99049 - Philology and Greek Literature (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students have a thorough knowledge of Greek literature from its origins to the late antique period. They possess a philological method for the critical reading of classical texts and for the historical knowledge of the ways and forms of their transmission. They can identify the elements of Greek culture which are indispensable for the study of any modern European literature. They are able to update and deepen their knowledge and elaborate autonomous perspectives of analysis, based on the most recent scientific debate and on the collection of the relevant bibliography.

Course contents

A – Core course (48 hours).

1. Scholarship and history of Greek scholarship: history of textual tradition, textual criticism, editorial technique, examples (Herodotus V 1-3) (16 hours).

2. Greek language and history of the Greek language: historical grammar, from IE to Greek dialects, examples (Odyssey V 1-42) (16 hours).

3. Greek literature and history of Greek literature: from oral performances, to theater, to prose, to 'literature', to the opening to the Jewish and Roman world, to the late-ancient and Byzantine age, examples (Greek lyric, Ps.-Xenophon, Constitution of the Athenians, Callimachus, Select Epigrams) (16 hours).

B. Special focus course (12 hours).

Archimedes and Greek mathematics.

C. Critical investigations (personal).

Alongside the teaching, a short modern Greek course-laboratory can be activated, held by a native speaker, which students can optionally follow.

Readings/Bibliography

A.1. Notes from the lectures. As for the reading of Herodotus' V 1-3 (paragraphs discussed during the lectures only): N.G. Wilson, Herodoti Historiae, I-II, Oxonii 2015, II 777-844; Italian transl. and comm. in D. Asheri-A. Corcella-A. Fraschetti-P. Vannicelli, Erodoto. Le storie, IX. Libro IX. La battaglia di Platea, Milano 2006; see also H.B. Rosén, Herodotus. Historiae, II, Stutgardiae-Lipsiae 1997, 384-455; P.-E. Legrand, Hérodote. Histoires, IX, Paris 1954; C. Hude, Herodoti Historiae, II, Oxford 1927³; as for Italian transl. see Asheri et all. cit., or any other translation with Greek text. One book in the following list: P. Maas, La critica del testo, trad. it. Roma 2017⁽⁴⁾ (1951¹; ed. or. Leipzig 1927¹, 1950², 1957³); G. Pasquali, Storia della tradizione e critica del testo, Firenze 1952² (1934¹); R. Pfeiffer, Storia della filologia classica, I. Dalle origini alla fine dell'età ellenistica, trad. it. Napoli 1973 (ed. or. Oxford 1968); L.D. Reynolds-N.G. Wilson, Copisti e filologi. La tradizione dei classici dall'antichità ai tempi moderni, Roma-Padova 2016⁴ (Padova 1969¹; ed. or. Oxford 1968); S. Timpanaro, La genesi del metodo del Lachmann, Torino-Novara 2010 (Firenze 1963¹, Padova 1981²); M.L. West, Critica del testo e tecnica dell’edizione, Palermo 1991 (ed. or. Stuttgart 1973).

A.2. Notes from the lectures. Ad for the reading of Odyssey V (verses discussed during the lectures only): J.B. Hainsworth-G.A. Privitera, Omero. Odissea, II. (Libri V-VIII), Milano 2015¹². One book in the following list: V. Garulli-C. Neri, Morfologia e storia del greco antico, Roma 2024; L. Heilmann, Grammatica storica della lingua greca, Torino 1963; P. Chantraine, Morphologie historique du grec, Paris 1947; C. Neri (et all.), Μέθοδος. Corso di lingua e cultura greca. Grammatica, Firenze 2018.

