OVERVIEW

The tradition of Greek literature is studded with losses: many works are known to us only thanks to indirect references, for others we only know that they existed, others on the contrary (the most read and widespread over time) are preserved by many or very many manuscript witnesses. But even in the latter case, the textual data we have are often ambiguous, unsatisfactory, or problematic and demand reflection on questions of method.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module aims to outline the learning outcomes of the Teaching Classical Philology with specific reference to classical Greek texts and their traditions: in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms and terminology of textual criticism; competences needed to reconstruct manuscript traditions, to discuss variants, to suggest conjectural emendations of a text; learning to read a critical edition of an ancient Greek text and to fully understand the information in the apparatus and the praefatio and their consequences; ability to use bibliographic tools and online databases relevant to this discipline.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Participation in the activities and / or individual study will allow the student to:
- know the mechanisms and the terminology of textual criticism as applied to the texts of classical Greece;
- apply general knowledge to the use of critical editions;
- use the bibliographical tools and online databases relevant to the discipline;
- understand and interpret data relating to Greek manuscript traditions;
- acquire an appropriate vocabulary to outline and critically discuss (also in writing) the different aspects of the discipline.

PREREQUISITES

A good command of ancient Greek language.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures with Powerpoint presentations and images (made available on Aulaweb). Students will also be asked to actively participate, with the elaboration, in small groups or individually, of a speech of about 20/30 minutes on an established topic to be presented orally in class: this exercise is not for evaluation and does not contributes to the exam mark.

Lessons will be held in presence only. Attendance, although not compulsory, is recommended. Non-attending students are asked to contact the teacher in order to arrange a different program.

All the students are requested to register on Aulaweb.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Scholiastic corpora: editing strategies and specific problems.

After a comprehensive introduction on the formation and nature of scholiastic paraliterature and on the tradition of the corpora that will be addressed in class (Iliad and Odyssey), the specific ecdotic problems that the genre poses will be studied, through the reading of a selection of passages, with analysis of critical apparatuses and of digital reproductions of ancient and medieval manuscripts. Elements of continuity and discontinuity with respect to the ancient exegetical tradition will be highlighted and the various applicable ecdotic techniques will be observed.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

– M.L. WEST, Textual criticism and editorial technique, Stuttgart 1973;

– F. MONTANA, Hellenistic Scholarship, in History of Ancient Greek Scholarship: from the Beginnings to the End of the Byzantine Age, ed. by F. Montanari, Leiden-Boston, Brill 2020, pp. 132-259;

– E. DICKEY, The Sources of our Knowledge of Ancient Scholarship, in Brill’s Companion to Ancient Greek Scholarship, ed. by F. Montanari, S. Matthaios, A. Rengakos, 1-2, Leiden-Boston, Brill, 2015, 1, pp. 459-514, limited to the paragraph Scholia, pp. 497-514.

– One at student’s choice between:

F. MONTANA, Editing Anonymous Voices: The Scholia Vetera to the Iliad, in Sicut dicit: Editing Ancient and Medieval Commentaries on Authoritative Texts, ed. by S. Boodts, P. De Leemans †, S. Schorn, Turnhout, Brepols 2019, pp. 97-125;

F. PONTANI, Thoughts on Editing Greek Scholia: the Case of the Exegesis to the Odyssey, in The Arts of Editing Medieval Greek and Latin: a Casebook, ed. by E. Göransson, G. Iversen, B. Crostini, Turnhout, Brepols 2016, pp. 313-337.

The passages examined in class will be made available in photocopies and on Aulaweb. Of the parts of the manuscripts examined in class and of those useful for the exercises, digital reproductions will be provided, if not available online.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PAGANI (President)

SERENA PERRONE

LARA NICOLINI (President Substitute)

ALICE BONANDINI (Substitute)

LISA LONGONI (Substitute)

GABRIELLA MORETTI (Substitute)

BIAGIO SANTORELLI (Substitute)

GIOVANNI TROVATO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

18/09/23

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students will be required both to present arguments in the program discursively and to translate and comment, from a traditional and editorial point of view, passages of the works in program, to ascertain the knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and tools of text criticism, the specific traditions in the program, the tools of the discipline, as well as the ability to use critical apparatuses and to master technical terminology.

The basic threshold is reached in cases where the students demonstrate that they have substantially understood the functioning of the conceptual tools of philology, are able to correctly report what the methodological problems are and to obtain the information offered by a critical edition, using the technical terminology appropriately.

The threshold of excellence is reached in cases where the students demonstrate a total mastery of the conceptual tools and technical terminology of philology, to the point of being able to independently and critically elaborate the methodological problems of the discipline and the information offered by a critical edition.

Exam schedule