27276 - Laboratory (1) (G.E)

Course contents

This laboratory will be divided into two parts. The first part will offer a general introduction to the Greek language of the medieval period, providing an overview of its historical development from classical Greek. The main phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical features of medieval Greek will be illustrated, along with the phenomena of diglossia, multilingualism, and multistylistic features typical of Byzantine literary civilization.

In the second part, students will examine representative texts of Byzantine literary language, both in verse and prose. Through practical translation exercises, they will learn to use essential tools for studying medieval Greek, such as grammars, lexica, and databases, developing advanced skills in understanding and interpreting Byzantine literary texts.

Readings/Bibliography

• G. Horrocks, “Lingua alta e lingua popolare”, in Lo spazio letterario del Medioevo, III: Le culture circostanti, ed. M. Capaldo [et al.], 1: La cultura bizantina, ed. by G. Cavallo, Roma 2004, pp. 457-490.
• A. Rollo, “ ‘Greco bizantino’ and ‘greco medievale’ ”, AION. Annali del Dipartimento di Studi del Mondo Classico e del Mediterraneo Antico. Sezione linguistica 30 (2008), pp. 429-473.
• N. Toufexis, “Diglossia and Register Variation in Medieval Greek”, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 32/2 (2008), pp. 203-217.
• Original texts to be translated, analyzed, and commented on in class will be provided by the professor during the lessons and are also part of the exam bibliography.

Non-attending Students

As this is a laboratory, attendance is mandatory in order to take the final exam.

Students with SLD or Temporary or Permanent Disabilities

It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Teaching methods

The teaching method adopted involves two distinct phases. In the first part, a frontal-expository approach will be used, with lectures given by the professor. In the second part, students will be invited to work independently on the translation of assigned passages. At the end of each lesson, a collective correction session is planned, during which the works completed will be discussed and verified.

Assessment methods

Learning will be assessed during individual exercises and then with a final practical test.

Students with SLD or Temporary or Permanent Disabilities

It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months of the academic year:

1st session: January

2nd session: February

3rd session: March

4th session: April

5th session: May

6th session: June

7th session: September

8th session: October

Teaching tools

During the laboratory, texts for translation, grammars, and the main lexica of classical, Christian, and medieval Greek will be made available in paper or digital format. Bibliographic material and teaching support can be downloaded from the course page on the platform https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Office hours

See the website of Luigi D'Amelia