Students will have to understand the interchange relationship between ancient and modern and contemporary culture, so as to acquire the linguistic, hermeneutic and cognitive tools to investigate from a historical and functional point of view every creative phenomenon of our time. They will also have to know how to read and interpret ancient literary texts, comparing them with the various 'rewritings' in later eras. The central objective is therefore the proper and necessary historical placement of the cultural products of each age and the study of the inescapable value of Greco-Roman culture in order to elaborate models and narratives now completely disengaged from it, but totally dependent on it, to communicate, narrate and represent the world in which we are living. Therefore, the course also aims at a study of the historical mutations of the rhetorical and stylistic apparatuses that inform different civilizations of themselves, apparatuses without which societies, politics, science, philosophy, technologies, economics, as well as the myths and representations related to them, cannot exist.

1. The concept of reception and 'reuse' of the classic in the ages after the end of the ancient world.

2. Examples of reuse of the ancient in the present day both in the 'high' cultural sphere and in wider culture (working materials and exercises).

   2a. Examples of reuse of the ancient in the present day both in 'high' cultural sphere and in the culture of wider dissemination: literature (working materials and exercises).

   2b. Examples of reuse of the ancient in the modern day both in 'high' cultural sphere and in culture of wider dissemination: graphic novels and mass communications (working materials and exercises).

 2c. Examples of the reuse of antiquity in the present day both in 'high' culture and in wider culture: cinema.

3. Plautus and the influence of his theatre in later eras.

4. Presentation of Miles gloriosus.

5. Reading and translation of Mil. 1-78. Stylistic and dramaturgical analysis.

6. Reading and translation of Mil. 79-155. Function of the delayed prologue.

7. The first deception against Sceledro: vv. 156-595.

8. The character of Periplectomenus: vv. 596-764.

9. The main deception against Pyrgopolinice: vv. 765-1437.

10. Reading and translation of Mil. 1216-1283. The 'recitation' of Acroteleutius.

11. Reading and translation of Mil. 1394-1437. The Punishment of Pyrgopolinice.

12. Rossini's musical theatre and L'Italiana in Algeri: the triumph of the comic (Crescendo per Rossini project).

13. Dramaturgical analogies between the iIles and the Italiana.

14. Contemporary settings of the Miles and intercultural references.

knowledge and ability to understand: Students will have to acquire the ability to read advanced scientific essays on the texts indicated in the program and on their reception, not only from the point of view of interlingual translation, but also from that of interpretation from a literary and anthropological point of view. Furthermore, they will have to know how to read texts produced in the last century and in the current one, with a syncritical impact with respect to ancient texts.

Applied knowledge and understanding: This learning process should lead students to the ability to elaborate judgments and analyses that highlight the importance of mythologies and narrative rhetoric for the construction of psychological and narrative models characterizing entire cultures, even distant from each other, and they should be able to illustrate the processes of reuse and transformation of fundamental themes in the arts and cultures of different eras.

Autonomy of judgement: the course also aims at providing students with the ability to use databases, bibliographies and interpretative tools that can allow them to carry out research and in-depth studies autonomously with respect to the texts and topics illustrated and studied during the lessons, in such a way that they can acquire a basic competence in the elaboration of literary, multimedia and intermedial texts capable of connecting and communicating fundamental elements of the cultural processes that they themselves and the society in which they study and work are experiencing. In this regard, the study of the translation of a theatrical text as a cue for artistic creation, but also as an element strongly rooted in cultures of different eras, is a useful testing ground to implement the fundamental process of 'rewriting' as the engine of every socio-cultural experience.  

communication skills: The careful and detailed study of texts, at the center of this type of course, also implies a refinement of the ability to reflect on the forms of one's own language of use even in a historical dimension (if related to the languages of the Indo-European stock that, like Greek and Latin, constitute its structural basis), leading the student to a greater mastery of the means of expression at the level of elaboration of written and oral texts that, compared to the current training at the secondary school level, must constitute a significant advancement in terms of competencies and related skills.  

ability to learn: A course clearly devoted to the study of intertextuality and interculturality, based on the ancient roots of all the processes of research and creation that characterize contemporary culture, trains the student to a markedly interdisciplinary approach to the problems addressed. In the context of humanistic studies, this constitutes a set of basic skills that go beyond the specific theme of the course and allow the student to deal consciously and critically with the specialization of studies in any of the disciplines foreseen in the continuation at a higher level of humanistic studies, also and especially in the perspective of applying these skills to professions that have great need of these abilities, such as that of cultural information, of the coordination and organization of cultural activities, of the management of material and immaterial patrimonies that are closely connected to the great intercultural themes and problems, and of the management of working structures where it is important and necessary to be able to identify and manage cultural and linguistic differences.

