1 CFU

Lecturer: Marco Enrico

Start: 5 March 2026

Time and place: one meeting per week on Thursdays from 3pm to 5pm, Room 2 (Via Balbi 2)

Mode: in presence.

To register go to aulaweb https://2025.aulaweb.unige.it/course/view.php?id=6467 and follow the directions. 

Objective and content
The workshop is devoted to the ancient historian's method and aims to provide students with critical and methodological tools for understanding and interpreting the sources of the past. Through the analysis of sources and case studies, the training is structured on two levels:

1. introducing students to the critical methods of historical research, showing - on the basis of texts in translation - how ancient authors selected, interpreted and narrated facts;
2. provide the tools for a conscious use of sources in their variety (literary, epigraphic, documentary), and of bibliographical, traditional and digital resources.

The workshop involves individual work in which each student (independently or in small groups) will analyse an ancient source, putting into practice the skills acquired. The work may concern a literary text, an inscription or an archaeological find. The work will then be displayed and discussed in the classroom, stimulating critical discussion between students and teachers. The entire workshop will be designed in a seminar-like manner, in which the student will be involved and invited to actively participate.

1 CFU

Lecturer: Rosa Ronzitti

Start: 13 February 2026

Time and location: Friday afternoon 3pm-5pm, Room 6 (Via Balbi 2)

Term: 25 hours including lectures, tutorials and final exam (8 lectures + final exam).

Methods:The workshop is only in presence and with a closed number (20 students). From the second lesson, attendance will be recorded by means of a paper register. An excessive number of absences will jeopardise access to the final exam and therefore the awarding of credit.
To enrol send an email by 2 February to the email address of the teacher taking care to indicate "LABORATORY ENROLLMENT" in the subject line and to specify surname, matriculation number, course of study, curriculum, year of course. Anyone who is NOT really intending to attend is kindly requested to NOT ENROLL, since they would take away another student's place.

Programme:The workshop, through the presentation of texts and images, intends to provide the fundamental tools for understanding the ancient Indian language (Vedic and Sanskrit) and its alphabet. A particular aim is to show students how Greek, Latin, Germanic and Slavic languages are related to the language varieties of North India. They will learn the devanāgarī script (देवनागरी), which is the basis of all modern scripts in the Indian Union and Nepal, Bangladesh and Śrī Laṅkā.
This year's topic will be: reading and translating the hymn Rgveda X.90, on the structure of cosmic man.

Recommended bibliography:
Saverio Sani, Grammatica Sanscrita, Serra, Pisa - Roma 2012.
Carlo Della Casa, Corso di Sanscrito. Grammar, exercises, selected excerpts, vocabulary, Milan, Unicopli 2000.
Material will always be provided in class in photocopy and digital formats.

Methods of assessment: The final test is the transcription of a text in the Devanagaric alphabet.

WARNING: A QUADERN and a PEN GEL will be used to ensure effective and accurate learning of the characters. Writing exercises will be assigned from week to week and supervised by the teacher. The students will actively participate in the lessons, writing on the blackboard and reading aloud.
In the event of alerts/strikes/holidays the lesson will be made up.
A knowledge of at least one language is strongly recommended, exempli gratia Latin, Greek, Russian, German...
Pupils will only be admitted if classroom capacity permits.