OVERVIEW

The aim of philology 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.

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;
- 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 discuss the different aspects of the discipline.

PREREQUISITES

A good command of ancient Greek language.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and (for part 2) guided practice exercises on paradigmatic cases.

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

Towards a new critical edition of the scholia to the Iliad.
Overview on ancient scholia to the Iliad: hypothesis for the reconstruction of the corpus, organization in classes, manuscript witnesses. Presentation of the existing editions (Scholia Graeca in Homeri Iliadem [Scholia vetera], rec. H. Erbse, I-VII, Berolini 1969-1988, Scholia D in Iliadem, ed. H. van Thiel, 2000, http://kups. ub.uni-koeln.de/1810/) and the project for a new updated and expanded edition, with reading of the manuscripts and discussion about the constitutio textus.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

P. CHIESA, Elementi di critica testuale, Bologna, Pàtron Editore, 2012 (II ed.)

or

M.L. West, Critica del testo e tecnica dell’edizione, Palermo, L’Epos, 1991 (trad. it. di Textual criticism and editorial technique, Stuttgart 1973).

Part 2)

F. MONTANA, La filologia ellenistica. Lineamenti di una storia culturale, Pavia, Pavia University Press 2012.

Passages which will be discussed in class will be supplied as handout. Ancient and Medieval manuscripts which will be examined in class and used for practice exercises will be supplied in digital copies available online.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PAGANI (President)

CLAUDIO BEVEGNI

VALTER LAPINI

FRANCO MONTANARI

SERENA PERRONE

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 25, 2018

Class schedule

GREEK PHILOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written test (report, to be delivered via email at least one week before the exam) and oral test. Students are not allowed to access the oral test before having passed the written one.

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 teacher). 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 work out in a critical and autonomous way all the information provided by the critical edition of a text).

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance at lessons is highly recommended. Non-attending students are asked to contact the teacher to receive alternative and / or supplementary bibliography.