29685 - Greek Historiography (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have specific scientific research training in the field of Greek historiography of the Classical and Hellenistic age. They will know the essential features of ancient historiography and, in particular, those of the Greek one over the Classical and Hellenistic age. They will know and will be able to use research methods and tools. They will be able to have oral presentations by using proper registers and techniques; they will be able to critically evaluate different cultures. They will be able to update their knowledge through the tools developed by the scientific community.

Course contents

 

'Submerged' historiography: working on the Fragments of the Greek Historians

   The lessons focus on a topic of great resonance in the field of historiographical research on the Greek and Roman world: fragmentary historiography. In particular, studies on the Fragments of Greek Historians are now numerous and, through specific cases, illustrate themes and methods of investigation belonging to brief and complex texts which, extrapolated from their original context, reappear in other better-preserved works, offering original and problematic elements of knowledge.
Since working on excerpta requires the application of a methodology that is polished “on the ground”, the course aims to combine theoretical guidelines with complementary, concrete and constant work on the sources in question. A brief introduction to the structure of Felix Jacoby's (1876-1959) project, Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, will be followed by a commented reading of 'fragments' from works by local historians of the Hellenistic period. The tools and methods that enable their analysis will therefore be explained and, at the same time, local historiography will be investigated as a literary genre in which historical events, anecdotal literature, myths and rituals integrate or are juxtaposed.
Particular attention will be paid to quotation practices and the multiple levels of meaning that result from the study of each excerptum in the context of its source. The final part of the course will describe the main national and international projects currently underway, aimed at a new edition or first publication of the fragments of Greek historians.

Knowledge of the Greek language is indispensable: texts will always be accompanied by translation, but explanations will often focus on lexical elements and nuances of meaning that can be fully appreciated through knowledge of Greek

Attendance is required for at least 75% of the lessons in order to be able to sustain the examination with the program for attending students

Readings/Bibliography

 

Attending students will study

- M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Carocci, Roma 2009 (second edition): only the parts indicated by the teacher in class

Full reading of:
M.E. De Luna – T. Dorandi (a cura di), Momenti di storiografia erudita tra Ellenismo e Roma imperiale, Milano 2022

Reading of five of the following contributions:

1. M. Broggiato, “Beyond the Canon: Hellenistic Scholars and Their Texts”, in Giulio Colesanti – Manuela Giordano (eds.), Submerged Literature in Ancient Greek Culture. An Introduction, Berlin-Boston 2014, 46-60.
2. M. Beck, “Plutarch’s hypomnemata”, in M. Horster – Chr. Reitz (hrsg.), Condensing Texts -Condensed Texts, Stuttgart 2010, 349-67.
3. M. Chambers, “La vita e la carriera di F. Jacoby”, in C. Ampolo (a cura di), Aspetti dell’opera di F. Jacoby, Pisa 2002, 5-29.
4. V. Costa, Arpocrazione trasmissore di Filocoro, in E. Lanzillotta - V. Costa - G. Ottone (a cura di), Tradizione e Trasmissione degli storici greci frammentari. In ricordo di Silvio Accame, Tivoli 2008, 235-248.
5. V. Costa, “Su un frammento di Filocoro di difficile interpretazione”, RARE 18 (2021), 99-114.
6. G. Cuniberti, “Hypomnemata di generali e di re. Gli scritti “storici” di Arato di Sicione e dei Tolemei”, in V. Costa (a cura di), Tradizione e Trasmissione degli storici greci frammentari II, Tivoli 2013, 305-333.
7. M.E. De Luna, “Il mito di Callisto. Tradizione e storia locale”, in E. Lanzillotta - V. Costa - G. Ottone (a cura di), Tradizione e Trasmissione degli storici greci frammentari. In ricordo di Silvio Accame, Tivoli 2008, 617-632.

