90554 - Production and Tradition of Greek Texts in Byzantium (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students learn to gain knowledge both about mechanisms of production of Byzantine literary as well as documentary texts and about the practices of material preparation of the related manuscript witnesses, within the Byzantine millennium, with particular reference to Middle and Late Byzantine Era. Moreover, students build abilities, on the one hand, in critically evaluating problems connected to the study of textual transmission and critical edition, also through a consideration of periods and genres of Byzantine literature and of the principal themes related to Mediaeval Greek in its highest register, on the other hand, in interpreting typology and function of the examined artefacts.

Course contents

After an introduction to the Byzantine civilization, with particular reference to the transmission of ancient texts in the Greek Middle Ages as well as to epochs and genres of Byzantine literature, the course is divided into two parts:

1. Historiography and imperial ideology. Anthology of authors of Byzantine history, from Michael Psellus to Anna Comnena, from Nicetas Choniates to Georgius Pachymeres, with particular reference to salient events of the Court (with focus on the Middle and Late Byzantine period) as well as to literary models in the composition of highest level.
2. The manuscript tradition of Herodotus between the last Byzantine era and Italian Humanism. Starting from the study of the Herodotus’ manuscript which belonged to the Florentine humanist Palla Strozzi (Vat. Urb. gr. 88), the course will focus on witnesses and writing circles of the text of the Historiae in reference to a fundamental period for the reception of ancient authors, at the crossoroads between Byzantine tradition and literary interests of the more advanced humanistic milieux.
   
   

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

General studies:

• C. Mango, La civiltà bizantina, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1992 (2. ed.) [Engl.: Byzantium. The Empire of New Rome, New York, Ch. Scribner's Sons, 1980].
  
• A. Kambylis, Compendio della letteratura bizantina, in H.G. Nesselrath (Dir.), Introduzione alla filologia greca, ed. it. a cura di S. Fornaro, Roma, Salerno Editrice, 2004, pp. 446-478.
  

For the 1st part:

• Michael Psellus: Michaelis Pselli Chronographia, hrsg. von D.R. Reinsch, I: Einleitung und Text; II: Textkritischer Kommentar, Berlin–Boston, de Gruyter, 2014 (Millennium-Studien, 51) [selected passages].
• Anna Comnena: Annae Comnenae Alexias, I: Prolegomena et textus; II: Indices, rec. D.R. Reinsch–A. Kambylis, Berolini–Novi Eboraci, de Gruyter, 2001 (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, XL/1-2) [selected passages].
  
• Nicetas Choniates: Nicetae Choniatae Historia, I: Praef. et text.; II: Indices, rec. I.A. van Dieten, Berolini–Novi Eboraci, de Gruyter, 1975 (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, XI) [selected passages].
  
• Georgius Pachymeres: Georges Pachymérès, Relations historiques, I: libb. 1-3; II: libb. 4-6; III: libb. 7-9; IV: libb. 10-13; V: Index, éd. A. Failler, Paris, Institut français d’études byzantines, 1984, 1999, 2000 (Corpus Fontium Historiae Byzantinae, XXIV/1-5) [selected passages].
  

For the 2nd part:

• G. De Gregorio, L’Erodoto di Palla Strozzi (Vat. Urb. gr. 88), in Bollettino dei Classici [dell’]Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, ser. III 23 (2002), pp. 31-130.
  

Non-attending Students

To be added to the above indicated bibliography:

• R.J. Lilie, Reality and Invention: Reflections on Byzantine Historiography, in Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 68 (2014), pp. 157-210.

Non-attending students are recommended to contact the professor before they start preparing the exam.

Teaching methods

The adopted teaching method will be that of frontal lessons; during the course, students will be involved in the collation of manuscripts and in the reading and commentary of the presented texts.

Assessment methods

Oral interview. The judgment criteria will include an extensive evaluation about the acquired knowledge (translation, exegesis and analysis of the presented texts, display of the main addressed issues), about the use of a good standard technical vocabulary, as well as about the ability in framing the production of the medieval literary texts and the reception of ancient literature in Byzantium in the historical and cultural context of which these phenomena are an expression.

Teaching tools

During the course, reproductions of manuscripts and specimina of critical edition of the presented texts will be provided in both paper and digital format. Teaching support material will be regularly downloadable from the platform page dedicated to the course on the web site https://virtuale.unibo.it/.

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe De Gregorio