00996 - Greek History

Learning outcomes

After completing the course students will achieve a critical awareness in the field of historical knowledge and specifically in the area of Greek History. They are able to use the basic tools for research; also they acquire the critical knowledge of the issues and the most important problems related to Greek history from its origins to the Hellenistic age and reading documents and sources.

Course contents

1. Sources, methods and tools for the study of Greek history.

2. Themes and prominent figures of Greek history through the analysis of selected and translated sources pertaining to the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods.

3. Specific topic: Greek democracies. Reading and commentary of a selection of ancient literary and epigraphic sources.

The program will include the knowledge, acquired through the students' independent study, of the key events in Greek history, from its origins to the first century BC, focusing on the evidence for the reconstruction of these events. The program lastly requires a reading on the institutional, political, social, and cultural aspects of the Archaic, Classical or Hellenistic periods.

Readings/Bibliography

Students are required to study:

1. F. Muccioli, Storia dell'Ellenismo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2019, pp. 23-129, and a handbook chosen between F. Lefèvre, Storia del mondo greco antico, Italian edition by F. Gazzano, Torino, Einaudi, 2012 and M. Bettalli, Storia greca, Roma, Carocci, 2021 (third edition).

2. M. Giangiulio (ed.), Introduzione alla storia greca, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021, chapters XII-XVI, pages 159-222.

3. M. Mari, Città greche di età ellenistica. Un modello unico?, «Rationes rerum» 20 (2022), Scritti in ricordo di Federico Maria Muccioli, pp. 247-269.

4. Selected and translated sources supplied during lectures (cf. virtuale.unibo.it).

Students who will not attend lessons are required to follow the indications given above, nrs. 1-3; they will also study:

4. Reading (in Italian only) and commentary on: Aristotele, Costituzione degli Ateniesi (preferably in the annotated edition by A. Zambrini – T. Gargiulo – P.J. Rhodes, Milano, Mondadori-Valla, 2016);

5. M. Bettalli – S. De Vido, Storia greca. Fonti e interpretazioni, Roma, Carocci, 2022, pp. 61-180;

6. S. Ferrucci, Democrazia, Roma, Inschibboleth, 2022.

Bibliographic resources are available at the DiSCi Library of Ancient History (Bologna, via Zamboni 38).

Teaching methods

The course consists mainly in lectures. During these lectures several sources will be read (in the original language, Greek and Latin, and in Italian translation): students will take part in lessons and practice studying ancient sources and solving related problems.

Assessment methods

Oral examination (in a single exam session) will test the knowledge of the course contents (individual study texts and sources). It will take place in two steps: 1. questions concerning the events of the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods; 2. questions concerning the remaining bibliography indicated above and the ancient sources analysed during the course; for non-attending students, questions concerning ancient Greek history of the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods, on the basis of the handbook, and the remaining bibliography indicated above.

Students who show a mature understanding of the topics covered in class and/or of the bibliography indicated and the ability to use them critically, expounding them correctly and with correct terminology, will be evaluated at the maximum; a mnemonic knowledge of the subject (especially translations of the texts), counterbalanced by general analytical and framing skills, and a correct but not always appropriate language, will lead to a good evaluation; minimal knowledge of the subject, some gaps in content and/or inappropriate language will receive grades that do not exceed sufficiency; serious or extensive gaps in the knowledge of texts and/or bibliography, inappropriate language, inability to correctly frame the topics covered, and no skills in reading and commenting upon the texts do not allow to pass.

Punctuality to the exams is recommended. Please remind that no students are allowed to give exams out of the public lists.

 

Teaching tools

Original sources will be displayed during lectures.

Sources to be read will be supplied online during the course (virtuale.unibo.it).

Office hours

See the website of Manuela Mari