28278 - Hellenistic History (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2021/2022

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to know in a deeply way the Hellenistic history. (S)he will know the most up-to-date tendencies of scholarship and will be able to approach the main problems concerning the historical development of Greek world from the death of Alexander the Great onwards, with special attention to the intercultural relations. (S) he will able to use different sources.

Course contents

Students who want to attend the course must have already a minimal knowledge of Greek history, namely the Hellenistic period. In case they do not have such experience, they must be prepared to get it during the course. the ancient texts will be read in the original  language and translated into Italian, and this means tha, although not compulsory, the knowledge of Greek and Latin is a useful requirement.

The content of the course will be:

1. Introduction: general history of the period and of the studies on it. Sources; interdisciplinary and plutidisciplinary aspects of hellenistic history.

2)Egypt between IV and III BC: the birth of a Greek kingdom (323-259 BC)

Readings/Bibliography

The texts and the related bibliography will be shown during the course in the lessons and they will be available on virtuale.unibo.it. 

Student who have never studied  the Hellenistic period of Greek History , should read and study as a preliminary tool in order to attend better the classes,one of the following books:

A. Chaniotis, Età di conquiste. Il mondo greco da Alessandro ad Adriano, Hoepli, Milano 2019;

F. Muccioli, Storia dell’Ellenismo, il Mulino, Bologna 2019.

Students who do not attend all the lessons, or part of them, must prepare one of these volumes:

S. E. Alcock, Graecia Capta. Politica, economia e società nel paesaggio dell'Ellade romana, ECIG 1999;

J.D. Grainger, Seleukos Nikator, ECIG 1993;

M. Sartre, L'Anatolie hellénistique de l'Égée au Caucase, Armand Colin, 2004 (2ème édition)

P. Thonemann, The Hellenistic World. Using Coins as Sources, Cambridge University Press 2015,

and they are expected also to write a paper on a subject approved by the teacher.

Teaching methods

Students are invited to discuss and to take part in the lessons, both for the general introduction and the analysis of the texts. There will be a training in finding the literary and documentary sources related to the problem discussed in the course, as well in collecting the modern bibliography and in using the digital tools avaiiable for hellenistic history. A basic knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin is recommended but not compulsory. Students who have never studied Greek can apply to the Dept. of Classics for the admission to the elementary course of this language which usually start in October.

Assessment methods

According to the Course Council deliberation, students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

To give the exam students have to write a short paper on a subject related to the texts discussed during the course. The paper must be presented 7 days before the oral exam.This paper will be challenged during the exam, The exam is oral. All students will be asked at least 3 questions, one on the reading book and 2 on the texts and issues dealt at classes.

Exam is passed if pupils answer correctly and in a proper way. Outstanding knowledge of both the handbook and the texts is evaluated at the maximum; good knowledge and ability in the analysis of the texta, but more mnemonic can earn a good evaluation; a knowledge with some mistakes and misundertandings in the texts are sufficient to pass, serious lacunae in the knowledge of the handbook and no skills in the reading and interpretations of the texts do not allow to pass.

There are at least 7 possibilities per year to give the exam; the dates are published twice, normally in November for the first 5, and March-April for the last 2. All students must be listed on Almaesami and no students are allowed to give exams out of the public lists.

For the course of Greek History (Archaic and Classical+Hellenistic History) the final score will be assigned by the two teachers together, after considering the evaluations in both parts.

All students must be present at the call of the examination, normally at 9.30 of the examination day.

Please check in advance if your administrative position is regular, otherwise you will not be admitted to the exam.

IMPORTANT: This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course “XXX (C.I.) (LM)". If the student has chosen the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the exam must be taken in the same day, and the single, final mark is given by the two teachers, according to the assessment of both proofs.

Teaching tools

All texts commented and discussed with the students during the course will be available on www.IOL.unibo.it, and all texts will be shown in the critical edition and, if necessary, on a digital image.

Office hours

See the website of Lucia Criscuolo