EXERCISES ON GREEK LITERATURE

The aim of the lectures (First Part on metrical structures) is the basic knowledge of the prosody, and of the metres, used in the poetic genres of the Archaic and Classic Greece. The aim of Secon Part is the basic knowledge of the problems of translation of the texts in the Greek Literature.

1. Theoretical knowledge of the foundations of the Greek metric.
Ability to analyze, interpret and read the main meters of Greek poetry.
Application of metrical knowledge to the interpretation of texts in relation to the specific characteristics of Greek poetry.
2. Theoretical knowledge of the problems of interpretation and translation of ancient Greek texts
Ability to analyze and experiment with the translation of texts.
Knowledge and practical experimentation of the functions of translation.
Skills and educational experiments of translation

The lectures are the first essential step in the progressive learning of ancient greek language and literature. They have a propedeutical function (on metre and translation) for the advanced courses of Greek Literature.

FIRST PART
1. Verses of Hellenic Poetry.
1.0. ELEMENTS OF GREEK METRIC
Prosody. Fundamentals. Vowels and consonant clusters. Diction and meter. Quantitative metrics.
Greek Metra. Diacritical marks.
1.1. dactylic hexameter
Compositional structures. Caesura. Bridges. Applications.
Milman Parry. Formulas. Name-epithet formula. Definition and Oral Tradition. Analysis of the formula-system.
The system of Athene. Schematisation of formulas and applications. Analysis of the 162 occurrences in the Odyssey. Economy and cognitive processes of the composition.
1.2. Elegy
Structures.
Archilochos 1, 2, 5, 13 W.
Callinus 1 W.
Tyrtaeus 5, 6, 7, 10 W.
Solon 1, 2, 3, 11, 18, 20, 21, 23 W.
Mimnermus 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 12 W.
Theognis 19-26, 53-68, 783-788, 1197-1202
Xenophanes 1, 8 W.
1.3. iambic trimeter
Structures.
Hipponax 19, 21, 22, 30, 31, 36, 297 W.
Semonides 7 W. The giambo against women
Choliambic trimeter. Trochaic tetrameter. Epodes
Hipponax 19, 32, 34, 36 W.
trochaic tetrameter
Archil. 101, 114, 122, 125, 128, 133 W.
Epodes
Archil. 168 W, 172 W.
1.4. EOLIC LYRIC
Sapphic stanza
Elements of aeolic language. Sapphic stanza. Structures, performance.
Sapph. 1, 31, 34, 5, 16, Alc. 308, 362, 45 V.
alcaic stanza
structures
Alcaeus 208a, 335, 338 V.

1.5 Choral lyric
General elements on the metric of choral lyric

SECOND PART
2. TRANSLATION
Theory and practice of translation.
What it means to translate an ancient text?
The duel with the text.
From linguistic competence to interpretation.
The multiplicity of hypothesis and dynamic problem solving.
The responsibility, the limits and the dangers of the translation.
The plurality of translations
The kairos of translation
From functions to exercises in style
Translations of others
scientific translations
literary Translations
Translation and teaching
Translate between the school and the university

1. Greek metric
Greek Texts, teaching materials and bibliography for Greek metric exercises will be provided by the teacher during the lessons.
2. Laboratory of translation from Greek.
Greek Texts, teaching materials and bibliography for Greek translation exercises will be provided by the lecturer during the lessons.

Each of the two parts of the Greek Literature Exercises will have a specific final exam.
1.
For the part of Greek Metric, it is required to analyze the metric structures of a series of different meters and verses,
with the explanation of the main problems and peculiarities of the individual texts. An oral reading test is also in program.
2.
The translation laboratory from the Greek will have a final test of translation from Greek into Italian of a text of medium difficulty.
With the possibility of an experimental multiple translation test.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO TAKE THE TEST AT THE TIME OF COVID-19 IT WILL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT ORALLY VIA TELEMATICA.

The lessons will progressively develop the metric program starting from prosody and from the basic elements to the most complex forms. As a lab, there are continuous practical applications and it is required a personal work with verification.
So for the translation lab, in addition to the theoretical notions, a series of texts by different authors will be proposed, with an individual work on the different modes and ways of translation.

Italian

The laboratory is strongly recommended for all students as training essential skills for all courses in Greek Literature

written and oral