B1643 - History of Classical Philology (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will know the historical development of classical philological studies; s/he will know how to reconstruct the main theoretical and methodological junctions in the history of the discipline; s/he will know the most significant scholars in relation to their historical and cultural context.

Course contents

a) The course will trace the main stages in the history of the Classical tradition in the Western world, examining the transmission of ancient texts and the history of their material supports in relation to the reception of Greek and Latin authors, from the work of the Alexandrian philologists to the present day.

b) The course will also examine the early stages in the collection, dissemination, editing, and preservation of the writings of the founders of the major philosophical schools of antiquity, with particular attention to Plato's Academy, Aristotle's Peripatos, and Epicurus' Garden (Kepos).

Readings/Bibliography

1. For attending students, the primary basis for examination preparation will consist of lecture notes and the teaching materials made available online.

The primary texts discussed during the course will be provided by the instructor.

3. Students are required to be familiar with Storia della filologia classica, edited by Diego Lanza and Gherardo Ugolini (Rome: Carocci, 2020).

4. Students are required to study, in greater depth, three of the following essays:

Aronadio, F., Dialoghi spuri di Platone, Torino, UTET, 2008, pp. 1–31.

Canfora, L., «Aristotele "fondatore" della Biblioteca di Alessandria», Quaderni di Storia, 50, 1999, pp. 11–21.

Canfora, L., Lezioni di filologia classica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023, pp. 29–40.

Carlini, A., «Fonti manoscritte primarie del testo platonico dall'antichità al Rinascimento (Tetralogie I–II)», Studia Graeco-Arabica, 4, 2014, pp. 221–263. (spec. pp. 221-228).

Dorandi, T., «‘Editori’ antichi di Platone», Antiquorum Philosophia, 4, 2010, pp. 161–174.

Dorandi, T., Et in aliena castra. Dieci contributi di un filologo alla storia del pensiero antico, Berlin–Boston, De Gruyter, 2024. Si possono scegliere uno o più capitoli tra i capp. 7, 8 e 10.

Hatzimichali, M., «Andronicus of Rhodes and the Construction of the Aristotelian Corpus», in A. Falcon (ed.), Brill's Companion to the Reception of Aristotle in Antiquity, Leiden–Boston, Brill, 2016, pp. 81–110.

Lucarini, C. M., «Osservazioni sulla prima circolazione delle opere di Platone e sulle Trilogiae di Aristofane di Bisanzio (D. L. 3, 56–66)», Hyperboreus, 17, 2011, pp. 346–361.

Moraux, P., L'aristotelismo presso i Greci, vol. I, La rinascita dell'aristotelismo nel I secolo a.C., trad. it. Milano, Vita e Pensiero, 2000. È possibile scegliere i capp. 1–2 (da leggere congiuntamente) oppure il cap. 3.

Pasquali, G., Storia della tradizione e critica del testo, nuova ed., Firenze, Le Lettere, 1988, pp. 247–269.

Puglia E., Demetrio Lacone. Aporie testuali ed esegetiche in Epicuro, Napoli, Bibliopolis, 1988, pp. 49–104.

Non-attending students are required to prepare the same programme as attending students. In addition, they are required to study three additional essays selected from the list under point 4, for a total of six essays.

Teaching methods

Lectures in class; seminars and discussion of the texts analysed in class.

Assessment methods

The exam is oral and consists of an interview in which the instructor, through a series of questions, will assess the student’s knowledge of the topics covered in class and of the assigned critical readings.

Grades range from 18 to 30 with honors (cum laude), based on the level of confidence, accuracy, depth, and rigor demonstrated in the student's understanding of ancient Greek and Latin literary production in general, and in particular of the tradition of the Golden Age myth and the myth of Prometheus.

The grading scale is as follows:

30 with honors – excellent knowledge in all areas; 28–30 – very good knowledge and skills; 25–27 – overall good performance, with minor uncertainties; 22–24 – fair level, with some gaps; 18–21 – sufficient, but with significant deficiencies.

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

PC, projector, slides.

Office hours

See the website of Margherita Erbì