A.3. Notes from the lectures. As for the reading of Greek lyric (Archilochus, Hipponax, Semonides, Mimnermus, Solon, Alcaeus, Pindarus, Bacchylides only): C. Neri, Lirici greci. Età arcaica e classica, Roma 2011; E. Degani-G. Burzacchini, Lirici greci, Bologna 2005². As for Ps.-Xenophon, Constitution of the Athenians (passages discussed during the lectures only): G. Serra, Pseudo-Senofonte. Costituzione degli Ateniesi, con un saggio di L. Canfora Milano 2018. As for Callimachus' Epigrams (solo i testi trattati a lezione): R. Pfeiffer, Callimachus, II, Oxonii 1953, 80-99; M. Asper, Kallimachos. Werke, Darmstadt 2004, 459-495; G.B. D’Alessio, Callimaco. Opere (I), Milano 2014², 216-275. A history of Greek literature of your choice (recommended: C. Neri-E. Medda-E. Magnelli, Storia della letteratura greca, Roma 2024, or Antonietta Porro-W. Lapini, Letteratura greca, Bologna 2017).

B. Notes from the lectures. As for Archimedes' text: J.L. Heiberg, Archimedis opera omnia, I-III, Lipsiae 1880-1881¹ (1910-1915²; rist. corr. a c. di E.S. Stamatis, Stutgardiae 1972); C. Mugler, Archimède. Oeuvres, I-IV, Paris 1970-1971; R. Netz, The Works of Archimedes. Translation and Commentary, I. The Two Books On the Sphere and the Cylinder, II. On Spirals, Cambridge 2004 (I), 2017 (II).

C. Students are required to arrange with the teachers their own field of interest where to direct the reading (in translation) of some work of crucial importance in the Greek Literature as well as of some monographies (ex. if a student decides to examine the women-role in ancient Greece he will be required to read in translation the Euripides' Medea, Aristophanes' Thesmoforiazousai, Theocritus' XV Idyll, a selection of erotic epigrams and the reading ed. by G. Arrigoni). Basic notions of metrics, grammar and literary history are also required.

Students who attend the course for only 6 CFU are required to bring only points A.1-3 of the program.

Students who do not attend the lessons are required to bring the same program as regards the institutional part and to define a personalized program, also in the light of their own interests, for the monographic part.

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 lectures on the core course will mostly have a frontal character, and the main concepts will be illustrated by examples taken from the texts in the program. The lectures on the special focus course will instead be carried out mostly as a seminar: the textual analysis and the discussion will be collective. Photocopies of the most important texts will be given out and students will be required to do their own researches in the Library of the Department.

The course participates in the University's didactic experimentation project.

All the material handed out in the lectures will be available afterwards on line at http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Didattica/Programs/20242025/FLG2025/

The presentation of the course is available at the link: https://prezi.com/p/tsddwwna-kei/?present=1

Assessment methods

At the end of the course an oral examination will take place. The students are expected to expose their critical investigation and to show their skills in translating the core course's texts and in translating and commenting the special focus texts. The active participation of the students in the course is strongly recommended.

It is advisable to take the exam in full, in all its parts, but students who wish can take it in partial form (A, B, C, or even with the division of A into its components).

The maximum grade (30L) requires accurate and complete answers to all questions posed during the oral examination. The exam will be deemed to have been passed (with variable evaluation depending on the quality of the answers) if the candidate has answered in a precise and complete manner to most questions. As for the theoretical knowledge and the translation and exegesis of the texts, the metric is the following: outstanding: 30L; excellent: 28-30; good: 25-27; discrete: 22-24; sufficient: 18-21.

For deeply-rooted didactic conviction, I do not propose links to syllabi of questions, which would inevitably end up impoverishing the general preparation of the students. Since exams take place every fifteen days, students who want to experience the actual performance of an exam can attend - as spectators - the exam sessions, which are public.

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.

There are two exam sessions per month (except in August), always on Tuesdays and always from 9 am.

Teaching tools

PC, video projector, overhead projector, photocopied handouts.

At the request of the students, the lectures can be recorded and made available on Virtuale.

Links to further information

http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Didattica/Programs/20242025/FLG2025/

Office hours

See the website of Camillo Neri