28277 - Archaic and Classical Greek History (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module the student has appropriate training to scientific research in the field of Greek history. He has critical knowledge of Greek history, from its origins to the 4th century BC.He knows how to use the methods and tools of historical research and he can perform a specific search in the study area.

Course contents

History and Political Thought in the 5th and 4th Centuries

The course topics will be as the following:

- the relationships between the political, social and institutional frameworks of Greek cities in the 6th-4th centuries and the historical events that set them in context will be presented

- the theories of political justice

- the logic and paradoxes of democracies and oligarchies

-  vices, virtues and emotional states usually associated with the leaders (and not only) of such politeiai

A basic knowledge of the Greek language, in order to read directly literary texts and other sources, is strongly recommended; nevertheless, it is not strictly required for the attendance of the classes.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students

The teacher will present the most important publications on the topic during the course.

The texts in Greek, accompanied by translation, will be reported and provided during the lessons directly by the teacher,

It is also expected the reading of the following contributions:

- D. Cairns - M. Canevaro - K.Mantzouranis, Aristotle on the causes of civil strife. Subjective Dispositions, Proportional Justice and the “Occasions” of Stasis, "Maia"LXXII 2020, pp. 551-570.

- M.E. De Luna, Dai luoghi alla stasis e viceversa, "RSA", 50, 2020, pp. 7-25

- S. Ferrucci, Democrazia, Roma 2022, pp. 45-96

- M. Giangiulio - E. Franchi, "Costruire le comunità politiche" in M. Giangiulio (a cura di), Introduzione alla storia greca, Bologna: Società Editrice Il Mulino, 2021, pp. 91-100

- M. Knoll, Aristotle on the Demise and Stability of Political System, "Araucaria" (on line) 24, 2022.

- G. Mosconi, Democrazia e buon governo, Milano 2021, capp. 1 e 3. 

 

For the historical background they must read:

- L. Breglia-F. Guizzi-F. Raviola, Storia greca, EdiSES, Napoli 2015 or M. Bettalli, Storia greca, Carocci, Roma 2013, or M. Giangiulio, Introduzione alla storia greca, Bologna 2021;

- and ( F. Muccioli, Storia dell’Ellenismo, Il Mulino, Bologna 2019 (reprint 2020).

Non-attending students will follow the following programme:

1) C. Bearzot, La giustizia nella Grecia antica, Carocci, Roma 2008 (per intero)
2) D. Musti, Demokratía. Origini di un’idea, Bari 1997 (per intero)
3) D. Cairns, M. Canevaro, and K. Mantzouranis, ‘Aristotle on the Causes of Civil Strife. Subjective Dispositions, Proportional Justice and the “Occasions” of Stasis’, Maia. Rivista quadrimestrale di letterature classiche 72/3 (2020), pp. 551–570
4) Curtis N. Johnson, Aristotle’s Method in the Politics, in Id. (ed.), Philosophy and Politics in Aristotle’s Politics, New York 2015, pp. 45-58
5) Id., Why Constitutions Differ: Causation in the Politics, pp. 99-118.
6) M.E. De Luna, 'Le passioni sul campo Riflessioni su staseis e pathe nel libro V della Politica', «POLITICA ANTICA» 11 (2021), pp. 31 - 58
7) M.E. De Luna, 'Dai luoghi alla stasis e viceversa. Considerazioni su un passo di Aristotele', «RIVISTA STORICA DELL'ANTICHITA'» 50 (2020), pp. 7 - 25
8) M. Knoll, 'Aristotle on the Demise and Stability of Political Systems', «Araucaria. Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política, Humanidades y Relaciones Internacionales» 25/49 (2022), pp. 393–412 (on line)
9) M. Simonton, Stability and Violence in Classical Greek, Classical Antiquity 36, 2017, pp. 52– 103.
10) Reading (in Italian translation) and detailed study of: books V e VI Aristotele. Politica, L’ Erma di Bretschneider, Roma 2015
11) Reading and translation from Greek of: Aristotele. Athenaion Politeia (utilizzare una delle edizioni presenti in commercio).

Teaching methods

The course is mainly taught through lectures, with discussions on the sources and the teaching material.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

The exam is oral. The knowledge of the course content will be tested (lectures and suggested texts reading).

If the student achieves a complete vision of the topics discussed in class and required for the discipline, provides an effective critical commentary, shows mastery of expression and of the specific language, both written and oral, he obtains very good or excellence in the evaluation (28-30L).

Average marks (satisfactory-good) will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology or contents (22-27).

An incomplete command of contents and/or inappropriate language and terminology, albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the course material, will lead to a 'pass' mark (18-21).

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology (< 18).

Students enrolled in the course as part of an Integrated Course (I.C.) are required to pass the oral examination of the two parts – Archaic and Classical+Hellenistic History – in the same date (the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts).

 

 

Teaching tools

The sources and the teaching material will be available on Virtuale (the download is required: on the exam day, students have to bring with them the printed copy of the examined sources)

Office hours

See the website of Maria Elena De Luna