GREEK HISTORIOGRAPHY
- Academic year
- 2023/2024 Syllabus of previous years
- Official course title
- STORIOGRAFIA GRECA SP.
- Course code
- FM0204 (AF:448886 AR:258622)
- Modality
- On campus classes
- ECTS credits
- 6
- Degree level
- Master's Degree Programme (DM270)
- Educational sector code
- L-ANT/02
- Period
- 1st Semester
- Where
- VENEZIA
- Moodle
- Go to Moodle page
Contribution of the course to the overall degree programme goals
The Course aims:
- advanced competence, methodological and epistemological skills in the analysis and interpretation of historiographical texts of the Greek literature;
- knowledge of the political and cultural context between the 5th century B.C. and the early Roman imperial age;
- knowledge of the most important figures in the Greek historiography;
- knowledge of philological, literary and lexical tools (with particular attention to fragmentary tradition);
- knowledge of the theoretical tools in the critical approach to Greek historiographic texts, with particular reference to the history of studies between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Expected learning outcomes
- correctly frame the most important figures and lines of Greek historiography from a literary and historical point of view;
- read, translate and interpret historiographic texts in Greek;
- confront the theoretical and methodological debate concerning the essential nodes of the development of Greek historiography;
- use the most important tools for the discipline, and construct a bibliography (including basic tools, general studies and specific contributions) relating to a specific theme;
- to propose a written commentary on a text, enhancing its significative aspects from the point of view of literary tradition and the stratification of sources, the lexical and methodological peculiarities;
- communicate in oral form using the specific terminology of the discipline;
- participate in a discussion led by the teacher around thematic nodes proposed for the shared discussion.
Pre-requirements
It is also essential a good knowledge of the Greek language; the students can acquire it by following the Course of Greek Language; very useful, moreover, is a specific competence in at least one of the disciplines related to Greek Literature (L-FIL-LET/02) or Classical Philology (L-FIL-LET/05).
Contents
Historiographical, linguistic, and literary-historical studies share a deep interest in the persuasive power of speech, especially political speech, declined in the most diverse contexts, on a diachronic and synchronic level. Ancient historiography and classical oratory established the norm of public communication for centuries; they influenced and still influence the way of speaking, writing and thinking in Western culture today. Literature and poetry have created models, forms and images that have enriched the wealth of tools through which to express messages, political and otherwise.
This theme is at the center of a didactic pathway entitled 'Word and Power between History and Literature', proposed and coordinated by the teachers of the MA courses of Greek Historiography SP, Roman Hostoriography, Analysis of Latin Texts SP, Rhetoric SP This pathway proposes an integrated educational experience within which students can confront themselves at a specialist level with a broad and multifaceted theme such as that of the 'power of the word' from different but interrelated points of view. For those who are not interested in the integrated course, it is of course possible to choose one or more courses. During the course, there will be some moments of sharing of contents and tools as well as scientific insights (through the invitation of external guests). As an integral part of the training course, participants will be able to choose a topic agreed upon with one of the lecturers and transversal to the topics covered. Participants will present the results of these in-depth studies on a dedicated final day.
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The course is structured as follows.
In the first part, we consider the Outlines of Greek historiography from the beginning of the 5th century to the early Roman imperial age.
- paper and digital tools in the study of Greek historiography;
- the textual dimension: texts and fragments
- figures and themes of Greek historiography
In the second part, we will consider some speeches of important Athenian politicians as reported by Thucydides. After an introduction to the research tools used by the historian and the truth status of the speeches reported in direct form, we will focus on the speeches that major political figures delivered before the Athenian assembly at important junctures in the Peloponnesian War. We will analyze vocabulary, argumentation, and communicative strategies in detail. This analysis will also allow us to ascertain whether and to what extent the historian consciously differentiates speeches according to subject, context or audience, with a focus on antilogies.
Referral texts
Introduzione alla storiografia greca, a cura di M. Bettalli (nuova edizione), Roma, Carocci, 2009.
P. Desideri, Scrivere gli eventi storici, in I Greci. Storia, cultura, arte, società. I, a cura di S. Settis, Einaudi, Torino 1996, 955-1013
PART 2
L. Porciani, Come si scrivono i discorsi. Su Tucidide I 22, 1, «Quaderni di storia», XLIX, 1999,103-135.
A. Tsakmakis, A. Rengakos (edd.), Brill's Companion to Thucydides, 2006.
O. Longo, Introduzione, in Tucidide, Epitafio di Pericle, Venezia 2001.
Texts from Thucydides (available on Moodle), with Historical Commentaries.
Specific bibliographical indications useful for the preparation of the paper will be given during the lessons.
For the students who can not attend the frontal lessons:
A. Momigliano, La storiografia greca, Torino 1982, pagg.1-272.
These students are still required to discuss and present a written paper on a topic agreed upon with the teacher.
Assessment methods
The examination will focus on the topics discussed in the lectures on the texts indicated in the literature, on the papers discussed in the class .
The final mark results from the assessment of these aspects:
oral presentation of the paper (50%)
exam (50%)
For non attending students:
written paper (50%)
exam (50%)
Teaching methods
Teaching language
Type of exam
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals
This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development