00996 - Greek History

Learning outcomes

The course aims to deliver a basic knowledge of Greek history: its topics, development, main issues, and research methodologies.

Upon completion of the course, the student will possess a critical knowledge of the main themes and events (concerning politics, institutions, culture, religion, and economy), as well as of the fundamental methodologies in historical research and source criticism (especially regarding historiography and epigraphy).

Course contents

This is a blended-learning course: 48 hours of class lectures will deal with fundamental notions of Greek history and with the thematic section.

The student will add 12 hours of online study, carried out autonomously and with the assistance of the lecturer, on the institutional Virtuale platform of the course.

Course structure:

Class lectures (48h):

1. The origins: history and society in archaic and classical Greece: the main events in Greek history between the 8th and the late 4th cent. BC. A chronological and thematic analysis of the politics, ideologies, culture, society, war, and history of the main poleis and protagonists. The political institutions (esp. of Athens and Sparta) will be analyzed within the study of the notions of democracy and oligarchy.
2. Alexander the Great and the conquest of the world: this thematic section explores the life and deeds of Alexander III of Macedonia (Alexander the Great): through his life, military campaigns, personal power, friends and enemies, the course will outline one of the most famous, influential, and fascinating personalities in history.
3. The Hellenism: the world after Alexander: the history of Alexander’s empire after his death and the struggles among his successors; the economic and social dimension of the Hellenic world, until the clash with Rome (323-31 a.C.).

   Online activities (12h, Virtuale platform):

4. Database of Greek historiography: fundamental notions and critical outline of the main authors, themes, and works of the historiographical genre in the Greek world, from its origins in the late archaic period to the Imperial period.

Readings/Bibliography

Required readings:

1) One among the following textbooks of Greek history:

• C. Bearzot, Manuale di storia greca, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2015 (3a ed.).
• M. Bettalli, A.L. D’Agata, A. Magnetto, Storia Greca, Roma: Carocci, 2021 (3a ed.).

2) One among the following:

• Atene classica: V. Azoulay, Pericle. La democrazia ateniese alla prova di un grand’uomo, Torino: Einaudi, 2017.
• Sparta: M. Lupi, Sparta. Storia e rappresentazioni di una città greca, Roma: Carocci, 2017.
• Alessandro Magno: A.B. Bosworth, Alessandro Magno. L'uomo e il suo impero, Milano: Rizzoli, 2004 (va bene anche l'edizione allegata al Corriere della Sera, collana "Protagonisti della storia").
• Ellenismo: M. Mari, L’età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Roma: Carocci, 2019; oppure F. Muccioli, Storia dell’Ellenismo, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2019.
• Storia militare: M. Bettalli, Mercenari. Il mestiere delle armi nel mondo greco antico, Roma: Carocci, 2013.
• Erodoto/storia sociale: M. Zaccarini, Erodoto e le donne. La presenza femminile nelle Storie, Roma: Carocci, 2024.

• Occidente: L. Braccesi, F. Raviola, La Magna Grecia, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2008 + M. Dreher, La Sicilia antica, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2010.

3) Database of Greek historiography (Virtuale platform: https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ).

4) Class notes and texts discussed in class.

Students with specific interests can propose any variation to the bibliography above, as long as it is relevant to the course.

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Students who do not attend classes must study items 1), 3), and three among the choices at 2) above.

Students who are affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies to compensate it, are kindly requested to contact the Teacher, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

NB: non-attending students and students from courses attended in previous years are requested to get in touch with the lecturer at least two weeks in advance before signing up for any exam session, stating their selection from the bibliography above.

Teaching methods

This is a blended-learning course: traditional class lectures will be supported by online activities as per following:

• Class lectures with PowerPoint and handouts (48 hours, compatibly with the University regulations related to the pandemic)
• Online didactic activities and resources, carried out autonomously by the student and with the assistance of the lecturer, on the institutional e-learning platform of the course (12 hours).

Assessment methods

Students affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies to compensate it, are kindly requested to contact the Teacher, in order to be referred to the colleagues in charge and get proper advice and instructions.

Two assessment modes are available: traditional or ‘multimedia’ exam.

Traditional exam:

Normally, the student will be required to answer and discuss three points:

• 1 question on the archaic/classical period and/or a related historiographer from the database
• 1 question on the Hellenistic period and/or a related historiographer from the database
• 1 question on the section on Alexander and/or a related historiographer from the database
• (for non-attending students, 1 question on the additional readings)

The assessment consists in an oral examination aimed to assess:

• the basic knowledge of the course programme;
• the understanding of issues and topics discussed in class;
• the familiarity with the historical development of the discipline;
• the ability to set artefacts/issues in their proper context and to discuss them in a critical perspective;
• the quality of the oral expression and the competence in logical argumentation.

The final evaluation (in fractions of 30) will follow these guidelines:

• fail: lacking basic knowledge and ability to provide correct interpretations of the course topics and issues.
• pass: possess of basic knowledge; mostly correct interpretation, but often lacking precision and independent thought.
• good: average knowledge; correct interpretation, but somewhat lacking precision and independent thought.
• excellent: above-average knowledge; correct interpretation displaying precision and independent thought. Excellent oral expression.
• NB: in order to pass the exam, it is required to answer adequately to all 3 questions.

‘Multimedia’ exam:

In person, but based on work prepared in advanced by the student. The aim is to produce contents for the Virtuale website of the course which demonstrate active understanding and command of the contents of the course.

• The exam can be taken individually or as a group (in this latter case, all students will share the same grade at the exam). The exam must ALWAYS be agreed in advance with the lecturer.
• The theme will deal with a topic of the course (e.g. a character, author, a theme of social history, a battle, etc.). The student(s) will work autonomously on the chosen theme, and produce the output they have agreed with the lecturer: e.g., a podcast, video, website, software, graphic, comic boards, other artistic form, ecc.
• The product will be sent to the teacher at least 1 week prior to the date of the exam.
• The exam will focus on a discussion of the product; at least one question will always address a different topic the course/bibliography.
• At the lecturer’s discretion, the product may be added to the contents on Virtuale. Its author(s) will be credited and the product will remain available over the following Academic Years to future fellow students. Each group member implicitly agrees to allow the lecturer to employ their attributed work for this didactic purpose.

Teaching tools

• Database of Greek historiography
• PowerPoints, PDFs of sources, images and maps.

All materials will be made available to the students during the course through the Unibo Virtuale platform.

Links to further information

https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Zaccarini