Greek Literature
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide the students with the basic informations about the Greek literature through his historical development, from the archaic period till the Roman- Imperial epoch.
The course will then offer a monographic close investigation about a specific theme, developed through readings and commentaries of texts, with the aim to offer to the students the various methods of approach to and analysis of the ancient Greek literary texts.
Along with the course, it will be possible to attend translation classes. Those who don't possess a preliminary knowledge of ancient Greek language can attend a specific class.
The course will then offer a monographic close investigation about a specific theme, developed through readings and commentaries of texts, with the aim to offer to the students the various methods of approach to and analysis of the ancient Greek literary texts.
Along with the course, it will be possible to attend translation classes. Those who don't possess a preliminary knowledge of ancient Greek language can attend a specific class.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledges
The course aims to lead the students to the knowledge of the major traits and issues of archaic, classical and Roman-Imperial Greek Literature. It will also be essential to contextualise authors and texts in their historical period, to learn some basic notions of metrics and rhetoric and to identify the various literary genres of lyric poetry and Greek prose.
Skills
Students will be asked to accurately read the texts and to gain an adequate skill in analysing their content and style, along with their meaning within their literary genre and historical context. Students will be guided in understanding and using the related scholarly literature and the basic bibliographic resources in order to allow them to autonomously widen their research on the matter. As a result, students will improve their communication skills and will be able to identify their own research interests and evaluate their own intellectual maturation.
The course aims to lead the students to the knowledge of the major traits and issues of archaic, classical and Roman-Imperial Greek Literature. It will also be essential to contextualise authors and texts in their historical period, to learn some basic notions of metrics and rhetoric and to identify the various literary genres of lyric poetry and Greek prose.
Skills
Students will be asked to accurately read the texts and to gain an adequate skill in analysing their content and style, along with their meaning within their literary genre and historical context. Students will be guided in understanding and using the related scholarly literature and the basic bibliographic resources in order to allow them to autonomously widen their research on the matter. As a result, students will improve their communication skills and will be able to identify their own research interests and evaluate their own intellectual maturation.
Lesson period: First 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
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Love Poetry and love for the philosophy from the lyric poets to Plato (80 h, 12 ECTS)
Teaching Unit A (20h, 3 ECTS): Forms and functions of the lyric poetry
Teaching Unit B (20h, 3 ECTS): The love theme in monodic lyric
Teaching Unit C (20h, 3 ECTS): The love theme in Pindaros' and Backhylides' lyric
Teaching Unit D (20h, 3 ECTS): The philosophic eros in Plato's Symposion
The course will provide a presentation and discussion of the following topics:
- The Greek theory of eros through the arcaic and classical ages, underlining the exceptional social and anthropological value of homosexual practices within the scope of the paedagogical development of the youngsters
- The commented reading of many fragments of Archilochus, Sappho and Anacreon
- The commented reading of one epinician each of Pindar and Bacchylides
- The commented reading of the key passages from Plato's Symposion, complete knowledge of which will be required.
Along with the course, it will be possible to attend translation classes. Those who do not possess a preliminary knowledge of ancient Greek language can attend a specific class.
Teaching Unit A (20h, 3 ECTS): Forms and functions of the lyric poetry
Teaching Unit B (20h, 3 ECTS): The love theme in monodic lyric
Teaching Unit C (20h, 3 ECTS): The love theme in Pindaros' and Backhylides' lyric
Teaching Unit D (20h, 3 ECTS): The philosophic eros in Plato's Symposion
The course will provide a presentation and discussion of the following topics:
- The Greek theory of eros through the arcaic and classical ages, underlining the exceptional social and anthropological value of homosexual practices within the scope of the paedagogical development of the youngsters
- The commented reading of many fragments of Archilochus, Sappho and Anacreon
- The commented reading of one epinician each of Pindar and Bacchylides
- The commented reading of the key passages from Plato's Symposion, complete knowledge of which will be required.
Along with the course, it will be possible to attend translation classes. Those who do not possess a preliminary knowledge of ancient Greek language can attend a specific class.
Prerequisites for admission
The course and the translation classes can be attended with profit only by students with a high-school level of Greek. Those who did not studied Greek in high school can attend a one-year preliminary course. In this case it is recommended, though not mandatory, to attend the course only from the second year of the undergraduate program.
Teaching methods
The number of the students of this course is very large, and they are almost all first-year students. Therefore, the course will be offered in a lecture format, but the teacher will often pose questions to students to ascertain their knowledge and progress in the linguistic and stylistic analysis, but also in the knowledge of the historical and social background within which the texts selected for the course are set and assume their authentic significance. Attendance of the classes is strongly recommended.
