OVERVIEW

Philology is the science whose aim is to bring a literary text back to the form as close as possible to the original one wanted by its author, thus removing the mistakes that are due to tradition. Philological work involves techniques and tools developed as a result of a long and lively history of this discipline, which originated a methodological debate on the validity of certain procedures. In few special cases the traditional procedure cannot be applied, therefore a different approach is required.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowing the underlying mechanisms and the terminology of textual criticism; acquiring competences needed to reconstruct manuscript tradition, to discuss variants, to suggest conjectural emendations of a text; learning to read a critical edition of an ancient Greek literary text and to fully understand the information in the apparatus and in the prefatio; becoming familiar with bibliographical tools and on-line databases relevant to this discipline.

TEACHING METHODS

Lezioni frontali e (per la parte 2) esercitazioni guidate su casi paradigmatici, con lettura dei principali testimoni manoscritti ed esegesi del contenuto.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Part 1

Presentation of the main features of philology and textual criticism in relation to the transmission of ancient Greek literary texts; "anatomy" of a critical edition; introduction to bibliographical tools and on-line databases relevant to this discipline.

Part 2

"Impossible philology": textual criticism of Homeric poems.

Homeric poems raise very peculiar problems in terms of textual constitution, due to their origin and early transmission; they demand a specific philological approach which takes these factors into consideration. The specificity of such text will be presented and explained through the analysis of a series of relevant passages from the Iliad and the Odyssey. The analysis draws on the study of the most ancient transmission phases known to date (quotations of the poems in the 5th/6th century and papyri dating back to the 3rd century).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

The reading list for this course, together with the lecturer's suggestions and instructions are available on the Italian version of the web page.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PAGANI (President)

CLAUDIO BEVEGNI

VALTER LAPINI

FRANCO MONTANARI

SERENA PERRONE

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 26, 2017

Class schedule

GREEK PHILOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written test and oral test.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written test consists in a written report on a case which is relevant to the theme of the course (to be agreed upon with the professor). The aim is to assess students' understanding of philological aspects of texts, students' ability to write a well-structured and well-argued text and students' command of terminology.

The oral test is an interview aimed at assessing students' understanding of tools and mechanisms of textual criticism and students' ability to interpret a critical apparatus. The interview will focus on the translation and discussion of passages studied during the course.

'Pass' requirements are: a broad understanding of the conceptual tools in philology; ability to recognize methodological problems; ability to extract information from the critical edition of a text; correct use of technical terminology.

'Excellence' requirements are: full understanding of conceptual tools and solid command of technical terminology (the student is able to conduct an autonomous, critical analysis of methodological problems in philology, and he/she is able to extract all the information provided by the critical edition of a text.

Exam schedule