The course intends to reflect on the functions of memory in ancient Greece, with particular attention to archaic choral poetry and Socratic-Platonic reflection.

The aim is to highlight some relevant methodological questions of philological, historical-literary and thought history, through the concrete study of texts explicitly aimed at transmitting practical or moral knowledge, or texts in which "memory" plays a central and fundamental role.

The first part of the course will focus on reading and commenting on Pindar's Olympian 10, the Epinician 3 of Bacchylides, and Ibycus'  Encomium to Polycrates.
The course will open with a general introduction to the theme of memory and its function in the archaic Greek world.
Below, and within the first semester, we will focus on the reading, translation and critical commentary of the texts by Pindar (Olympian 10), Bacchylides (ep. 3), and Ibycus (fr. 151 Page-Davies).
Metric reading of the lyrical verses is planned, with reading exercises.
In the second part, which will begin in the second semester, the reading of Plato's dialogue (5th / 4th century BC) Meno will be addressed, in which the concept of memory is outlined as " reminiscence", within the doctrine of knowledge and the soul.
The text will be read in the original language and analytically commented both in relation to Platonic thought and in relation to the history of mentality.

It is absolutely necessary to have a solid knowledge of the Greek language.

From the point of view of the specific information obtained, at the end of the course the student will acquire an in-depth knowledge of a cultural aspect of central value in the history of ancient Greek mentality.

More generally, and well in line with the professional curriculum profile, the process of analytical reading of the chosen texts will have a significant impact on the student's ability to deal with a competent and rigorous reading of the proposed texts (literary, dramatic, philosophical, and other tipologies which may be presented during the lessons), developing analytical skills, close reading, synthesis and critical thinking about data and sources. The set of skills acquired will allow the student to formulate philologically (scientifically) correct hypotheses, based on new texts or new sets of texts (data, sources, literary texts).

From the point of view of general education, the student will deepen his awareness of specific methodological aspects characterizing the philological and historical-literary inquiry, as well as his aesthetic sensibility to the formal and rhetorical aspects of literary poetry and prose.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

The course can be supplemented by relevant seminars and conferences or, in any case, of educational and methodological relevance with regard to the methods and the themes of ancient Greek Literature and in general Greek and Latin classics.

Teaching

Front Lessons

Attendance

The student is required to attend the lectures and the seminars.

The student is required to read all the texts in the program, which must be translated and commented according to the lines indicated in the course.

The student is also required to read the study texts as planned and to those indicated by the teacher in the lessons.

The student is also required to show knowledge of Greek literature with special attention to the parts (authors, works, historical-literary periods) that have been the subject of the course.

Course books

I. Editions: 

Pindaro. Olimpiche, a cura di B. Gentili, C. Catenacci, P. Giannini, L. Lomiento, MIlano, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Mondadori, 2013

Bacchylidis Carmina cum fragmentis, post B. Snell edid. H. Maehler, Teubner, Stutgardiae et Lipsiae 1992

Poetarum melicorum graecorum fragmenta I. Alcman, Stesichorus, Ibycus, ed. M. Davies, Oxford Clarendon Press, Oxford 1991

Platonis Opera III, J. Burnet (ed.), Oxford 1985 (1903)

II. Handbook:

The student is required to read the sections concerning the archaic epic and philosophical literature (with particular attention to Platonic production) in one of the following handbooks:

L.E. Rossi (Firenze, Le Monnier, 1995)

G.A. Privitera - R. Pretagostini (Torino, Einaudi, 1997)

F. Montanari (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1998)

A. Porro - W. Lapini (Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017)

III. Additional readings (mandatory)

On Plato:

F. Trabattoni, Platone, Carocci, Roma 2013 (2009)

On Meno:

Platone, Menone, introduzione, traduzione e note a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino 2010

On the memory functions in the ancient world, the student is expected to read three of the following essays:

B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia antica, Feltrinelli, MIlano 2006

M. Detienne, I Maestri di Verità nella Grecia arcaica, trad. it. Roma-Bari 1977 (ed. orig. Paris 1967)

M. Detienne, La scrittura di Orfeo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1989

M. Detienne, L'invenzione della mitologia, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1983

E. Havelock, Cultura orale e civiltà della scrittura. Da Omero a Platone, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1983

E. Anne MacKay (ed.), Orality Literacy Memory in the Ancient Greek and Roman World, Brill, Leiden Boston 2008

For the Greek metrics we recommend consulting the handbook: B. Gentili, L. Lomiento, Metrica e Ritmica. Storia delle forme poetiche della Grecia antica, Milano 2012 (2003)

The student is also expected to read the following works in Italian translation:

Pindaro. Olimpiche 11, 13, 14

Platone, Fedone (in one of the currently circulating bilingual editions)

A further bibliography will eventually be indicated by the teacher during the lessons.

The texts that should not be available at the University Library will be made available by the teacher.

