06316 - Latin Epigraphy

Academic Year 2023/2024

  • Docente: Tommaso Gnoli
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: L-ANT/03
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in History, preservation and enhancement of artistic and archaeological heritage and landscape (cod. 9218)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at transmitting accurate notions about the morphology and the Language of Latin inscriptions. The student is able to face any question concerning the publication, the study and the conservation of Latin inscriptions.


Course contents

This is a six-month course, and it will take place during the second semester.

The class is focused on juristic epigraphy of Republican and Early imperial Rome. Given the content, an excellent knowledge of the entire Roman history program and an advanced knowledge of Latin and its linguistic evolution are assumed.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Alfredo Buonopane, Manuale di epigrafia latina, Carocci editore, Roma 2009

2. Texts and materials distributed during the lessons.

Lex Cornelia de XX quaestoribus

- Lex coloniae Genetiuae Iuliae

- Lex de imperio Vespasiani

No. 14, 25, 39 dei Roman Statutes

M. H. Crawford (Ed.), Roman Statutes I-II (Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies Suppl. 64), London: Institute of Classical Studies – School for Advanced Studies 1996, pp. 293-301; 393-454; 549-555.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons

Assessment methods

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

Assessment will be carried out, through an oral exam, aimed at testing if students can demonstrate:

  • Knowledge of the development of Roman history, from the origins to the Late Antiquity and the institutional aspects of the Roman world;
  • Knowledge of the methodology of analysis of ancient sources and documentation also based on the interpretations of modern bibliography;
  • the ability to use such knowledge to critically identify events, problems and themes of Roman history, also in the light of the materials developed in class and/or self-prepared readings;
  • capacity of oral expression.

Grading criteria:

 

Excellent / very good:

  • comprehensive and analytical exposition of historical events and institutional issues in all three responses;
  • specific and critical recall to the sources behind the reconstruction and the main issues of the scientific debate;
  • synthetic organic vision of transversal themes;
  • expressive and specific language skills.

Good / satisfactory:

  • concise description and synthetic commentary on the events and themes proposed in all three responses;
  • constant reference to sources and to scientific debate, even if in essence;
  • awareness of the cross-cutting development lines; correct language, even if not always appropriate.

Sufficient:

  • basic illustration of the exam material with some circumscribed gap or error in only one of the questions;
  • critical analysis of sources only at the examiner's solicitude;
  • uncertainty in the reference framework or in evaluating historical development lines or insecurity in correctly explaining transversal themes;
  • correct but partially inappropriate language.

Fail:

  • Lacks in knowledge of events and lines of historical development in more than one question;
  • lack of critical analysis of sources, gaps in the analysis of sources and poor awareness of analytical methods;
  • poor orientation within the overall reference framework and limited ability to describe and explain cross-themes and issues;
  • inappropriate or incorrect language.

Teaching tools

The course will be organized in frontal lessons held by the teacher himself. He will sometimes make use of an overhead-projector, computer presentations and photocopies of the texts. All these materials can be found at the end of the course also on-line on the web-page of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Tommaso Gnoli

SDGs

Quality education Reduced inequalities

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.