Why and how did ancient societies represent stories in art? What can pottery and sculpture tell us about the role of story-telling in ancient life? How did visual art serve as a means of powerful communication across cultures and centuries? Explore these questions and more in Myth and Reality in Classical Art. This course is an introduction to Classical iconography (the study of images) that explores approaches to narration and representation in Ancient Greece and Rome. The course examines the illustration of myth, history, and everyday life in Classical art, in order to better understand ancient societies and our own.

Want to explore how this course connects with the modern world? Check out our blog posts inspired by this course.

Fun Facts:

• combined with HER-H 418
• in-person and hybrid
• 3 credits
• can be applied to the Art History Minor and Classical Studies Minor.

Coming Next: Fall 2025

Recent Offerings

FALL 2023

• hybrid: synchronous Zoom TR 10:30 – 11:45 AM (Dr. Elizabeth Thill)

Fall 2021

• TR 10:30 – 11:45 AM (Dr. Elizabeth Thill)