Ancient Greek Myths

The course is addressed to a broad audience with a strong interest in Greek culture and the classical world. It is particularly suitable for artists and art enthusiasts, archaeology enthusiasts, and individuals engaged with the history of art and classical antiquity more generally. In addition, it is especially relevant for classicists—most notably classical philologists—who frequently employ mythological imagery in their research and publications and seek to develop a more systematic and critical understanding of how such images can be interpreted and fully exploited as historical and cultural sources.

This course aims to develop a structured understanding of the content, cultural context, and visual articulation of major Greek myths as represented in Greek art. Through the systematic study of selected works, participants will strengthen their skills in observation, visual analysis, and critical interpretation. The course approaches Greek mythology as a medium for addressing enduring and universal themes, while also fostering transferable analytical competences that can be applied in academic study, professional practice, and informed cultural engagement beyond the digital classroom.

Unit 1: Introduction to Olympos and Greek Mythology (Part 1)

This opening unit invites participants on a journey to the origins of Greek myth, beginning with Mount Olympos as both a real landscape and a powerful symbol of divine order. By exploring early human symbolic thought, prehistoric figurines, and the first recorded gods of the ancient Near East, the unit places Greek mythology within a wider cultural horizon. It offers a fascinating entry point into how humans first imagined the divine and transformed belief into enduring myth.

Unit 2: Introduction to Olympos and Greek Mythology (Part 2)

Building on the foundations of the first unit, this section traces the emergence of the Greek gods as recognizable figures in art and myth. From the Mycenaean world and the Linear B tablets to the visual language of the Geometric period, participants learn how to identify gods, heroes, and mythological scenes. The unit reveals how images began to tell stories—shaping collective memory and linking myth to everyday life.

Unit 3: Iconography – The Essential Toolbox for Beginners

This key methodological unit equips participants with the skills needed to “read” ancient images with confidence. Through clear and accessible explanations, it introduces iconography as the language of visual storytelling in Greek art. Participants learn how artists used attributes, gestures, composition, and narrative techniques to communicate meaning, gaining tools that transform viewing into informed interpretation.

Unit 4: Depictions of Love, Family, and Divine Genealogy

Love, desire, birth, and family lie at the heart of Greek myth, and this unit explores how these themes were vividly visualized in ancient art. From the dramatic birth of Zeus to the miraculous arrivals of Athena and Dionysos, participants discover how myths of divine genealogy reflect power, jealousy, protection, and survival. These stories reveal a world of complex family dynamics that resonates strongly with timeless human experience.

Unit 5: Battles and Conflicts in Greek Mythology

Conflict drives myth forward, and this unit examines some of the most dramatic confrontations in Greek mythology. Through iconic scenes such as the Gigantomachy, the rivalry between Athena and Poseidon, and the clash of Apollo and Herakles, participants explore how artists visualized struggles between order and chaos, authority and defiance. These powerful images reveal how myth was used to express political ideals, civic identity, and cosmic balance.

Unit 6: “To Protect and to Serve” – Divine Aid and Guidance

Not all gods punish—many guide, protect, and empower. This unit highlights the supportive role of gods and goddesses who assist heroes and mortals in moments of need. Through engaging myths featuring Athena, Hermes, Demeter, Perseus, Theseus, and Odysseus, participants see how divine favor shapes success, wisdom, and survival. The unit offers a compelling view of the cooperative relationship between humans and gods in Greek thought.

Unit 7: The Wrath of Olympos – Divine Punishment and Justice

This unit explores the darker, dramatic side of Greek mythology, where divine anger enforces moral and cosmic order. Through striking myths of punishment involving Apollo, Artemis, Hera, and transgressive mortals, participants confront questions of justice, responsibility, and excess. The powerful visual narratives examined here reveal how ancient societies used myth to define boundaries and warn against hubris.

Unit 8: They ‘Live’ Among Us – The Afterlife of Greek Myth

The final unit brings Greek mythology into the present, showing how ancient gods and symbols continue to shape modern culture. From art, theatre, and popular media to branding, ritual, and everyday symbolism, participants discover how myths are constantly reimagined. This concluding section highlights the extraordinary longevity of Greek mythology and invites participants to recognize its presence in the modern world around them.

Assessment test including an essay question and questions in multiple-choice, true/false, and matching formats.

Online and distance training learning at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens offers a new way of combining innovative learning and training techniques with asychronous interaction with your tutor and fellow trainees from around the world.

The e-learning course is self-paced and is implemented via a user-friendly educational platform adjusted to the Distance Learning Principles. Courses are structured as weekly online meetings; interaction with the course tutor and other trainees takes place through an online forum. The courses are designed to fit around your schedule; you access the course whenever it is convenient for you, however within the given deadlines.

The whole world becomes your classroom, as e-learning material can be accessed on a laptop, tablet or smart phone. Learning can be done on the train, on a plane or even during your trip to Greece!

The educational platform is a portal that offers access to electronic educational material based on modern distance learning technologies. The computer based nature of training means new technology is being introduced to help trainees engage and learn in a tailored way that will meet their needs. E-learners have access to the educational platform with their personal access codes in order to browse all relevant training material and interact with their instructors.

Moreover, an online communication system through own personal e-mail account is available in order to make the process easier and more interactive. Trainees can contact their tutors directly through the educational platform.

Every week e-learners are provided with the scheduled material, delivered either in the form of video-lectures, text notes and relevant presentations or as a combination of them. The educational material of the course is uploaded gradually, per educational unit. During the course, important info for the smooth conduct of the educational process, such as timetables for the submission of the exercises are announced on the Announcement section of the platform.

For successful completion of the course participants should fulfill their academic obligations, meaning that they should have submitted all corresponding assessment exercises and have achieved at least an average of 50% grade in the corresponding tests for each module. The score scale ranges from 0 to 100%.

During the course trainees will be attending a training experience designed by academics and lecturers from the National University of Athens as well as from other Universities, Research Institutes and Cultural organizations around Greece.