13350 - Ancient Greek Institutions

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will have a deep knowledge of some important public and private institutions of the greek world and will be able to read them through a critical reading of all kinds of sources (literary, documentary, material, iconographic).They will recognize the evolution and the dynamics of the examined institutions, putting them into historical, social and politic context. they will be able too to know and use technical words and expressions concerning this branch of knowledge.

Course contents

The main topic of the course is the following: Institutional and political history of a polis: Sicyon from the beginnings to the Hellenistic times. In particular, I will discuss the following topics:

1) Foundation of the polis.

2) Tyranny of the Ortagorids and institutional changes.

2) Tyranny of Euphron.

3) Sicyon in the III century BC.

4) The cult of Aratus in Sicyon.

Readings/Bibliography

Reading from Herodotus (book V, ed. Fondazione Valla), Xenophon, Polybius (ed. BUR), Plutarch, Vita di Arato (ed. Fondazione Valla), Vita di Cleomene (ed. BUR) and teaching Materials. Furthermore students will study on the following texts :

1) Y.A. Lolos, Land of Sikyon. Archaeology and History of a Greek City-State, Princeton 2011, pp. 59-80, 182-189, 272-286, 377-382 (the text is available in AlmaRE, Biblioteca delle risorse elettroniche dell'Ateneo di Bologna, after authentication).

2) G. Camassa, Forme della vita politica dei Greci in età arcaica e classica, Bologna, Monduzzi 2007.

3) M.H. Hansen, La democrazia ateniese nel IV secolo a.C., Milano, Led 2003.

The first text covers some topics of the lessons, whereas texts no. 2-3 provide an overview of greek institutions.

Teaching materials are available on the website of Unibo and students will bring the printed version to the exam. Students not attending the course will study on the texts quoted above and, furthermore, on:

4) Plutarco, Vita di Arato (ed. Fondazione Valla, tutta, compresa introduzione e note)

5) La costituzione degli Ateniesi di Aristotele (ed. Fondazione Valla).

 

Teaching methods

Lecture class. PowerPoints, PDFs of sources, images and maps will be used during the course.

Course attendance is not compulsory. Nevertheless, the course will cover specialist topics and I warmly suggest to attend the course. Reading of the sources is in Italian translation. I will constantly refer to the original greek texts.

Assessment methods

The exam is oral. First it will be texted the knowledge of the institutional part (no. 3-4) then it will be texted the knowledge of some topics discussed during the course (and the book by Lolos).

Outstanding knowledge of both the handbooks and the texts is evaluated at the maximum; serious lacunae in the knowledge of the handbook and no skills in the reading and interpretations of the texts do not allow to pass.

Teaching tools

PowerPoints, PDFs of sources, images and maps (all included in the didactic material).

Office hours

See the website of Federicomaria Muccioli