28949 - Latin Philology and Literature (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2020/2021

  • Moduli: Elisa Dal Chiele (Modulo 1) Elisa Dal Chiele (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Italian Studies, European Literary Cultures, Linguistics (cod. 9220)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the classes, students have a deep knowledge of Latin literature, they are able to analyse Latin texts with regard to language, style, subject, they understand textual problems referring to Latin texts, they use the tools needed for a philological research.

Course contents

A. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE

The pursuit of happiness: Cicero, Seneca, Augustine (a detailed list of all passages examined in the lessons, and requested for the exam, will be supplied during the course).

B. CRITICAL ESSAYS: students are requested to read 2 essays.

C. CORE COURSE:

  • Ovid, Ars amatoria, book 1.

Students not attending the course will have to agree upon additional readings with the teacher.

Readings/Bibliography

A. SPECIAL FOCUS COURSE

The texts to be translated will be included among the course’s materials.

B. CRITICAL ESSAYS (further essays will be supplied during the course)

At least 2 essays among:

  1. G. Aricò, Cicerone e il teatro: appunti per una rivisitazione della problematica, in E. Narducci (a c. di), . Atti del IV Symposium Ciceronianum Arpinas, Arpino, 9 maggio 2003, Firenze 2004, 6-37.
  2. G. Mazzoli, La prosa filosofica, in F. Montanari (a c. di), La prosa latina. Forme, autori, problemi, Roma 1991, 145-183 (o edizioni successive).
  3. A. Setaioli, La filosofia come terapia, autotrasformazione e stile di vita in Seneca, in F. Gasti (a c. di), Seneca e la letteratura greca e latina: per i settant’anni di Giancarlo Mazzoli, Atti della IX giornata ghisleriana di filologia classica, Pavia, 22 ottobre 2010, Pavia 2013, 1-18.
  4. A. Traina, Lo stile “drammatico” del filosofo Seneca, Bologna 19954, 9-41.
  5. P. Courcelle, Les premières confessions de saint Augustin, «Revue des études latines» 22 (1945), 155-174.
  6. J. Doignon, La de l’admonitio dans les Dialogues de Cassiciacum de saint Augustin, «Vetera Christianorum» 23 (1986), 21-37.

C. CORE COURSE

Texts module 1 – Ovidio, L'arte di amare. A cura di Emilio Pianezzola. Commento di Emilio Pianezzola, Gianluigi Baldo e Lucio Cristante, Milano 1991.

Morphology and Syntax: the student will be expected to master Latin morphology and syntax, based on university-level handbooks (e.g. I. Dionigi-L. Morisi-E. Riganti, Il latino, Bari: Laterza, 2011), as well as to know the aspects of history of the language, metrics and textual criticism contained in A. Traina - G. Bernardi Perini, Propedeutica al latino universitario, Bologna: Pàtron, 2007. For Latin syntax, see also A.Traina-T. Bertotti, Sintassi normativa della lingua latina, Bologna: Pàtron, 2015.

Metrics: the student will be expected to master the scansion and reading of the elegiac couplet (cf. Propedeutica al latino universitario, cap. VII).

Textual criticism: for a basic knowledge of textual criticism, it is required to study chapter VIII of Propedeutica al latino universitario; furthermore, it is necessary to read P. Chiesa, La trasmissione dei testi latini. Storia e metodo critico, Roma 2019, pp. 11-113. For more details, see also P. Chiesa, Elementi di critica testuale, Bologna 2012; R. Tarrant, Texts, Editors, and Readers: Methods and Problems in Latin Textual Criticism. Roman Literature and its Contexts, Cambridge 2016; T. Braccini, La scienza dei testi antichi. Introduzione alla filologia classica, Firenze 2017.

Teaching methods

As for A. section, lectures in class; parts B. and C. are supposed to be prepared by the students.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of a viva voce exam and is divided in two parts (students are required to take both parts of the examination on the same date):
1) in the first part, the students will be tested on Latin phonetics, morphology and syntax through the reading and translation of the Latin texts (in section C). Students are required to answer questions about Latin grammar (phonetics, morphology and syntax) from the texts in section C.
2) in the second part (in section A and B), the examination will concernthe Special Focus Course and the critical readings. Students are asked to provide a translation from Latin and a philological and literary commentary on one of the passages analysed in class. Students are required to discuss the chosen critical readings.

n.b. The exam requires a medium-high level of knowledge of the Latin language. Beginner students are recommended to choose a basic course of the three-year degree.

The assessment criteria is thus explained:
failing grades: lack of basic linguistic knowledge and inability to produce a correct translation and interpretation of the text.

passing grades: language proficiency at an intermediate level; translation and literary interpretation of the texts are mostly correct, but inaccurate and lacking in autonomy.

excellent grades: language proficiency at an upper-mid level; translation and interpretation of the texts are not only correct, but carried out with autonomy and precision. Good knowledge of Latin prosody and metrics.

Teaching tools

Slides and other materials will be available online on the course website.

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Dal Chiele

SDGs

Good health and well-being Quality education

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