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

Film screenings and seminars in collaboration with the Rossini Opera Festival and the Rossini Foundation.

Teaching

Frontal lessons, seminars and workshops.

Attendance

To be counted as “attending”, students must participate in at least 50% of teaching hours and/or, for example, have completed any classwork, exercises or other such activities organised by the lecturer during the course.

Attending and non-attending students will be able to take the exam with this syllabus within the extraordinary session of the a.y. 2024/2025; if they intend to take the exam afterwards, they will have to follow the syllabus of the course established for the a.y. in which they will take the test. 

Course books

The course will be based entirely on work with the lecturer in the classroom, to which the following study texts will be added for the indicated programme points. The estimated reading and learning difficulty levels of the study texts (low, medium, high) are also indicated.

For points 5-11: 

Plautus, Miles gloriosus (any edition with original Latin text opposite). The verses translated and commented on in class must be studied in the original language by students enrolled in the Archaeological and Classical Philological-Literary and Modern Philological-Literary curricula; students must in any case read the entire play at least in translation (full reading in Latin is obviously recommended).

For points 12-13, students should read and study:

C. Questa, Miles gloriosus, in C. Questa, Sei letture plautine, Urbino 2004, pp. 76-97 (for the play's dramaturgical structure; medium level of difficulty)

C. Questa, Il ratto dal serraglio, Urbino, Quattroventi 1997 and subsequent reprints (for the reception of Miles gloriosus in opera theatre up to Rossini; level of difficulty medium-high)

For point 14:

R. M. Danese, Plautus on the Contemporary Stage. Appunti per una palliata italiana: Asinaria e Miles gloriosus, "PAN" n.s. 3, 2014, pp. 149-168 (an electronic version of the text will be included in the Blended Learning platform; low difficulty level)

Ludi Plautini Sarsinates I. Characters on stage: Miles, edited by G. Bandini and C. Pentericci, Rome, Carocci 2018

Recommended supplementary readings:

Lecturae Plautinae Sarsinates. XII. Miles gloriosus, Urbino 2009 (for an analysis of the dramaturgy of Miles gloriosus; medium difficulty level)

A. Ubersfeld, Leggere lo spettacolo, Roma, Carocci 2011 (for an in-depth discussion on the semiotics of the theatrical performance, fundamental for understanding the true nature of the scenic text; high difficulty level)

M. Bettini, Verso un'antropologia dell'intreccio, Urbino, Quattroventi 1991 (to understand the cultural mechanism by which the narrative processes of Plautus' comedies are constructed; medium difficulty level)

Assessment

Oral test: this test, which may be taken by students who have passed the Latin language proficiency test where it is prescribed (see the section Obligations), will ascertain:

1- the knowledge of the proposed ancient text and its historical-literary characteristics; for curricula where knowledge of Latin is prescribed, the test will also include translation and morphological-syntactic analysis of the passages in the program . 

2- the influence of the ancient text on modern or contemporary rewritings.

3- the student's ability to use the acquired notions to deal critically and with independent judgment with the problem of intertextuality.

In general, the student's acquisition of the ability to use on the spot the acquired knowledge in a dialectical confrontation where he/she must demonstrate the ability to finalize the reading of texts to the explanation of a unitary thematic core in a clear and comprehensive way will be ascertained. This type of assessment is closely related to the verification of the student's ability to organize an oral exposition professionally related to the lecture or lesson and to argue consciously on the basis of stimuli and questions posed in the moment around an issue, on which individual work should have formed an adequate competence.

The final grade, expressed in thirtieths, and will be based on the following criteria:

(a) punctuality and active class attendance: 30% (less than 24 hours = 5 points; between 24 and 32 = 6-8 points; between 32 and 36 = 9-10 points)

(b) ability to argue with correct use of language: 30% (insufficient = 5 points; sufficient = 6-8 points; good or excellent = 9-10 points)

(c) knowledge and mastery of the topics in the syllabus 40% (insufficient = 5 points; sufficient = 6-8 points; good or excellent = 9-10 points).

The sum of the scores obtained based on the three criteria (a-b-c) returns the grade in thirtieths. Since (c) weighs more, this will determine any rounding up and/or honors.

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

Individual study. The main topics of the course, developed in the course of the lectures according to a didactic methodology that is also laboratory-based, cannot be in toto corresponding to the basic bibliographical titles indicated in the program for frequent attendees. They will therefore have to be supplemented with in-depth readings that, in some way, provide the theoretical and methodological basis for proceeding independently to the analysis and understanding of the texts and topics in the program.

Complete and thorough knowledge of the topics listed under Program Information is required for passing the exam.

