- Docente: Francesco Citti
- Credits: 6
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Humanities (cod. 8850)
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from Sep 16, 2025 to Dec 16, 2025
Learning outcomes
At the end of the seminar (activity closely related to the objectives of the degree course) the student acquires specific skills and notions to deal with linguistic, philological, historical and literary issues and problems.
Course contents
Tradition and reception of Latin classics
In recent years, studies on classical reception, on the “fortune” of classical authors and their works, not only in the literary field but also in the iconographic and performative fields, have multiplied. In this seminar, through the examination of some authors (in particular Lucretius, Horace, Seneca), we aim to explore some of the many paths of reception. We will consider aspects relating to theatrical rewritings (e.g. of Seneca's Oedipus plays), literary, philosophical and iconographic rewritings (with a focus on particular forms, such as the collections of Emblemata, proverbial texts accompanied by illustrations) and also the reinvention of particular moments in the biographies of these authors (think of Lucretius's Vite letterarie e immaginarie, or the representations of Seneca's death).
The texts will be examined in Italian translation.
COURSE CONTENTS
1. Seneca: the biographical myth and the rewritings of Oedipus.
2. Horace: two examples of rewritings, from the Odes and the Epistles.
3. Lucretius: from humanistic rediscovery to the contemporary world.
NB: as part of the seminar, a visit will be organised to the exhibition Per Imagines. Latin classics and artist's books from Dürer to Picasso, held at the Medieval Museum in Bologna, which can also be viewed online at https://exhibits.ficlit.unibo.it/s/per-imagines/page/introduzione.
TIMETABLE: Tuesday, 16 September - 16 December, CLASSROOM 1, Piazza A. Scaravilli 1-2.
REGISTRATION: no formal registration is required, but to avoid logistical problems with the classrooms, I invite anyone interested in attending the seminar to contact me in advance by email.
Readings/Bibliography
- Lecture notes. The texts examined in class will be projected in the classroom and made available among the online teaching materials.
- Students are required to study one author in depth (Lucretius, Horace, Seneca) and at least two texts/rewritings consistent with the author, from among those made available in the materials.
- N.B. Latin texts do not need to be read in the original, but in Italian translation.
- At least one critical essay from among those indicated and made available in the teaching materials (on the Virtual Platform)
Teaching methods
The seminar will be organised as a series of workshops, with the participation of others teachers. Attendance is mandatory.
Assessment methods
The principal means of evaluation will be attendance and participation. In a viva voce examination the student will be asked to discuss some themes and texts analysed during the lessons in order to verify both his competencies and critical analysis.
Serious faults in the capacity of critical reflexion and in the knowledge of the lexicon studied (and on morphology as well) will be cause of non suitability.
Examination will deal with themes and texts analysed during the lessons; through the readings it is also required an in-depht analysis about at least one technical field.Teaching tools
Handout will be upload on the online teaching materials
Office hours
See the website of Francesco Citti