29685 - Greek Historiography (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have specific scientific research training in the field of Greek historiography of the Classical and Hellenistic age. They will know the essential features of ancient historiography and, in particular, those of the Greek one over the Classical and Hellenistic age. They will know and will be able to use research methods and tools. They will be able to have oral presentations by using proper registers and techniques; they will be able to critically evaluate different cultures. They will be able to update their knowledge through the tools developed by the scientific community.

Course contents

 

Historiography and Emotions: Theoretical Elements and Text Analysis

  The course aims to reflect on the impact and representation of emotions in historical events. The theoretical framework proposed by Aristotle will be the starting point and comparison ground for investigating the modalities and functions of the passions in historians before the time of the philosopher (Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon) as well as in Polybius and Plutarch. The main assumption, justifying the sense of the theme in question - which will be investigated from theoretical and pragmatic perspectives - comes from the terminology, which already marks a hermeneutic line: passion is a way of feeling, and therefore also a way of being; however - as the term of Latin root (not synonymous, but tendentially equivalent) indicates - passion is also an 'emotion', i.e. a movement that proceeds from the self towards others. In this interaction, which strongly touches upon the evenemential dynamics, a relationship is established between the sender (of a pathos) and the receiver of it. The result is consequences of different types and weights, of which History, and in this case that of the Greek world, is subiectum, and of which historians transpose and translate the traces. The literature on the subject is now vast: During the course, a selection of studies will be proposed, aimed at highlighting the main elements of the topic, in order to enable students to possess, at the end of the course, at least the key concepts to orient themselves in this field of historiographical research. The analysis of the theoretical parts (15 hours) and the exegesis of specific texts as a field of observation and examination (15 hours) will naturally complement each other.

Knowledge of the Greek language is indispensable: texts will always be accompanied by translation, but explanations will often focus on lexical elements and nuances of meaning that can be fully appreciated through knowledge of Greek

Attendance is required for at least 75% of the lessons in order to be able to sustain the examination with the program for attending students

Readings/Bibliography

 

Attending students will study

- M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Carocci, Roma 2009 (second edition): only the parts indicated by the teacher in class

A) Five of the following contributions

1. A. Chaniotis, Emotional display, empathy, theatricality, and illusion in Hellenistic historiography, in A.Chaniotis – P. Ducrey (eds.), Unveiling Emotions II, Stuttgart 2013, 53-84
2. D. Cairns, Mental conflict from Homer to Eustathius, in D. Cairns et al. (ed.), Emotions through Time: From Antiquity to Byzantium, Tübingen 2022, 227-246
3. D. Cairns, Homer, Aristotle, and the Nature of Compassion, in Roderich Barth et al. (eds.), Barmherzigkeit. Das Mitgefühl im Brennpunkt von Ethik und Religion, Tübingen 2023, 11-36
4. C. Damon, Emotions as a historiographical Dilemma, in D. Cairns - D. Nelis (eds.), Emotions in the Classical World. Methods, approaches, and Directions, Stuttgart 2017, 177-194
5. M.E. De Luna, La “virtù” di Lisandro e le sue emozioni. Un ambiguo paradigma? Riflessioni aristoteliche e plutarchee, «RATIONES RERUM», 2022, 20, pp. 1 - 26
6. M.E. De Luna, Sull’ἔλεος e sul “politico altro” nel Filottete di Sofocle, «SEMINARI ROMANI DI CULTURA GRECA», 2023, XII, pp. 167-181
7. D. Konstan, ‘Pity and Power’ in Pity Transformed, London 2001, 75-104
8. A. Tsakmakis, The Dark Side of a Narrative: The Power of Emotions, Digressions, and Historical Causes in Hellenica Oxyrhynchia, in M. De Bakker et al. (eds.), Emotions and
   Narrative in Ancient Literature and Beyond, Leiden-Boston 2022, 397-410
9. M. Zaccarini, Ruling through Fear. Cyrus the Great in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia, «Klio» 105.2, 2023, pp. 538-557
10. M. Zaccarini, Xenophon’s Hybris: Leadership, Violence and the Normative Use of Shame in Anabasis 5.8, «CQ» 72, 2022, pp. 152-166.

B) Two of the following contributions are part of the Dossier “Sulle emozioni: linee teoriche ed episodi storici”, Incidenza dell’antico 21, 2023:

José M. Candau, The emotions of the Jewish people and the Moyses Graecus of Flavius Josephus[109-120]

Angelos Chaniotis, From the social and cultural construction of emotion to the emotional construction of society and culture [121-139]

Virgilio Costa, Glory, wine, and dice: the emotions of a negative hero in Plutarch’s Life of Demetrius [141-153]

Manuel Knoll, Aristotle on Anger and Moral Outrage as Causes of Civil War (stasis)[155-167]

Franca Landucci, Rhodes and Demetrius Poliorcetes at the end of the fourth century BC [169-181]

Cristina Viano, ‘Porre davanti agli occhi’: Aristotele e l’attivazione delle emozioni nella Retorica | ‘Bringingbefore-the-eyes’: Aristotle and the activation of emotions in the Rhetoric [203-216]

Giuseppina Paola Viscardi, Affective states and emotional spaces. Ancient reflections on the ‘corrupting sea’ [217-229]

The volumes from which these contributions are taken will be available for consultation in the library of the Ancient History section of the Department or online.

Sources will be provided by the teacher with translation;

Students who are not going to attend the classes will read:

all of the contributions listed under A and two of those listed under B

M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Carocci, Roma 2009 (Integral Reading) o Cinzia Bearzot, Storiografia greca. Un'introduzione, Bologna, Il Mulino 2022 (Integral Reading)

Greek translation of the entire Book II of Thucydides, (eds. P. Rosa - R. Tosi, Santarcangelo di Romagna 2016 or U. Fantasia, ETS 2013)

Greek translation of Plutarch, Lysander Life

Reading from the Italian of the second book of Aristotle's Rhetoric (Carocci or Laterza edition)

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/studenticon-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 course is mainly taught through lectures, with discussions on the sources and the teaching material.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

The final exam is oral and develops through the knowledge assessment of the handbook firstly, and of the monograph secondly – the latter through questions about both the lectures topics and the textbooks. Also, the Greek original texts knowledge will be examined

If the student achieves a complete and detailed vision of the topics discussed in class and required for the discipline, provides an effective critical commentary, shows mastery of expression and of the specific language, he obtains excellence in the evaluation (28-30L).

Those students who demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the main topics of the subject, basic analytical ability and ability to synthesize, and a correct command of the language, will be given a good mark (25-27).

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic (and/or non-exhaustive) knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a satisfactory mark (22-24).

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a ‘pass’ mark (18-21).

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology (< 18).

 

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.

Teaching tools

PDF documents and research material from specialised websites will be provided

Office hours

See the website of Maria Elena De Luna