The written test, highly recommended to the classics students, is intended to further verify, after the end of the course, their skills in translation, aiming to develop their self-reliance in reading at least prose works.
The written test, highly recommended to the classics students, is intended to further verify, after the end of the course, their skills in translation, aiming to develop their self-reliance in reading at least prose works.
Teaching Resources
Teaching unit A
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; E. Degani - G. Burzacchini, Lirici greci, Pàtron, Bologna 20052.
Teaching unit B
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia arcaica. Da Omero al V secolo, Laterza, Roma 2006; E. Degani - G. Burzacchini, Lirici greci, Pàtron, Bologna 20052.
Teaching unit C
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia arcaica. Da Omero al V secolo, Laterza, Roma 2006; Pindaro, Olimpiche, a cura di L. Lehnus, Garzanti, Milano 1987; Pindaro, Olimpiche, a cura di B. Gentili, C. Catenacci, P. Giannini, L. Lomiento, Milano-Valla 2011; Bacchilide, Odi e frammenti, a cura di M. Giuseppetti, BUR, Milano 2015.
Teaching unit D
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; Platone, Simposio, a cura di V. Di Benedetto e F. Ferrari, BUR, Milano 1987; Platone, Simposio, a cura di G. Reale, Milano-Valla 2001.
For the study of the history of ancient Greek literature D. Del Corno, La letteratura greca, Principato, Milano 1995 is very useful. The short but clear synthesis offered by F. Montanari, Prima lezione di letteratura greca, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2009 is recommended.
More bibliographical suggestions will be offered by the teacher during the course and made available through the Ariel platform (ariel.unimi.it).
Bibliographic information for non-attending students
Those students, for whom it will be truly impossible to attend the course, will have to agree with the teacher an alternative programme, that will include added readings of original texts and of critical essays, also in accordance with the individual interests of each student.
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; E. Degani - G. Burzacchini, Lirici greci, Pàtron, Bologna 20052.
Teaching unit B
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia arcaica. Da Omero al V secolo, Laterza, Roma 2006; E. Degani - G. Burzacchini, Lirici greci, Pàtron, Bologna 20052.
Teaching unit C
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; B. Gentili, Poesia e pubblico nella Grecia arcaica. Da Omero al V secolo, Laterza, Roma 2006; Pindaro, Olimpiche, a cura di L. Lehnus, Garzanti, Milano 1987; Pindaro, Olimpiche, a cura di B. Gentili, C. Catenacci, P. Giannini, L. Lomiento, Milano-Valla 2011; Bacchilide, Odi e frammenti, a cura di M. Giuseppetti, BUR, Milano 2015.
Teaching unit D
C. Calame, L'amore in Grecia, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1988; Platone, Simposio, a cura di V. Di Benedetto e F. Ferrari, BUR, Milano 1987; Platone, Simposio, a cura di G. Reale, Milano-Valla 2001.
For the study of the history of ancient Greek literature D. Del Corno, La letteratura greca, Principato, Milano 1995 is very useful. The short but clear synthesis offered by F. Montanari, Prima lezione di letteratura greca, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2009 is recommended.
More bibliographical suggestions will be offered by the teacher during the course and made available through the Ariel platform (ariel.unimi.it).
Bibliographic information for non-attending students
Those students, for whom it will be truly impossible to attend the course, will have to agree with the teacher an alternative programme, that will include added readings of original texts and of critical essays, also in accordance with the individual interests of each student.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Assessment consists of an oral exam, which every student is called to sit after passing a written test based on the translation of a prose text of average level. Passing the written test is not a prerequisite for access to the oral exam but still is taken into account with a view to the final mark of the oral exam. The latter aims to ascertain: clarity and explanatory effectiveness; the use of discipline-specific language; skills in translation; critical knowledge acquired first and foremost through the reading of the recommended essays. A sound knowledge of the history of Greek literature through its whole development, from Homer to the late antiquity is also required. Marks are out of 30. No mark is given for the written translation (only a pass or fail).
International or Erasmus incoming students are required to contact the teacher.
The assessments methods for disable and/or DSA students shall be agreed with the teacher, through the settlement with the competent office.
International or Erasmus incoming students are required to contact the teacher.
The assessments methods for disable and/or DSA students shall be agreed with the teacher, through the settlement with the competent office.
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica D
L-FIL-LET/02 - GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours