In this course, students will examine a selection of the myths, or sacred stories, of various ancient cultures, including those of Africa, Mesopotamia and the Levant, Turkey, Greece, Rome, northern Europe, India, China, and the Americas. Students will learn to recognize the numerous ways these cultures used myths, a process that will offer a broad introduction to the history, literature, philosophy, art, and architecture of these civilizations. Readings are assigned from important works of world literature, including selections from the western canon. Through these works, students will compare and contrast the myths of numerous civilizations as they learn how to analyze and think critically about the cultures that produced them.