Assessment

Written and oral exam:

- a two-hour written exam provides for the translation and comment of a short text drawn from all the texts commented on in the lesson; only one written test will be set for each exam session; it will be evaluated and will go on average with the oral test within the same session; it is aimed at verifying the knowledge of the Greek language and the ability to elaborate an exegetical comment.

- The oral exam provides general questions on the subject of the course and a translation test on a portion of text - from the texts planned in the program – which is not included in the lesson comments. It is aimed at verifying the in-depth knowledge of the authors and ancient texts object of the course, read in the original language, and of the complementary bibliography indicated in the syllabus.

Evaluations will be sized as follows:

assessments of excellence: an excellent knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the student's possession of good critical and in-depth skills; knowing how to relate safely the main issues addressed in the course; the use of a language appropriate to the specificity of the discipline.

discrete assessments: a fair knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the student's possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a modest critical capacity and connection between the topics discussed: the use of an appropriate language.

sufficient assessment: a sufficient knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the achievement of a minimal knowledge base on the topics dealt with by the student, even in the presence of some training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

negative evaluations: an insufficient knowledge of the ancient Greek language; difficulty of orientation of the student with respect to the topics dealt with in the exam texts; training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

There are no teaching methods in e-learning.

Attendance

The student is required to read all the texts in the program, which must be translated and commented according to the lines indicated in the course.

The student is also required to read carefully the study texts planned.

The student is also required to show knowledge of Greek literature with special attention to the parts (authors, works, historical-literary periods) that have been the subject of the course.

Course books

I. Editions: 

Pindaro. Olimpiche, a cura di B. Gentili, C. Catenacci, P. Giannini, L. Lomiento, MIlano, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Mondadori, 2013

Bacchylidis Carmina cum fragmentis, post B. Snell edid. H. Maehler, Teubner, Stutgardiae et Lipsiae 1992

Poetarum melicorum graecorum fragmenta I. Alcman, Stesichorus, Ibycus, ed. M. Davies, Oxford Clarendon Press, Oxford 1991

Platonis Opera III, J. Burnet (ed.), Oxford 1985 (1903)

II. Handbook:

The student is required to read the sections concerning the archaic epic and philosophical literature (with particular attention to Platonic production) in one of the following handbooks:

L.E. Rossi (Firenze, Le Monnier, 1995)

G.A. Privitera - R. Pretagostini (Torino, Einaudi, 1997)

F. Montanari (Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1998)

A. Porro - W. Lapini (Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017)

III. Additional readings (mandatory)

On Plato:

F. Trabattoni, Platone, Carocci, Roma 2013 (2009)

On Meno:

Platone, Menone, introduzione, traduzione e note a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino 2010

On the memory functions in the ancient world, the student is expected to read three of the following essays:

B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia antica, Feltrinelli, MIlano 2006

M. Detienne, I Maestri di Verità nella Grecia arcaica, trad. it. Roma-Bari 1977 (ed. orig. Paris 1967)

M. Detienne, La scrittura di Orfeo, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1989

M. Detienne, L'invenzione della mitologia, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1983

E. Havelock, Cultura orale e civiltà della scrittura. Da Omero a Platone, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1983

E. Anne MacKay (ed.), Orality Literacy Memory in the Ancient Greek and Roman World, Brill, Leiden Boston 2008

For the Greek metrics we recommend consulting the handbook: B. Gentili, L. Lomiento, Metrica e Ritmica. Storia delle forme poetiche della Grecia antica, Milano 2012 (2003)

The student is also expected to read the following works in Italian translation:

Pindaro. Olimpiche 11, 13, 14

Platone, Fedone (in one of the currently circulating bilingual editions)

A further bibliography will eventually be indicated by the teacher during the lessons.

The texts that should not be available at the University Library will be made available by the teacher.

Assessment

Written and oral exam:

- a two-hour written exam provides for the translation and comment of a short text drawn from all the texts commented on in the lesson; only one written test will be set for each exam session; it will be evaluated and will go on average with the oral test within the same session; it is aimed at verifying the knowledge of the Greek language and the ability to elaborate an exegetical comment.

- The oral exam provides general questions on the subject of the course and a translation test on a portion of text - from the texts planned in the program – which is not included in the lesson comments. It is aimed at verifying the in-depth knowledge of the authors and ancient texts object of the course, read in the original language, and of the complementary bibliography indicated in the syllabus.

Evaluations will be sized as follows:

assessments of excellence: an excellent knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the student's possession of good critical and in-depth skills; knowing how to relate safely the main issues addressed in the course; the use of a language appropriate to the specificity of the discipline.

discrete assessments: a fair knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the student's possession of a mnemonic knowledge of the contents; a modest critical capacity and connection between the topics discussed: the use of an appropriate language.

sufficient assessment: a sufficient knowledge of the ancient Greek language; the achievement of a minimal knowledge base on the topics dealt with by the student, even in the presence of some training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

negative evaluations: an insufficient knowledge of the ancient Greek language; difficulty of orientation of the student with respect to the topics dealt with in the exam texts; training gaps; the use of inappropriate language.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.