12998 - Ancient Historiography (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be familiar with the milestones of ancient historiography. They will be able to analyse, explain and contextualize historical literary texts with knowledge of original sources. They will know how to approach texts and data critically and define themes and significant problems of ancient historiography on the basis of a critical reading of the sources and the documentation available. They will communicate orally using registers appropriate to the discipline and be able to draw up and update a bibliography in written form upon scientific standards using the most suitable research tools, including online databases.

Course contents

The course will be structured in three parts:

1. Introduction: discipline’s object and methods (sources, databases, bibliography). Greek and Roman historiography: models and innovations; historical convergences and historiographical analysis; historiography 'in
fragments'.

2. Contents and methodological choices in Greek and Roman historiography (from the origins to the 2nd century AD), through the following selection of authors:

2.1. Hecataeus of Miletus and the origins of Greek historiography; Herodotus; Thucydides; Xenophon; Ephorus; Theopompus; Timaeus; Polybius; Diodorus Siculos; Plutarch; Arrian, Pausanias (10 hours).

2.2. Quintus Fabius Pictor and the origins of Roman historiography; Sallust; Caesar; Livy; Tacitus; Suetonius; Cassius Dio (8 hours).

3. Seminar on Greek and Roman historians of Alexander the Great (reading and commentary upon a selection of passages by Diodorus Siculus, Arrian, Plutarch, Q. Curtius Rufus, Justin, and of fragments from Alexander's lost historians)

Readings/Bibliography

 

Attending students will have to study:

1. problems and sources discussed in class (sources will be available on virtuale.unibo.it);
2. selected chapters (assigned by the teacher during the course) from M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Roma, Carocci, 2021 (third edition);
3. selected chapters (assigned by the teacher during the course) from G. Zecchini, Storia della storiografia romana, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016.

Non-attending students will have to study:

1. M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Roma, Carocci, 2021 (third edition, in its entirety);
2. G. Zecchini, Storia della storiografia romana, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2016 (in its entirety);
3. Plutarch, Life of Alexander (preferably in the annotated edition by D. Magnino, Milano, BUR, 1987;
4. R. Vattuone, Timeo di Tauromenio, in R. Vattuone (ed.), Storici greci d'Occidente, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002, pages 177-232;
5. D. Ambaglio, Diodoro Siculo, in R. Vattuone (ed.), Storici greci d'Occidente, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002, pages 301-338;
6. L. Prandi, Alessandro il Grande in Giustino, in C. Bearzot – F. Landucci (eds.), Studi sull’Epitome di Giustino. II. Da Alessandro Magno a Filippo V di Macedonia, Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2015 , pages 3-15.

Teaching methods

Lectures. Seminar discussions.

Assessment methods

Oral examination will check the student’s knowledge and understanding of:
a) the topics and texts discussed in class; b) texts and modern bibliography listed above.

In the oral exam questions will be aimed at testing the student's ability in exposing with an appropriate language issues rising from the teaching material, as well as his/her skills in making connections between different texts in order to build an argument.
Proper language and the ability to critically speak about the original texts and books' content will lead to a good/excellent final grade.
Acceptable language and the ability to resume the books' contents, the topics of the lessons and class discussion on the original sources will lead to a sufficient/fair grade.
Insufficient linguistic proficiency and fragmentary knowledge of the books' contents and class discussion on the original sources will lead to a failure in passing the exam.

Teaching tools

Guide to the use of informatic tools for the study of classics and, more particularly, of ancient historiography. Bibliographic and source repertories, online databases.
Ancient sources discussed during the lessons will be available on virtuale.unibo.it.

Office hours

See the website of Manuela Mari