Greek and Latin Philology
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course aims at providing students with tools fit to evaluate the text of Greek and Latin authors, who came to us by direct or indirect tradition, through manuscripts, papyrus scrolls, epigraphs. Students will learn the method by which they can establish the text closest to the original, and then proceed to detect anomalies with respect to the linguistic use of the age, genre and author, and propose a sound correction. Peculiar attention will be devoted to strengthen linguistic, metric, paleographic and papyrological knowledges that are necessary for achieving this goal.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge:
at the end of the course the student will have achieved a sound knowledge of stemmatic principles that lead to the constitution of the text of Greek and Latin authors (identification in the manuscript tradition of conjunctive and separative errors, errores significativi, that lead to settle the relationship between the manuscripts), of the methods of evaluation and correction of the text given by the archetype, or by codex unicus, papyrus or epigraph, in relation to the indirect tradition.
Skills:
in view of preparing a critical edition the student will be able to:
- use the main tools of textual criticism (with particular attention to the processes of the recensio, examinatio and emendatio),
- identify and remove textual corruptions, and build the critical apparatus and the other apparatuses (for references to sources, parallels, imitations, quotations);
- study the history of the text in its most significant moments up to the most recent critical editions.
at the end of the course the student will have achieved a sound knowledge of stemmatic principles that lead to the constitution of the text of Greek and Latin authors (identification in the manuscript tradition of conjunctive and separative errors, errores significativi, that lead to settle the relationship between the manuscripts), of the methods of evaluation and correction of the text given by the archetype, or by codex unicus, papyrus or epigraph, in relation to the indirect tradition.
Skills:
in view of preparing a critical edition the student will be able to:
- use the main tools of textual criticism (with particular attention to the processes of the recensio, examinatio and emendatio),
- identify and remove textual corruptions, and build the critical apparatus and the other apparatuses (for references to sources, parallels, imitations, quotations);
- study the history of the text in its most significant moments up to the most recent critical editions.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course will deal with complex texts which rest on very different foundations: a) the texts of Epicurus in the indirect tradition of Diogenes Laertius (above all, Epicurus' three letters to Herodotus, Pythocles, Menoeceus) and in many Herculaneum papyri (with main attention to the Περὶ φύσεως); b) the medieval tradition of Plautus' comedies, founded on the Ambrosian palimpsest A (G. 82 sup.) and on the ʽPalatiniʼ manuscripts; c) the evidence of a codex unicus, the Monacensis Graecus 314, that in 2012 gave us back twenty-nine homilies of Origen on the Psalms, of which only four on Psalm XXXVI were known in the translation by Rufinus of Concordia. Starting from editio princeps (published in 2015), we will examine the Greek text, also in the light of Rufinus' translation, and try to emend it where necessary. This last teaching unit will be set up as a seminar.
Prerequisites for admission
Prerequisites for admission are the abilities to:
- read fluently the original Greek and Latin texts (both prose and poetry) of the ancient world, showing awareness of the evolution and diversification of the language (for Greek it is necessary to know the main literary dialects);
- to identify and read the main Greek and Latin meters and strophic systems (dactilic hexameters and elegiacs, iambic trimeters, trochaic tetrameters, phalaecians, Sapphic and Alcaic strophes);
- read in the original languages (German, English, French and Spanish) the relevant bibliography.
- read fluently the original Greek and Latin texts (both prose and poetry) of the ancient world, showing awareness of the evolution and diversification of the language (for Greek it is necessary to know the main literary dialects);
- to identify and read the main Greek and Latin meters and strophic systems (dactilic hexameters and elegiacs, iambic trimeters, trochaic tetrameters, phalaecians, Sapphic and Alcaic strophes);
- read in the original languages (German, English, French and Spanish) the relevant bibliography.
Teaching methods
Main points of the teaching method are: 1) as far as the teacher is concerned, a) the exposition of handwritten traditions, through lectures illustrating the main manuscripts (some images of the discussed passages will be projected) and their relationships; b) for the indirect tradition, the examination of grammatical, lexicographical and scholiatic sources and their peculiar way of quoting ancient authors; c) for papyrus and epigraphs, the history of their discovery and the chance of improving the reading of damaged parts; d) the reading of important texts of the authors, with close attention to the major variants and emendations and the discussion (examinatio) of the parts supposed to be sound and which may be corrupt; 2) as far as the students are concerned, an active cooperation that is stimulated unceasingly through the examination of the texts and their apparatus.
In the third teaching unit, organized as a seminar, the students will present a section of the text, pointing out the results of the research and trying to propose new interpretations or textual solutions. Attendance at the courses is strongly recommended.
In the third teaching unit, organized as a seminar, the students will present a section of the text, pointing out the results of the research and trying to propose new interpretations or textual solutions. Attendance at the courses is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
In addition to the material which is provided in class, students are required to study the following work:
- P. Maas, La critica del testo, traduzione a cura di G. Ziffer, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma 2017.
Reference texts
Teaching Unity A: T. Dorandi (ed.), Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Cambridge University Press («Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries», 50), Cambridge 2013, Liber X, pp. 733-824
Teaching Unity B: F. Leo (ed.), Plauti Comoediae, voll. 2, Weidmann, Berolini 1895-1896
Teaching Unity C: L. Perrone - E. Prinzivalli - A. Cacciari (edd.), Die neuen Psalmenhomilien, Eine kritische Edition des Codex Monacensis Graecus 314, De Gruyter («Die Griechischen Christlichen Schrifstellen der ersten Jahrhunderte», NF 19), Berlin-München-Boston 2015.
- P. Maas, La critica del testo, traduzione a cura di G. Ziffer, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma 2017.
Reference texts
Teaching Unity A: T. Dorandi (ed.), Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Cambridge University Press («Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries», 50), Cambridge 2013, Liber X, pp. 733-824
Teaching Unity B: F. Leo (ed.), Plauti Comoediae, voll. 2, Weidmann, Berolini 1895-1896
Teaching Unity C: L. Perrone - E. Prinzivalli - A. Cacciari (edd.), Die neuen Psalmenhomilien, Eine kritische Edition des Codex Monacensis Graecus 314, De Gruyter («Die Griechischen Christlichen Schrifstellen der ersten Jahrhunderte», NF 19), Berlin-München-Boston 2015.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The oral exam consists of an interview aimed at ascertaining the comprehension of the topics covered and the skill of the students to apply the method of analysis they learned to further philological problems. A first question will check the ability to construct an hypothetical stemma starting from conjunctive and separative errors of the manuscripts. The other questions, on the topics of the three teaching units, will check how deep the students can critically read the texts examined in the course, starting from a full command of lexicon, syntax and meter; the ability to organize the acquired knowledge in their own way will also be evaluated, as well as the skill to suggest links between the different parts of the program. The vote is expressed in 30/30.
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/05 - CLASSICAL PHILOLOGY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/05 - CLASSICAL PHILOLOGY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/05 - CLASSICAL PHILOLOGY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)