29654 - Religions of the Classic World (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, student  has detailed knowledge of the civilizations of the classic world and the methodology of the religio-historical research. Also through direct involvement in activities of seminarial type on some monographic argument (reading and personal analysis of ancient texts and modern studies), has knowledge about the sources and problems related to the study of religions of the classical world and the general characters of polytheism. Knows how to use properly the language and the specific tools of the discipline and to apply the inquiry methodologies to problems and specific documents.

Course contents

The afterlife in ancient Greece.

List of topics: History of religions and his method. General characters of the polytheism. Representations of the afterlife in ancient Greece. The punishment in Hades.

Readings/Bibliography

1.   G. FILORAMO, Che cos'e' la religione. Temi metodi problemi, Einaudi, Torino 2004;

2. Teaching materials downloadable from AMS Campus:

a. D. FABIANO, Ho fuggito il male, ho trovato il meglio: le punizioni dei non iniziati nell’aldilà greco, Archiv für Religionsgeschichte 12 (2010),149-165;

b. D. FABIANO, La fatica di Sisifo e le astuzie di Hades, I Quaderni del Ramo d’oro on line 1 (2008), 238-57;

c. G.P. VISCARDI, Erro lungo la casa dall’ampia porta di Hades. Configurazioni mitiche dello spazio oltremondano nella rappresentazione greca: il cosmo di Hades come luogo di negoziazione dei significati, Studi e materiali di Storia delle religioni 80 (2014), 135-57.

d. R.G. EDMONDS, Imaging the Afterlife, in E. EIDINOW-J. KINDT (edd.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion, Oxford 2015, 551-63;

e. R.G. EDMONDS, A Lively Afterlife and Beyond. The Soul in Plato, Homer, and the Orphica, in Études Platoniciennes 11 (2014) = http://etudesplatoniciennes.revues.org/517, 1-29;

f. M.A. SANTAMARIA ALVAREZ, El Edén griego. Las Islas de los Bienaventurados, de Hesiodo a Platon, Respublica Litterarum. Suplemento Monográfico Utopía 15 (2006), 3-20.

4.   Notes from lessons and seminars and individual readings.

Teaching methods

The Course consisist of: 30 hours of frontal teachings in classroom (obligatory frequency),  held by titular teacher.

The Course also consist of: a few hours of supplementary didactics (obligatory frequency), held by collaborators of the teacher.

Assessment methods

The oral examination will seek to check understanding of the topics dealt during the Course, the acquisition of the knowledges proposed by the Bibliography prescribed for the individual study and the ability in interpreting documents and linking of research topics and  problems.

Teaching tools

The includes the use of the Library of the Section of Storia antica (via Zamboni, 38, fourth floor) of the Department of Storia Culture Civilta' (DiSCi)  for research and word processing.

Office hours

See the website of Dario Cosi