27276 - Laboratory (1) (G.D)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the seminar, the student has a basic critical understanding for addressing linguistic, philological, literary, historical, and/or artistic topics and issues, and is able to process and apply this knowledge.

Course contents

The laboratory will be divided into two parts. The first part will offer a general introduction to the Greek language of the medieval period, providing an overview of its historical development from classical Greek. The main phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical features of medieval Greek will be illustrated, along with the phenomena of diglossia, multilingualism, and multistylistic features typical of Byzantine literary civilization.

In the second part, students will examine representative texts of Byzantine literary language, both in verse and prose. Through practical translation exercises, they will learn to use essential tools for studying medieval Greek, such as grammars, lexica, and databases, developing advanced skills in understanding and interpreting Byzantine literary texts.

Readings/Bibliography

• G. Horrocks, “Lingua alta e lingua popolare”, in Lo spazio letterario del Medioevo, III: Le culture circostanti, dir. M. Capaldo [et al.], 1: La cultura bizantina, a cura di G. Cavallo, Roma 2004, pp. 457-490.
• M. Hinterberger, “Language”, in The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Literature, ed. by S. Papaioannou, Oxford 2021, pp. 21-43.
• A. Rollo, “‘Greco bizantino’ e ‘greco medievale’”, in AION. Annali del Dipartimento di Studi del Mondo Classico e del Mediterraneo Antico. Sezione linguistica 30 (2008), pp. 429-473.
• N. Toufexis, "Diglossia and Register Variation in Medieval Greek", Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 32/2 (2008), pp. 203-217.

Original texts to be translated, analyzed, and commented on in class will be provided by the professor during the lessons and are also part of the exam bibliography.

Non-attending Students

As this is a laboratory, attendance is mandatory in order to take the final exam.

Teaching methods

The teaching method adopted consists of two distinct phases. In the first phase, a lecture-based approach will be used, with classes taught by the professor. In the second phase, students will be invited to work independently or in groups on the translation of assigned texts. Each class will conclude with a collective correction session, during which the completed work will be discussed and revised.

Assessment methods

Learning will be assessed during exercises and then with a final test.

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

During the laboratory, texts for translation, grammars, and the main lexica of classical, Christian, and medieval Greek will be made available in paper or digital format. Bibliographic material and teaching support can be downloaded from the course page on the platform https://virtuale.unibo.it/ .

Office hours

See the website of Luigi D'Amelia