30109 - Greek Institutions (1) (LM)

Course contents

1. Sources and tools for the study of Greek institutions (lectures 1–2).

2. The Greeks and water: a normative–institutional approach

Training in the analysis of institutional themes will be conducted through:

• the reading and analysis of selected inscriptions concerning Greek norms and institutions related to the management of water resources (lectures 3–13);
• a collaborative exercise involving the reading and in-depth study of an epigraphic source relevant to the understanding of the institutions of Hellenistic cities, assigned to students and presented by them during the course (lectures 14–15).

The detailed list of inscriptions and sources will be presented during the course and made available in the online materials (cf. virtuale.unibo.it).

 

Students are reminded that, if not already acquired, knowledge of Greek—understood as the ability to comprehend a text with the aid of a dictionary, or at least to understand its correspondence with the translations provided—must be attained by the time of the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students are required to prepare:

1. J. Ma, Polis. A New History of the Ancient Greek City-State from the Early Iron Age to the End of Antiquity, Princeton–Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2024. In particular, students are required to read: chapter 1 (pp. 3–19), chapters 4–5 (pp. 75–127), and chapters 8–10 (pp. 179–257). As the portion of the text exceeds what may legally be reproduced, a PDF of the relevant sections will not be provided. The book—moderately priced and still available for purchase—is available at the Library of the Section of Ancient History, Department of History, Cultures, and Civilizations (Bologna, via Zamboni 38).

2. M. P. J. Dillon, The Importance of the Water Supply at Athens: The Role of the ἐπιμελητὴς τῶν κρηνῶν, «Hermes» 124/2 (1996), pp. 192–204 [accessible through the university network at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4477137].

3. R. Fabiani, La concia delle pelli e le acque dell'Ilisso: osservazioni su un documento normativo a carattere religioso (IG I³ 257), «ὅρμος. Ricerche di Storia Antica» 10 (2018), pp. 371–406 [freely accessible at: https://www.unipa.it/biblioteche/collezioni/progetti-editoriali/hormos/.content/documenti/14_Roberta_Fabiani_Hormos_10_2018.pdf].

4. M. Mari, Città vecchie e nuove, in M. Mari (ed.), L'età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Rome: Carocci, 2019, chapter 7, pp. 173–210.

5. Sources read and analyzed during the lectures (cf. virtuale.unibo.it).

 

Students who are unable to attend the lectures are required to prepare:

1. J. Ma, Polis. A New History of the Ancient Greek City-State from the Early Iron Age to the End of Antiquity, Princeton–Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2024. In particular, students are required to read: chapter 1 (pp. 3–19), chapters 4–5 (pp. 75–127), chapters 8–10 (pp. 179–257), as well as the introduction to Part VI and chapters 15–19 (pp. 403–538). As the portion of the text exceeds what may legally be reproduced, a PDF of the relevant sections will not be provided. The book—moderately priced and still available for purchase—is available at the Library of the Section of Ancient History, Department of History, Cultures, and Civilizations (Bologna, via Zamboni 38).

2. R. Fabiani, La concia delle pelli e le acque dell'Ilisso: osservazioni su un documento normativo a carattere religioso (IG I³ 257), «ὅρμος. Ricerche di Storia Antica» 10 (2018), pp. 371–406 [freely accessible at: https://www.unipa.it/biblioteche/collezioni/progetti-editoriali/hormos/.content/documenti/14_Roberta_Fabiani_Hormos_10_2018.pdf].

3. M. Mari, Città vecchie e nuove, in M. Mari (ed.), L'età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Rome: Carocci, 2019, chapter 7, pp. 173–210. This must be supplemented by the reading of: M. Mari, Quando il mondo parlava greco, in M. Mari (ed.), L'età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Rome: Carocci, 2019, chapter 1, pp. 15–45.

4. Reading of the Greek text, translation, and commentary of: C. Antonetti, S. De Vido (eds.), Iscrizioni greche. Un’antologia, Rome: Carocci, 2017, text and commentary of inscriptions nos. 51–54, 57, 60–65, and 67–71 (sixteen inscriptions in total).

Teaching methods

The course will be conducted in a seminar format, with the active participation of students and including practical training, through an exercise in discussion based on an ancient epigraphic source—preferably related to topics addressed in class—aimed at identifying institutional issues and realities and at analyzing them.

Students who have never studied Greek or its alphabet are strongly encouraged to begin learning them immediately; this knowledge will be reinforced during the course through the reading of inscriptions.

Assessment methods

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

 

The oral examination will consist in the assessment of the knowledge required by the course (textbooks and topics addressed during the lectures, including the reading of selected inscriptions). It will be conducted in two stages:

1. At least two questions concerning the modern bibliography (cf. above, Texts/Bibliography);

2. Attending students will then be required to read, translate, and comment on one or two of the Greek inscriptions examined during the course and to answer a question on the topics discussed in class (N.B. Non-attending students will instead be required to read, translate, and comment on one or two Greek inscriptions taken from C. Antonetti, S. De Vido (eds.), Iscrizioni greche. Un’antologia, Rome: Carocci, 2017, as indicated above in the Texts/Bibliography section).

 

During the academic year, eleven examination sessions are scheduled: the first six, one per month, from January to June; the seventh in September/October; the eighth in December; and the final three, one per month, from January to March.

 

Particular emphasis will be placed on:

• the acquisition of the basic knowledge of the discipline;
  
• a critical approach to ancient sources and to the interpretations of modern historiography;
  
• the ability to present arguments orally, in particular the capacity for synthesis and logical organization of arguments, as well as mastery of appropriate terminology.

A student’s achievement of a coherent and comprehensive understanding of the topics addressed during the course and of the knowledge required by the discipline, combined with their critical application, as well as a high level of expressive competence and command of specialized language, will be evaluated with very good or excellent grades.

An incomplete or merely rote knowledge of the subject matter, together with an ability to synthesize and analyze using correct but not always appropriate language, will result in satisfactory or good evaluations.

Significant gaps in preparation and/or inappropriate language, even in the presence of minimal knowledge of the examination material, will lead to grades that do not exceed the minimum passing mark.

 

Students enrolled in the course as part of an Integrated Course (I.C.) must pass the oral examination of both parts – Greek Epigraphy (1) (LM) and Greek Institutions (1) (LM) – on the same day (the final grade will be the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts).

Teaching tools

he sources, course materials, and related texts will be made available online (cf. virtuale.unibo.it).

Introductory courses in Ancient Greek literacy are offered by the FICLIT; see https://corsi.unibo.it/laurea/lettere/greco-zero-alfabetizzazione-al-greco-antico.

Students who, due to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD), require compensatory or dispensatory measures must first contact the relevant university office: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti.

Office hours

See the website of Emilio Rosamilia