29942 - History of the Ancient Greek Language (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Camillo Neri
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: L-FIL-LET/02
  • Language: Italian

Learning outcomes

Upon a successful completion of the course, the students acquire specific skills in the analysis and interpretation of texts selected from the archaic age to the formation of the so-called 'common language' that then developed into Modern Greek. They improve: a) their ability to recognise the proper historical setting of a Greek text or document; b) their methodological skills to analyse a text from a historical and linguistic point of view and to establish its relations with other texts and cultural products.

Course contents

Special focus course ('corso monografico')

a) Between ἰσότης and ἐλευθερία: forms of democracy in Greek literature from Homer to Christianity.

Core course ('parte istituzionale')

b) General rudiments of History of the Greek Language

Lectures Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 15-17, Room II (20.9.2021-27.10.2021).

Start date: 20.9.2021 (1st semester).

Office Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9-13 (at Dept.).

Links: http://www.unibo.it/docenti/camillo.neri
http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Didattica/Programs/20212022/Neri/

Readings/Bibliography

a) Notes from the lectures. One book (or three articles) in the following list: V.J. Bryce, The American Commonwealth, I-III, London-New York 1888; H. Strasburger, Der Einzelne und die Gemeinschaft im Denken der Griechen, «Historische Zeitschrift» CLXXVII (1954) 227-248; A. Fuks, Social revolution in Greece in the Hellenistic age, «PP» XXI (1966) 437-448; J. Nagai, Polybius' views on peace. Attitudes on peace in the ancient world, «JCS» XV (1967) 52-62; J.N. Théodoracopoulos, La cité grecque, «Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν» XVIII (1967/1968) 49-52; J. Vogt, Die Sklaverei im utopischen Denken der Griechen, «RSA» I (1971) 19-32; G.J.D. Aalders, De demokratische ideologie en de tegenkrachten, «Lampas» VI (1973) 2-15; A. Gramsci, Sul Fascismo, Roma 1973; A. Fuks, Patterns and types of social-economic revolution in Greece from the fourth to the second century B.C., «AncSoc» V (1974) 51-81; A. Gramsci, Scritti politici, I-III, Roma 1978; J.-P. Vernant, Mito e pensiero presso i Greci, trad. it. Torino 19782; D. Lanza, Lingua e discorso nell’Atene delle professioni, Napoli, Liguori, 1979; A. Vamvoukos, Fundamental freedoms in Athens of the fifth century, «RIDA» XXVI (1979) 89-124; G. Crifò, Remarques sur les problèmes de l'égalité et de la liberté à Rome, «Ktèma» VI (1981) 193-206; M. Vegetti (ed.), Il sapere degli antichi, Torino 1985; A. Fouchard, Des citoyens égaux en Grèce ancienne, «DHA» XII (1986) 147-172; G. Sartori, Democrazia e definizioni, Bologna 1987 (4a ed.); D. Papadis, Il concetto di democrazia in Aristotele, «Discorsi» IX (1989) 326-340; M. Ameruoso, L’iter ideologico di Erodoto, «Miscellanea greca e romana» XVI (1991) 85-132; A. de Tocqueville, Scritti, note, discorsi politici, trad. it. a c. di U. Coldagelli, Torino 1994; H. Fränkel, Poesia e filosofia della Grecia arcaica, trad. it. Bologna, Il Mulino, 1997; E. Lévy, Démocratie et aristocratie: commentaire de deux passages de l’Oraison funèbre (Thucydide, II, 37, 1-3 et 40, 1-2), «Lalies» XXII (2003) 147-167; A. Sen, La democrazia degli altri, trad. it. Milano 2004; D. Held, Modelli di democrazia, trad. it. Bologna 2007 (3a ed.); A. de Tocqueville, La democrazia in America, trad. it. a c. di G. Candeloro, Milano 2007; L. Canfora, Democrazia: storia di un’ideologia, Roma-Bari 2008 (3a ed.); M. Detienne, I maestri di verità nella Grecia arcaica, trad. it. Roma-Bari, Laterza, 20084; A. Rémy, Polybe et le πολίτευμα de la Confédération achéenne, «BAGB» I (2008) 101-125; C. Platanakis, Αρχαία πολιτική φιλοσοφία, in G. Karamanolis, Εισαγωγή στην αρχαία φιλοσοφία, Irakleio 2017, 419-447. Further bibliography on the discussed texts will be provided during the lectures.

b) Notes from the lectures. One essay in the following list: O. Hoffmann-A. Debrunner-A. Scherer, Storia della lingua greca, trad. it. Napoli, Macchiaroli, 1969; A. Meillet, Lineamenti di storia della lingua greca, trad. it. Torino, Einaudi, 1981 (2a ed.); L.R. Palmer, Greek Language, London, Faber, 1980; V. Pisani, Storia della lingua greca, Torino, Sei, 1960; L. Heilmann, Grammatica storica della lingua greca, Torino, Sei, 1963; O. Szemerényi, Introduzione alla linguistica indoeuropea, a c. di G. Boccali-V. Brugnatelli-M. Negri, Milano, Unicopli, 1985, F. Villar, Gli indoeuropei e le origini dell'Europa, trad. it. Bologna, il Mulino, 1997; W.P. Lehmann, La linguistica indoeuropea. Storia, problemi e metodi, trad. it. Bologna, il Mulino, 1999; A.C. Cassio (ed.), Storia delle lingue letterarie greche, Firenze, Le Monnier-Mondadori, 2016 (2a ed.).

Students who do not attend the lessons are required to bring the same program as regards the institutional part and to define a personalized program, also in the light of their own interests, for the monographic part.

Teaching methods

After some introductory lectures by the teacher and the specimen analysis of selected texts, the lectures could be carried out by the students themselves as presentations (which will test thus the abilities they have developed through the course); the sessions will have a seminar-like form and meant to be moments of real common research, with the familiarisation and the use of the main philological tools (traditional and data processing).

All the material handed out in the lectures will be available afterwards on line at http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Didattica/Programs/20212022/Neri/

Assessment methods

A first assessment will be carried out to begin with in the individual presentations and in the seminars, where the students will be able auto-assess their learning.
The viva voce examination consists of a conversation in which the teacher, through a series of questions, will test the theoretical knowledge and the theoretical-practical methodologies as explained in the lectures.
The students who will not have given a presentation to the class will be required to carry out a linguistic analysis of some texts in the viva voce.

The maximum grade (30L) requires accurate and complete answers to all questions posed during the oral examination. The exam will be deemed to have been passed (with variable evaluation depending on the quality of the answers) if the candidate has answered in a precise and complete manner to most questions. As for the theoretical knowledge and the translation and exegesis of the texts, the metric is the following: outstanding: 30L; excellent: 28-30; good: 25-27; discrete: 22-24; sufficient: 18-21.

For deeply-rooted didactic conviction, I do not propose links to syllabi of questions, which would inevitably end up impoverishing the general preparation of the students. Since exams take place every fifteen days, students who want to experience the actual performance of an exam can attend - as spectators - the exam sessions, which are public.

Teaching tools


PC, video projector, overhead projector, photocopied handouts.

Links to further information

http://www2.classics.unibo.it/Didattica/Programs/20212022/Neri

Office hours

See the website of Camillo Neri

SDGs

Quality education Gender equality Reduced inequalities Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.