OVERVIEW

Through the close reading of a selection of authors from different ages, the class aims to refine students' literary analysis skills. The notions of literary genres and canon will be re-assessed, starting from the pivotal genre of Roman ethic and ideologic system: epic.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course intends to introduce students to an in-depth analysis at a specialistic level of history, themes and texts of Latin literature through a direct and analytical reading of the texts, from the Archaic age to the 5th century AD, developing the ability to relate literary production with its historical-cultural context.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, student will be able to:

· Problematize the concept of literary genre, and especially the case of epic.

· Understand the complexity of the relationship of aemulatio between a literary work and its models.

· Evaluate the connections between literary production, authorial poetics, and the relevant historical-cultural context.

· Exploit their linguistic knowledge, at both morphosyntactic and lexical levels, to translate Latin texts accurately and coherently with their literary typology.

· Analyze literary texts on thematic, metrical, semantic, historical-literary, and rhetorical-stylistic grounds.

PREREQUISITES

Proficiency in Latin language and good knowledge of dactylic metric are mandatory prerequisites

TEACHING METHODS

The literary texts listed in the syllabus, will be read in the original language and analyzed in class. The course will envisage a cooperative approach, aimed at valuing the active participation and critical contribution of the students.

Enrollment in the course on Aulaweb is recommended: teaching materials useful to participate in class and necessary for exam preparation will be shared online. Attendance is highly recommended.

During the first semester, an advanced Latin translation class will be offered, to consolidate the requested level of linguistic competence.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Trough epic poetry, Roman civilization reflects upon its own system of values and celebrates its identity. Epic authors legitimize history through myth; they reflect on the present by reworking the past; moving between adherence and critique, they negotiate their relationship with patronage and power.

The class consists of two modules. The first module will focus on Archaic historical epic and will examine a significant selection of fragments from Naevius and Ennius. This analysis will be conducted partly by the professor and partly by the students (workshop).

The second module will focus on the critical reading of history in Lucan’s Pharsalia. Through a close analysis of Book VI, the course will explore how the critique of imperial power is developed through a systematic reversal of the forms and conventions of Virgilian epic.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Reading list: all text must be read and analyzed in Latin

a) Naevius and Ennius: selected fragments (the texts will be made available on AulaWeb)

b) Virgil, Aeneid. Book 6

c) Lucan, Pharsalia. Book 6

Textbook:

E. Narducci, Lucano. Un’epica contro l’impero, Laterza, Bari 2002

Further reference textbooks:

History of Literature:

Gian Biagio Conte, Profilo storico della Letteratura Latina dalle origini alla tarda età imperiale, Le Monnier / Mondadori Education.

Latin language:

Marco Fucecchi, Luca Graverini, La lingua latina. Fondamenti di morfologia e sintassi, Le Monnier / Mondadori Education.

A.Traina, G. Bernardi Perini, Propedeutica al latino universitario, 6a ed. a cura di C. Marangoni, Pàtron. 

History of Latin language:

B. Santorelli, Storia della lingua latina, Carocci.

Metre and prosody:

S. Boldrini, La prosodia e la metrica dei Romani, Carocci.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

February, 2026.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will be held in oral form. An independent analysis of one or more fragments of Archaic epic poetry will form an integral part of the exam; attending students will present and discuss their analysis during in-class workshops.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students will be required to:

· Present and discuss the results of their independent metrical, linguistic, and literary analysis of one or more fragments of Archaic epic poetry, selected in agreement with the professor. Attending students will present and discuss their analysis during in-class workshops

· Read (if requested, metrically) and translate passages from the Latin texts in the reading list, analyzing them from linguistic, lexical, and stylistic-rhetorical perspectives.

· Critically discuss the exegetical and literary issues presented by the texts in the reading list, referring also to the essay listed in the bibliography.

· Show a thorough understanding of the features of the epic genre and its evolution, projecting these insights onto the broader historical and cultural context of Latin literature.

Assessment criteria:

· 30 cum laude - 28: The student will be able to translate and discuss accurately the texts and outline their linguistic features;

· 27 - 23: The student will show an overall knowledge of the selected texts, with some flaws that will not prejudice their correct interpretation.

· 22 - 18: The student will show a partial understanding of the texts and their language.

· Fail: The student who will misinterpret or not be able to translate the texts will not pass the exam.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Accommodations for students with special educational needs / Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)

Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) can consult the guidelines for requesting services, compensatory tools, and/or dispensatory measures and specific aids at the following link: https://unige.it/sites/unige.it/files/2024-05/Linee%20guida%20per%20la%20richiesta%20di%20servizi%2C%20di%20strumenti%20compensativi%20e_o%20di%20misure%20dispensative%20e%20di%20ausili%20specifici%20Maggio%202024.pdf

Please note that to request exam adaptation, it is necessary to:

- Insert the certification on the University's website (servizionline.unige.it) in the "Students" section.

- Send, within 10 days from the exam date, an email to the responsible teachers to agree on the adaptation tools/measures, including in CC both the Teacher in Charge of School for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (elisabetta.colagrossi@unige.it) and the Sector for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

- In the email, please specify: the name of the course; the date of the exam; the student's last name, first name, and student number; the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures considered functional and requested.

- The responsible teachers, upon confirmation from Prof. Colagrossi, will communicate which tools/measures can be accepted based on the didactic and evaluative methods of the exam.