8. F. Muccioli, “Timagene, un erudito tra Alessandria e Roma”, in in V. Costa (a cura di),Tradizione e Trasmissione degli storici greci frammentari II, Tivoli 2013, 365-388.
9. L. Porciani, “Il problema della storia locale”, in C. Ampolo (a cura di), Aspetti dell’opera di F. Jacoby, Pisa 2002, 173-184.
10. G. Schepens, “L’idéal de l'information complète chez les historiens grecs”, REG 88 (1975), 81-93.
11. M. Sonnino, “Sovrapposizioni interpretative e decontestualizzazione di testi frammentari: Euripide Cresfonte fr. 453 Kann. in Timeo, Polibio, Stobeo e Costantino VII Porfirogenito”, in G. Ottone, Historiai para doxan. Documenti greci in frammenti: nuove prospettive esegetiche, Tivoli 2017, 37-68.

Sources will be provided by the teacher with translation;

 

Since the topic requires classroom training, it was decided to assign Non-attending students a thematically different programme: "Traditions, memory and cultural identity in Greek historiography"

– M. Bettalli (ed.), Introduzione alla storiografia greca, Carocci, Roma 2009 (Integral Reading) or Cinzia Bearzot, Storiografia greca. Un'introduzione, Bologna, Il Mulino 2022 (Integral Reading)

– L. Foxhall - H.-J. Gehrke - N. Luraghi (Eds.), Intentional History. Spinning Time in Ancient Greece, Stuttgart 2010 (Integral Reading)

With the following papers:

1. M. Bettalli, "Erodoto e la battaglia di Platea. Tradizioni epicoriche e strategie narrative", in M. Giangiulio, Erodoto e il ‘modello’ erodoteo. Formazione e trasmissione delle tradizioni storiche in Grecia, Trento 2005, 215-246.
2. M.E De Luna, La comunicazione linguistica fra alloglotti nel mondo greco, Pisa 2003 (i capitoli su Erodoto e Tucidide)
3. M.E. De Luna, Arkadika. Testimonianze e Frammenti, Tivoli 2017, 83-149; 203-210; 217-236
4. M.E. De Luna, Due frammenti “di seconda mano” nel libro IX di Pausania, QUCC 1, 2018, 65-75.
5. E. Franchi, "Conflitto e memoria ad Argo arcaica: le tradizioni cittadine intorno a Telesilla", in E. Franchi - G. Proietti (cur.), Forme della memoria e dinamiche identitarie nell’antichità greco-romana, Trento 2012, 207-227.
6. G. Proietti, La memoria delle Guerre Persiane in età imperiale. Il classicismo di Erode Attico e la 'stele dei Maratonomachi', ASAA 90 s. III, 12, 2012, 97-117.

7. F. Muccioli, La storia attraverso gli esempi. Protagonisti e interpretazioni del mondo greco in Plutarco, Mimesis, Milano-Udine 2012, 131-178.
8. F. Muccioli, "The Ambivalent Model: Alexander in the Greek World between Politics and Literature (1st Century BC/ beg. 1st Century AD)", in K.R. Moore (ed.), Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Alexander the Great, Brill, Leiden 2018, pp. 275-303.
9. R. Thomas, Local history, polis history and the politics of place, in G. Parmeggiani, Between Thucydides and Polybius: the Golden Age of Greek Historiography, Washington 2014, pp. 239-262

– Greek translation of the entire Books I and II of Herodotus

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.

There are eleven exam sessions during the academic year: the first six, one per month, from January to June; the seventh in September/October; the eighth in December; and the last three, one per month, from January to March. There are no exam sessions outside of those indicated well in advance on AlmaEsami.

The final exam is oral and develops through the knowledge assessment of the handbook firstly, and of the monograph secondly – the latter through questions about both the lectures topics and the textbooks. Also, the Greek original texts knowledge will be examined

If the student achieves a complete and detailed 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, he obtains excellence in the evaluation (28-30L).

Those students who demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the main topics of the subject, basic analytical ability and ability to synthesize, and a correct command of the language, will be given a good mark (25-27).

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic (and/or non-exhaustive) knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a satisfactory mark (22-24).

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with 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 with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample
time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

PDF documents and research material from specialised websites will be provided

Office hours

See the website of Maria Elena De Luna