The goal of the course is to provide the student with:

- the methodological and critical tools to study the Greek language in its correct historical context and in the indoeuropean context;

- the technical knowledge of morphological elements of the Greek dialects;

- the skill to read the poetic texts and to know the specifities of literary languages.

The student will be able to improve the linguistic and literary knowledge and to show the learning skills acquired in the degree course. The arguments covered in the course will provide the acquisition of the content, concepts and methodologies corresponding to the educational and professional profile of the course of study and necessary for the subsequent teaching activity of the graduate.

The programm focuses on  the fundamental issues of the history of the Greek language, concerning the historical and normative level. The skills acquired will be used in the reading of some poems of the archaic period.

In the different phases of the course, the following topics will be discussed:

- the oldest history concerning the Greek expansion, migrations, the origin of the dialects, the relationship among the myths and the archaeological and linguistic sources;

- the main phonetic and morphological elements of the dialects (doric, aeolic, ionic-attic, arcadian-cypriot);

- the concept of literary languages and their relationship with the dialects documented by epigraphic texts;

- the reading of archaic poetic texts as examples of the dialect used in the choral lyric poetry: Sappho, Alcaeus, Alcman, Stesichorus, Ibycus, Pindar,  Bacchylides. Those texts will be translated and analysed from the metric, linguistic, lexical points of view, with particular attention to the dealing of the myth, to the occasions of the performance and to the relationship between poet and client. 

A solid knowledge of the ancient Greek language.

The student will improve and develop his linguistic and literary knowledge acquired in the undergraduate course for a more complex and specialised approach to classic literary texts as required in the course of study.

At the end of the course the student will have acquired:

Knowledge and understanding

- The knowledge of the main lines of the history of Greek language;

- linguistic and dialectic knowledge acquired during the course

Applying knowledge and understanding

- The knowledge of the specific linguistic and dialectical features characterizing the archaic poetic texts;

- the skill to apply the theoretical knowledge at linguistic level to the analysis of texts testifying the status of literary languages in archaic poetry

Making judgements

- the skill to acquire the specific knowledge in the context of the Greek language, that allows the elaboration and the formulation of autonomous judgments

Communication skills

- the skill to express the theoretical knowledge in a clear and precise way;

- the skill to argue topics and issues in this particular field of study.

Learning skills

- the skill to analyse language and dialectical forms in Greek texts.

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

Educational seminars and conferences may be added to this course.

Teaching

Traditional classroom lessons and exercises.     

Attendance

Active partecipation in the lessons is strongly advised.

Course books

The fundamental textbook for this course is: Storia delle lingue letterarie greche, a cura di A. C. Cassio, Milano 2008 (Le Monnier). The study of the institutional part will be based not only on the content of introductory lessons given during the course but also on the first three chapters of the manual mentioned above. In addition to the first three chapters, the student may choose from the manual three more chapters which concern the language and the dialect used by the representative authors of the different literary genres.

Editions. For Sappho and Alcaus: Voigt; for Alcman: Calame; for Stesichorus and Ibycus: Page; for Pindar and Bacchylides: Snell.  

The following works are useful: B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia antica. Edizione aggiornata, Milano 2006 (Feltrinelli), chapters VIII ("Biasimo e lode") and IX ("Poeta-committente-pubblico, ovvero la norma del polipo").

The texts mentioned above are available in the Library of the Department.

             

Assessment

The exam consists in an oral test on the theoretical part of the course (corresponding to the manual) and on the part concerning the metric interpretation, the translation and the linguistic commentary of the archaic poetic texts read and analyzed during the course. Both of the parts will affect 50% on the evaluation and the final vote.

Excellent - students who demonstrate: an excellent knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; good critical and in-depth skills; a solid ability to connect the main issues addressed in the course; use of appropriate language for the specific discipline.

Good - students who demonstrate: a good knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; a good knowledge of the contents, lacking however strong critical and in-depth skills; a modest ability to connect the various issues dealt with: use of appropriate language for the specific discipline.

Sufficient - students who demonstrate: a sufficient knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; basic knowledge of the topics dealt with, despite some possible weaknesses; use of inappropriate language.

Negative - students who demonstrate: an insufficient knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; insufficient knowledge of the topics dealt with; significant difficulties; 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 programm for non-attending students is the same as for attending students.

Non-attending students can contact the teacher for explanations. 

Course books

The fundamental textbook for this course is: Storia delle lingue letterarie greche, a cura di A. C. Cassio, Milano 2008 (Le Monnier). The study of the institutional part will be based not only on the content of introductory lessons given during the course but also on the first three chapters of the manual mentioned above. In addition to the first three chapters, the student may choose from the manual three more chapters which concern the language and the dialect used by the representative authors of the different literary genres.

Editions. For Sappho and Alcaus: Voigt; for Alcman: Calame; for Stesichorus and Ibycus: Page; for Pindar and Bacchylides: Snell.  

The following works are useful: B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia antica. Edizione aggiornata, Milano 2006 (Feltrinelli), chapters VIII ("Biasimo e lode") and IX ("Poeta-committente-pubblico, ovvero la norma del polipo").

The texts mentioned above are available in the Library of the Department.

Assessment

The exam consists in an oral test on the theoretical part of the course (corresponding to the manual) and on the part concerning the metric interpretation, the translation and the linguistic commentary of the archaic poetic texts read and analyzed during the course. Both of the parts will affect 50% on the evaluation and the final vote.

Excellent - students who demonstrate: an excellent knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; good critical and in-depth skills; a solid ability to connect the main issues addressed in the course; use of appropriate language for the specific discipline.

Good - students who demonstrate: a good knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; a good knowledge of the contents, lacking however strong critical and in-depth skills; a modest ability to connect the various issues dealt with: use of appropriate language for the specific discipline.

Sufficient - students who demonstrate: a sufficient knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; basic knowledge of the topics dealt with, despite some possible weaknesses; use of inappropriate language.

Negative - students who demonstrate: an insufficient knowledge of ancient Greek language and its historical development; insufficient knowledge of the topics dealt with; significant difficulties; 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.