Attendance

Attending and non-attending students will be able to take the exam with this syllabus within the extraordinary session of the a.y. 2024/2025; if they intend to take the exam afterwards, they will have to follow the syllabus of the course established for the a.y. in which they will take the test. 

Course books

The course will be based entirely on work with the lecturer in the classroom, to which the following study texts will be added for the indicated programme points. The estimated reading and learning difficulty levels of the study texts (low, medium, high) are also indicated.

For points 5-11: 

Plautus, Miles gloriosus (any edition with original Latin text opposite). The verses translated and commented on in class must be studied in the original language by students enrolled in the Archaeological and Classical Philological-Literary and Modern Philological-Literary curricula; students must in any case read the entire play at least in translation (full reading in Latin is obviously recommended).

For points 12-13, students should read and study:

C. Questa, Miles gloriosus, in C. Questa, Sei letture plautine, Urbino 2004, pp. 76-97 (for the play's dramaturgical structure; medium level of difficulty)

C. Questa, Il ratto dal serraglio, Urbino, Quattroventi 1997 and subsequent reprints (for the reception of Miles gloriosus in opera theatre up to Rossini; level of difficulty medium-high)

For point 14:

R. M. Danese, Plautus on the Contemporary Stage. Appunti per una palliata italiana: Asinaria e Miles gloriosus, "PAN" n.s. 3, 2014, pp. 149-168 (an electronic version of the text will be included in the Blended Learning platform; low difficulty level)

Ludi Plautini Sarsinates I. Characters on stage: Miles, edited by G. Bandini and C. Pentericci, Rome, Carocci 2018

Recommended supplementary readings:

Lecturae Plautinae Sarsinates. XII. Miles gloriosus, Urbino 2009 (for an analysis of the dramaturgy of Miles gloriosus; medium difficulty level)

A. Ubersfeld, Leggere lo spettacolo, Roma, Carocci 2011 (for an in-depth discussion on the semiotics of the theatrical performance, fundamental for understanding the true nature of the scenic text; high difficulty level)

M. Bettini,Verso un'antropologia dell'intreccio, Urbino, Quattroventi 1991 (to understand the cultural mechanism by which the narrative processes of Plautus' comedies are constructed; medium difficulty level)

Assessment

Oral test: this test, which may be taken by students who have passed the Latin language proficiency test where it is prescribed (see the section Obligations), will ascertain:

1- the knowledge of the proposed ancient text and its historical-literary characteristics; for curricula where knowledge of Latin is prescribed, the test will also include translation and morphological-syntactic analysis of the passages in the program . 

2- the influence of the ancient text on modern or contemporary rewritings.

3- the student's ability to use the acquired notions to deal critically and with independent judgment with the problem of intertextuality.

In general, the student's acquisition of the ability to use on the spot the acquired knowledge in a dialectical confrontation where he/she must demonstrate the ability to finalize the reading of texts to the explanation of a unitary thematic core in a clear and comprehensive way will be ascertained. This type of assessment is closely related to the verification of the student's ability to organize an oral exposition professionally related to the lecture or lesson and to argue consciously on the basis of stimuli and questions posed in the moment around an issue, on which individual work should have formed an adequate competence.

The final grade, expressed in thirtieths, and will be based on the following criteria:

(a) punctuality and active class attendance: 30% (less than 24 hours = 5 points; between 24 and 32 = 6-8 points; between 32 and 36 = 9-10 points)

(b) ability to argue with correct use of language: 30% (insufficient = 5 points; sufficient = 6-8 points; good or excellent = 9-10 points)

(c) knowledge and mastery of the topics in the syllabus 40% (insufficient = 5 points; sufficient = 6-8 points; good or excellent = 9-10 points).

The sum of the scores obtained based on the three criteria (a-b-c) returns the grade in thirtieths. Since (c) weighs more, this will determine any rounding up and/or honors.

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.

The course is mainly held in Italian.

Important. Both attending and non-attending students will have to register on time on the Blended Learning platform for this course. In this way they will be able to access the loaded teaching materials, the notifications and the Forum dedicated to them. Please note that all notices sent by the teacher on the Blended Learning platform will be sent only to the students' institutional addresses (nomeutente@campus.uniurb.it).

-Degree Theses. Students who intend to carry out or are carrying out thesis work in this discipline will be called to collective meetings, during which the topics, times and ways of preparing the thesis will be agreed upon and managed. Appointments can be agreed upon during the course and will be communicated through Blended Learning (Moodle).

-In the University of Urbino Carlo Bo is active the University Theatrical Center Cesare Questa, which offers to the students professional courses of translation for the scene and acting, aimed at the representation, of which the students themselves, as in previous years, can be protagonists also taking up some of the topics that are the basis of the program of this course.