109.1

Many students in introductory myth classes assume that Greco-Roman myth is comprised of a canonical collection of well-known stories, and that those stories might be entertaining but ultimately have little relevance to the modern world. This essay explores ways to address these assumptions and help students to understand the complexity of myth, how it was used to explore social issues, and how it can still be relevant today. I also discuss a lecture that explores modern attitudes toward representing the divine in song, film and literature, and then compares our attitudes to those of the Greeks.