (8) “Death & the Underworld”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.288-317.

Mar. 31 (9) “Fate”
Powell, Classical Myth, pp.447-597.
Theories of Myth Interpretation
Jaan Puhvel, Comparative Mythology. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987).
*submission of final term paper*

Apr. 7 HOLIDAY

Apr. 14 Overall Review

1 Tutorial Oral Presentation = 25%

2 Mid-term Quiz = 25%

3 Final Term Paper = 50% (Please submit your Final Term Paper [of about 5,000 words] on or before the last but one Lecture on March 31, 2015 Tuesday).

Reminder:
*Each student must upload before the deadline of submission a soft copy of the completed assignment to the plagiarism detection engine VeriGuide, at the URL:
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/veriguide
The system will issue a receipt which also contains a declaration of honesty, which is the same as that in
http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/p09.htm
The declaration should be signed, and the receipt stapled to a hard copy of the assignment, which should be handed in to the professor before the deadline of submission.

Tutorial Topics

I. Comparison on “Creation” (Universe &/or Human Beings) in Ancient Greek & Chinese Mythology

II. Comparison on “Hero” &/or “Goddess”

III. Comparison on “Love” &/or “Flood” &/or “Monster”

IV. Comparison on “Death & the Underworld” &/or “Fate”

请注意大学有关学术著作诚信的政策和规则，及适用于犯规事例的纪律指引和程序。详情可浏览此处。

学生递交作业时，必须连同已签署的声明一并提交，表示他们知道有关政策、规则、指引及程序。

• 如属小组习作，则所有组员均须签署声明；所有组员 (不论有否签署声明及不论有否直接或间接撰写有问题的内容) 均须负上集体责任及受到惩处。
• 如作业以电脑制作、内容以文字为主，并经由大学「维诚」系统 (VeriGuide) 提交者，学生将作业的电子档案上载到系统后，便会获得收据，收据上已列明有关声明。
• 学生充分知悉到他们的作业可能会被人工智能内容检测软件审查，以确定其原创性。
• 学生充分知悉科目中采用人工智能工具的做法。在经允许下使用某些人工智能工具的情况下，学生已按照科目老师的指示明确注明出处和引文。

未有夹附签署妥当的声明的作业，老师将不予批阅。

学生只须提交作业的最终版本。

学生将作业或作业的一部份用于超过一个用途 (例如：同时符合两科的要求) 而没有作出声明会被视为未有声明重复使用作业。 学生重复使用其著作的措辞或某一、二句句子很常见，并可以接受，惟重复使用全部内容则构成问题。在任何情况下，须先获得相关老师同意方可提交作业。

由大学职员/老师制作的教学材料，包括课堂笔记、作业及考试题目等，其版权属香港中文大学拥有；学生可从大学采用的网上教学系统 (例如Blackboard) 下载由大学职员/老师制作的教学材料供其学习使用；惟未经相关职员/老师事先同意下，不得分发/分享/复制这些材料予第三者。