EPISODE · Sep 25, 2020 · 25 MIN
Episode 5: What Greek Myth Is…And Is Not, The Basics
from The Greek Myth Files · host R. Scott Smith
In this episode, we discuss the basic idea of what a myth is—or at least what a *Greek* myth is—and what the content of myths were. We also take a look at the importance of oral tradition and, later, the emergence of writing as a way of preserving the stories of the Greeks and Romans. We then talk about one of the most important aspects of myth, its flexibility and the ability for storytellers to modify the story to suit a particular occasion. Finally, we think about how time worked, not only in the mythical storyworld, but also how reckoning time works as well (we cross the dreaded AD/BC line!)
What this episode covers
This episode is our first in a six-part series called "What Greek Myth Is...And Is Not." In this initial look, we consider what the content of myth is, what we mean by "myth," and how flexible it is in the hands of storytellers. We also consider how the mythical period differed conceptually from what might be called the "historical period," as well as a brief tutorial on how AD/BC (or CE/BCE) works in terms of time reckoning.
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Episode 5: What Greek Myth Is…And Is Not, The Basics
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