13350 - Ancient Greek Institutions

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course unit students will have in-depth knowledge of some of the main Greek public and private institutions and will be able to analyze them through a critical reading and interpretation of literary, documentary, material and iconographic sources. Students will be able to recognize how institutions changed and adapted to the different social, political and historical contexts. They will be able to discuss and communicate contents and themes of the subject using appropriate technical terminology.

Course contents

This course unit studies how Greek institutions and culture spread in Egypt after the conquest of Alexander the Great and the establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty (ca. 332-30 BCE). Through the analysis of literary and archaeological sources, including papyri and inscriptions, we will address issues of ancient colonialism, and political and cultural interactions between different Mediterranean people in the period under consideration.

Some lectures will be dedicated to the critical study of the formation of Egyptian collections of the Graeco-Roman period in Italy during the modern colonial age, and how they are presented to the public especially in museums.

 

Readings/Bibliography

All students must read and study the following:

1. Lectures notes and materials;

2. A. Bowman, L’Egitto dopo i faraoni, Firenze: Giunti Editore 1986 (English version freely available also through Google books)

3. One chapter/article from the following list:

• O. Montevecchi, 'Problemi di un'epoca di transizione: la grecità d'Egitto tra I a.C. e I d.C.', in: Scripta Selecta, Milano: Edizioni Vita e Pensiero 1998, 391-400
  
• R.K. Ritner, 'Implicit Models of Cross-Cultural Interaction: A Question of Noses, Soap, and Prejudice' in: J.H. Johnson (ed.), Life in a Multicultural Society: Egypt from Cambyses to Constantine and Beyond, Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago 1992, 283-290.
• R.S. Bagnall, 'Decolonizing Ptolemaic Egypt', in: P. Cartledge, P. Garnsey, E.S. Gruen (eds), Hellenistic constructs: essays in culture, history, and historiography, Berkeley: University of California Press 1997, 225-242.
  
• D.E. Mccoskey, 'Race Before Whiteness: Studying Identity in Ptolemaic Egypt', Critical Sociology, 28 (2002), 13-39.
  
  
  Further instructions on bibliography, readings and sources will be provided in lectures.
  
  Students who are not attending lectures and seminars must contact the professor at least one month ahead of the examination to agree on supplementary readings and sources.

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars in class with the use of Powerpoint presentations and other materials, which will be made available online in pdf format. Active participation to discussions in class is required: time will be dedicated to the analysis and discussion of ancient sources, key-issues and topics to facilitate the learning process.

Assessment methods

Oral examination, to evaluate the following:

• knowledge of ancient sources and bibliography studied for the course;
• understanding of the issues and problems analyzed in lectures and seminars;
• ability to critically address topics, themes and issues considered in lectures and readings;
• ability to shape an argument in verbal form using appropriate terminology, including technical words.

You will be marked according to the following criteria:

• insufficient: very limited to no knowledge of the topics and sources studied in the course unit;
• sufficient (18-24): basic knowledge of topics, materials and sources of the course unit; notional and superficial understanding of the course contents and materials, with very limited ability to critical, independent analysis;
• good (25-27): good knowledge of the course contents and methods; correct interpretations and analyses, although not always fully developed and/or appropriately expressed;
• very good to excellent (28-30 cum laude): full command of the subject; interpretations of sources and issues according to correct methodology with high degree of critical, personal analysis. Excellent ability to develop arguments in oral form with use of technical, appropriate vocabulary.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint, PDF, images, maps and videos.

Everything will be uploaded on Unibo virtual platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ).

Students who are affected by learning disability (DSA) and in need of special strategies are kindly requested to contact me to be referred to colleagues tasked with support and get proper advice and instructions.

Office hours

See the website of Roberta Mazza