The earliest literature might well be called "illiterature," as it consists of stories, myths, and legends handed down orally over a number of generations. These stories often have no authors, originating perhaps from collective effort. Many of the world's mythologies have similar characteristics; for example, every culture has a creation story that tries to answer such questions as "Who are we?", "Where did we come from?", and "What happens to us when we die?".
What is a myth? It can be defined as a traditional story about gods, kings, and heroes which provides a moral code by which to live; myths deal with the significant aspects of human and superhuman existence. We study mythology because mythology provides us the collected knowledge of a society, its science, religion, and history. Mythology comprises pure myth (primitive science and religion, often with explanatory genealogy), heroic saga (primitive history, usually describing a grand past), and folk or fairy tale (told for sheer entertainment value). "Romance" is a conscious literary effort at duplicating myth.
In this course, we will study three works from the Ancient World: