BYZANTINE PHILOLOGY

Byzantine Philology is a course of the "Philology, literatures and history of antiquity" and the "Archaeology" Master's degree in "Science of antiquity: literatures, history and archaeology". The course is also offered as an exam to complement the master's degree course in "History from the Middle Ages to the Contemporary Age".
The course offers students the essential training to learn how to analyze Byzantine historical and literary texts in a broad historical and cultural context and to use the foundations of textual criticism in Byzantine literature. In addition, the Byzantine Philology course offers students an overview of Byzantine literature and its genres from the 4th to the 15th century. The course also offers the opportunity to enrich the knowledge of classical Greek and modern Greek.

The students will have acquired:
- knowledge of the content and method of Byzantine literature and philology;
- a knowledge of the Byzantine literary and cultural world in its different periods;
- competence in the critical study of Byzantine texts.

Knowledge of classical Greek, and a preparation, at least elementary, of Greek palaeography is also recommended.

The Byzantine Philology course is an introduction to Byzantine literature and intellectual history from the Early Byzantine age to the late Palaeologan period (the last Byzantine dynasty to rule the empire between 1261 and 1453), through the second part of a study of one of the most widespread literary genres during the Byzantine millennium, that of chapters (kephalaia). The course explores the origin of this genre, its links with others, widespread in late ancient philosophical literature, its popularity, authors, ecdotic problems, the contents of different texts.

Topics:
1. The genre of chapters (kephalaia) from the 4th to the 15th century: texts and authors.
2. Prepare the edition of a hagiographical text: the Life of Romylos.

Students should use for the topics and texts covered in the lesson:
M. Richard, Florilèges spirituels grecs, Dictionnaire de spiritualié, t. 5, 1964, 486-499, rist. in Opera minora, i, Turnhout -Leuven, 1976, n° i.
P. Géhin, Les collections de kephalaia monastiques: naissance et succès d'un genre entre création originale, plagiat et florilège, in A. Rigo, P. Ermilov & M. Trizio (ed.), Theologica minora. The Minor Genres of Byzantine Theological Literature (Byzantios. Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization, 8), Turnhout, 2013, p. 1-50.
Texts:
Gregory, The Life of Romylos.

Other material on https://moodle.unive.it/

Oral exam 70% + Work on texts during lessons 30%.

Lectures online. The e-presence(constant) for the preparatory work for the edition of a text is strongly recommended.

Italian

oral