Life Lessons from the Great Myths

Change the way you think about some of the greatest stories ever told with this examination of the most important myths from more than 3,000 years of history. The ways in which the human imagination can transform historical events, people, and themes into powerful myths that endure through the ages is nothing short of awe-inspiring. To examine the core of the world's greatest myths and tales is to confront some of history's most basic human truths. These 36 captivating lectures comprise a powerful work of storytelling prowess and historical insight, exploring events and individuals that so gripped civilizations, they transcended to the level of myth and played an important role in shaping culture, politics, religion, and more. Looking at myths from ancient Greece and Rome, from the Near East and the Middle East, from early and modern Europe, and from the United States, Professor Fears shows how myths convey higher truths too profound to be described in ordinary language. Decoding them, Professor Fears reveals how they serve as enduring sources of wisdom. For example, the rich tapestry of supernatural events in the Epic of Gilgamesh provided support for Mesopotamian politics, including the need for a divinely appointed kingship. The furious battles in Beowulf played an important role in cementing Germanic ideas of courage, heroism, glory, and honor. And the dramatic last stand at the Battle of the Alamo emphasized for Americans that liberty is worth any price. The search for wisdom is one of life's great purposes, and there is much wisdom to be gleaned from the world's great myths. By the final powerful and stirring lecture of this course, you're sure to find yourself wiser than you were before you started.

All Lectures:
1. Heroes, History, and Myth
2. The Myth of Troy
3. Homer and Mythology
4. In Search of Historical Troy
5. Life Lessons from the Trojan War
6. Jason and the Golden Fleece
7. Theseus and the Minotaur
8. Myth and Athenian Drama
9. Fate and Free Will in Mythology
10. Atlantis - Fact or Fiction?
11. The Epic of Gilgamesh
12. Gilgamesh and History
13. The Book of Genesis
14. Exodus - The Foundation of the Jewish People
15. The Historical Power of Biblical Stories
16. Aeneas - Rome's National Hero
17. Romulus - The Founder of Rome
18. Lays of Ancient Rome
19. Alexander the Great in History
20. Alexander the Great in Romance
21. Beowulf - Historical Roots and Heroic Values
22. King Arthur - Fact or Fiction?
23. In Search of the Holy Grail
24. Vikings in America?
25. Vergil the Magician
26. The Battle of Kosovo
27. Julius Caesar in History
28. Napoleon and the Mantle of Caesar
29. Arminius and German Mythology
30. Teuton versus Roman
31. Davy Crockett and the Myth of the Frontier
32. The Alamo
33. Jesse James and the Myth of the Outlaw
34. General Custer - Hero or Villain?
35. Reagan, Hollywood, and American Ideals
36. Mythology as a Path to Wisdom