90098 - Greek Language and Literature

Learning outcomes

The couse aims do give the basic knowledges  of Greek Language and literature thanks to the direct analysis of texts and documents. at the end of the course the student acquires the fundamental tools for inserting a text in its historical and cultural context, with special attention to material culture, myth, rituals and institutions, 

Course contents

The course provides an introduction to the principal themes and authors of Greek literature, to the broader context of Greek civilization, and to the basic elements of the Greek language.

Short passages from selected authors will be read and analyzed in the original language during class, with the aim of gradually developing knowledge of linguistic structures (semantic and morpho-syntactic) and of introducing some of the fundamental themes of Greek literary culture (orality and writing; the development of literary genres; textual transmission; reception, adaptation, and rewriting of texts).

A more extensive, monographic focus will be devoted to Homer’s Odyssey and to its literary, artistic, and cinematic reception

Readings/Bibliography

For linguistic and grammatical notions: A. Aloni (a cura di), La lingua dei Greci. Corso propedeutico, nuova edizione, Roma: Carocci, 2014 (4. rist. 2022)

For literary history: A. Rodighiero, S. Mazzoldi, D. Piovan, Civiltà letteraria della Grecia antica, Bologna: Zanichelli, 2025.

The dossier of texts analyzed in class will be made available on the course web site.

For Homer’s Odyssey, to be read in its entirety in Italian translation, students are asked to choose one of the following editions with facing text:

• Odissea, trans. G.A. Privitera, Milan: Mondadori, 2016;

• Odissea, ed. E. Avezzì and M.G. Ciani, Venice: Marsilio, 2018;

• Odissea, ed. D. Ventre, Milan: Ponte alle Grazie, 2023.

For modern rewritings of the Odyssey, students are encouraged to read D. Mendelsohn’s novel An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic (Italian translation: Turin: Einaudi, 2019).

In addition, the reading of at least three of the following literary works is required (specific editions will be indicated during the lectures and made available on the Virtuale platform):

• Pindar, Olympian Odes

• Herodotus, Histories

• Aeschylus, Oresteia

• Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

• Euripides, Medea

• Aristophanes, Lysistrata

• Plato, Symposium

• Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica

• Plutarch, Life of Solon; Life of Pericles

• Lucian, Philosophers for Sale; How to Write History

Non-attending students are required to read M. Vetta (ed.), La civiltà dei Greci. Forms, places and contexts, Rome: Carocci, 2001.

Teaching methods

Lectures will introduce, translate, and comment upon the literary texts included in the syllabus in their original language. The linguistic analysis of the texts will provide an opportunity to deepen the study of the fundamental elements of the Greek language from lexical, phonetic, and morphological perspectives.

Classes will be accompanied by screenings of films, television series, and theatrical performances related to the Odyssey.

The course will be preceded by a beginner’s Greek language tutorial, delivered in blended format, starting in September (the schedule and dates will be available on the instructor’s website). The tutorial will enable students to acquire the basic linguistic skills required for the course.

Assessment methods

Oral examination that will consist of reading and translation from the original of the texts in the program, a starting point for in-depth linguistic and historical-literary studies.
Assessment will adhere to the following criteria:
- negative evaluation: the student demonstrates inadequate preparation. Is unable to understand in the original language and contextualize the texts in the program.
- Sufficient assessment: the student demonstrates acceptable preparation. Is able to understand and contextualize the texts in the program (score between 18/30 and 23/30);
- positive assessment: the student demonstrates good preparation in both linguistic and semantic understanding of the texts in the syllabus and knows the fundamental themes and main authors of Greek literature (score between 24/30 and 27/30);
- excellent assessment: the student demonstrates excellent preparation in all parts of the test and possesses significant critical processing skills of the topics covered (score between 28/30 and 30/30).

Teaching tools

Texts, critical essays, handouts and other supporting tools will be available on the course website along with tutorials for acquiring basic Greek language skills.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Iannucci