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 outline and critically discuss (also in writing) the different aspects of the discipline.

PREREQUISITES

A good command of ancient Greek language.

TEACHING METHODS

Part 1: seminar-based lessons, with active contribution by the students, in order to adapt the level to the basic knowledge already possessed by the participants. On bibliographical tools and online databases guided practice exercises will be organized.

Part 2: lectures and guided practice exercises (group works will be in case organized, according to the number of participants).

The students are requested to register on the AulaWeb page. Attendance at lessons and activities is highly recommended. Non-attending students are asked to contact the teacher to receive supplementary bibliography.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Part 1: fundamentals

– philology and textual criticism in relation to the transmission of ancient Greek literary texts: premises and aims; material aspects (forms of the book, types of writing); reconstructive textual criticism (typology of corruptions, outline of the genealogical relationship within the witnesses, formation and development of the reconstructive criticism, new non-reconstructive perspectives);

– bibliographical tools and on-line databases relevant to this discipline.

Part 2: poets and commentators. The general knowledge will be applied to the use of critical editions of different types of texts, through the study of passages from Homer, Hesiod, Aristophanes and the corresponding ancient comments preserved in their respective scholiastic corpora. Synthetic description and problematization of the manuscript traditions of both poetic and scholarly texts (for the latter a general introduction will also be provided on the scholiastic genre and the specific ecdotic problems it poses); reading of the critical apparatuses and autopsy of manuscript witnesses, when available online; consideration of the various ecdotic techniques applied.

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.

The passages examined in class will be distributed in photocopy. The manuscripts examined in class and used for the exercises will be presented in digital reproductions available online.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PAGANI (President)

CLAUDIO BEVEGNI

VALTER LAPINI

FRANCO MONTANARI

SERENA PERRONE

LESSONS

LESSONS START

October 15, 2019

Class schedule

GREEK PHILOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Production of a written report on a subject decided with the teacher (to be delivered to the teacher 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 report (> 18/30). The evaluation of the written report will be communicated via email. If the oral test proves insufficient (< 18/30), the evaluation assigned to the written report will remain valid. The final mark will be determined by a weighted average between the marks of the two tests according to the following ratio: written report: 40%; oral test: 60%. Both part of the exam must be sufficient (> 18/30).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The production of a written report aims at assessing students’ knowledge of philological aspects of the text under discussion, students’ ability to understand the outcomes of these features on the textual constitution, 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’ knowledge and understanding of tools and mechanisms of textual criticism, students’ knowledge of bibliographical tools and databases, students’ command of technical terminology, also by arguing in support of the points made in the written report.

‘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

The teaching methods of part 1 (fundamentals) have been modified with respect to the past based on a suggestion in the assessment questionnaires of the last a.y., in order to take into account the different levels of preliminary preparation acquired by the different students according to the teaching attended on their choice during their bachelor’s degree course and during the first year of the master’s degree course.