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

Course contents

Analysis of the following theme:

Which democracies? Which oligarchies? Theoretical analyses and concrete cases of diverse constitutions

At a time like the present, when the democratic model has largely deteriorated, it is useful and appropriate to return to Greece in order to restore the sense of connection between logos and pragma, between verbalised concepts and specific realities. The course aims to present democratic models, but also oligarchic forms, both in terms of their theoretical presentation and in relation to concrete cases that have been attested over time in the poleis or that have alternated within the same polis. Of course, talking about democracy and oligarchies, in the more or less accentuated nuances in which “democracies” and “oligarchies” must be examined, involves discussing the citizen, his definitions and his roles; of the legislator and the politician acting in the community; of the alternatives, concrete though rare or ideal, to the aforementioned constitutions which remain – even in the best of cases – imperfect. A captivating theme that not only combines history with political science, but also brings the past into interaction with a present which has become dystopian.

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

A) Required reading:

D. Musti, Demokratía. Origini di un'idea, Rome-Bari 1995

B) Required reading of one of the following texts (available in the Ancient History library):

- A. Duplouy, Construire la cité : essai de sociologie historique sur les communautés de l’archaïsme grec, Paris 2019

- S. Ferrucci, La democrazia diseguale : riflessioni sull'Athenaion politeia dello pseudo-Senofonte, 1. 1-9, Pisa 2013

- M Giangiulio, Democrazie greche : Atene, Sicilia, Magna Grecia, Rome 2015

- G. Mosconi, Democracy and Good Government: Five Democratic Theses in 5th Century BC Greece, Milan 2021

C) Finally, students are required to read two of the following contributions:

- M.E. De Luna, C. Zizza, Introduction. Aristotle, Politics. Books V-VI, Rome 2016, pp. 7-19

- M. Faraguna, Individual, State, Community. Recent Studies on the Polis, “Dike” 3 (2000), 217-229

- M. Faraguna, Lexicon and Political Arguments in the Writings of the “Old Oligarch”, in C. Bearzot-F. Landucci-L. Prandi (eds.), The Athenaion Politeia Revisited. The Point on Pseudo-Xenophon, Milan 2011, pp. 73-97.

- M. Knoll, “The Significance of Deep Disagreements on Justice, Values, and Morals for Political Epistemology”, in: Public Reason, vol. 15/2 and 16/1, 2023/24, pp. 36–53 (online)

All sources will be provided by the professor during class.

The professor will provide further bibliographical indications during the course, examining the contents. These and the sources read and analysed in the classroom will be the main subject of the final examination. Attendance of the lectures is therefore considered obligatory if one wishes to take the examination as an attending student. Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

Non-attending students:

-Full reading of the book in point A) is required

-Complete reading of three books in point B)

-Complete reading of all essays in point C)

-Reading of the following sources in Italian: Aristotle, Politics, Books III and V; Pseudo-Xenophon, Athenaion Politeia

 

 

 

Teaching methods

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

Assessment methods

   

There are eleven exam sessions scheduled during the academic year: the first six, one per month, from January to June; the seventh in September/October; the eighth in December; the last three, one per month, from January to March. No exam sessions are planned outside of those indicated, always with sufficient advance notice, on AlmaEsami.

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).

 

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

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