By the Beard of Zeus: Public Perception and Museum Portrayal of Classical Mythology and Religion

The aim of this thesis is to discover the manner in which Classical mythology is frequently portrayed by both popular culture and museums, and whether this has an effect on members of the public. This is assessed through an analysis of popular culture, a survey answered by members of the public and museum analyses. Firstly, Classical mythology in popular culture is discussed, with the inclusion of some more in-depth case studies. These results are then used to make some predictions about the survey. The survey was created in order to discover which deities and legends of Classical mythology are familiar, how they are known and which words come to mind. Discussion and analysis of results show what the public may expect to see in a museum. The museum analyses consider several different factors in terms of the museum, as well as providing a brief history of the institution: visitors, accessibility, lighting, display, the involvement of Classical mythology and a comparison with public...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to discover the manner in which Classical mythology is frequently portrayed by both popular culture and museums, and whether this has an effect on members of the public. This is assessed through an analysis of popular culture, a survey answered by members of the public and museum analyses. Firstly, Classical mythology in popular culture is discussed, with the inclusion of some more in-depth case studies. These results are then used to make some predictions about the survey. The survey was created in order to discover which deities and legends of Classical mythology are familiar, how they are known and which words come to mind. Discussion and analysis of results show what the public may expect to see in a museum. The museum analyses consider several different factors in terms of the museum, as well as providing a brief history of the institution: visitors, accessibility, lighting, display, the involvement of Classical mythology and a comparison with public perceptions. Suggestions for how Classical mythology could be portrayed in museums are based on the museum analyses and survey results. The conclusion demonstrates how not everyone has a clear understanding of what is meant by Classical mythology, and that it is more associated with Greek, as opposed to Roman, mythology. Reflecting how religion was embedded in all facets of daily life, museums tend to represent gods under all different kinds of themes. Issues encountered during this thesis included a non-representative sample of the public, in addition to a bias towards museums in both the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, where the museum analyses took place. Further research could include a more representative sample, or cover other countries and museums. It is hoped that this thesis will make a useful contribution towards the field of Museum Studies, and through that, to archaeology. It demonstrates how members of the public perceive Classical mythology, and suggests how museums could portray it in order to correct misconceptions, as well as engage as large an audience as possible. This thesis shows that the public tend to associate Classical mythology with Greece rather than Rome, and as a result are more familiar with ancient Greek deities. Additionally, it shows that popular culture has a significant effect on the public's awareness of certain deities. As the portrayal of antiquities is something rarely studied, this thesis is a unique contribution and should be of benefit to museums.Show less

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By the Beard of Zeus: Public Perception and Museum Portrayal of Classical Mythology and Religion