Classics

Aristotle on Tragedy A century after the great tragic season of the 5th century BC. Aristotle analyses the origin, development and characteristics of the tragic genre in his Poetics. This is an exceptional testimony, which poses, however, serious problems of interpretation. What was the purpose of Aristotle's Poetics? To whom was it directed? How much does Aristotle's approach to tragedy reflect that actually practised by the Athenian audience in the 5th century BC, and how innovative is it in its dealing with the great tragic authors of the 5th century BC? Some possible answers to these questions will be attempted through the reading of significant texts from the plays of the three great tragedians.

The notions of grammar and syntax learned during secondary school and the notions of historical grammar learned during the course of Greek Language and Literature I must be reviewed, because they will be required in the final exam anyway.

Testi da portare all’esame • Aristotele, Poetica: lettura della seguente sezione: 1447a 1 – 1456a 32. Ediz. di riferimento: D.W. Lucas, Aristotle. Poetics, Oxford 1968 [Oxford University Press: il testo critico ivi riprodotto è quello di: R. Kassel, Aristotelis Poetica, Oxford 1965] (fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). Come traduzione italiana di riferimento (accompagnata, peraltro, da ottima introduzione) si consiglia: D. Lanza, Aristotele. Poetica, Milano 1987 [BUR] • Eschilo, Sette contro Tebe: lettura integrale del testo greco e del commento. Ediz. di riferimento: G. Hutchinson, Aeschylus. Seven against Thebes, Oxford 1985 (fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). Per una traduzione di riferimento si consiglia: F. Ferrari, Eschilo. Persiani. Sette contro Tebe. Supplici, Milano (BUR) 1987. • Sofocle, Filottete: lettura integrale del testo greco e del commento. Ediz. di riferimento: G. Avezzù – P. Pucci, Sofocle. Filottete, Milano 2003 (Fondazione Lorenzo Valla) • Euripide, Medea. Ediz. di riferimento: D.L. Page, Euripides. Medea, Oxford 1938. Manuali/articoli • L.E. Rossi, Letteratura Greca, Firenze (Le Monnier) 1995 (ediz. fuori-commercio: fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). In alternativa è possibile studiare su un altro manuale a scelta dello studente, purché vengano abbracciate tutte le fasi della letteratura greca dalle origini alla tarda età imperiale.

 Students are required to attend classes. If students miss classes they should inform staff of their absence and the reason for it. Students are also invited to join the virtual classroom (Classroom), which is useful for sending quick communications and distributing files. Information about this will be communicated in due time on the teacher's website.  Please, pay attention: the course is divided into two different classes (A-L: Prof. Maurizio Sonnino; M-Z: Prof. Luca Bettarini). It is not allowed to switch from one class to the other without previous authorization from the staff.  Attention: Classes start: Friday 4 October 2024; class schedule: Thu/Fri. 8-10 a.m. (Aula Magna Pasquini, Zoology).

During the course, there will be a translation test from Greek, which, if successful, will allow access to the final oral exam.The oral exam will be devoted to ascertain students' skill in Greek language, metrics and literature. Students will have to translate some of the chosen texts and answer questions about Greek language (morphology and syntax). Afterwards, they will be asked to put what they have read in the right historical frame. The exam will conclude with some questions about the history of Greek literature. The ability to deal with these three aspects of the oral exam entitles students to a full mark.

The course will be divided into two different parts. In the first semester we will proceed to the reading of relevant sections from Aristotle's Poetics, paying attention to the technical language and to some aspects of tragic theory developed here. In the second semester we will proceed to the reading of sections from two tragedies (Sophocles, Seven agains Thebes; Euripides, Bacchae; Sophocles, Philoctetes), which students will have to read in full to take the final exam. Students will prepare on their own the reading of Plato's Ion in order to improve their knowledge of Attic prose of the 4th century B.C. There will be a translation test from Greek, which will allow access to the oral exam if students will show a good knowledge of Greek language.

Aristotle on Tragedy A century after the great tragic season of the 5th century BC. Aristotle analyses the origin, development and characteristics of the tragic genre in his Poetics. This is an exceptional testimony, which poses, however, serious problems of interpretation. What was the purpose of Aristotle's Poetics? To whom was it directed? How much does Aristotle's approach to tragedy reflect that actually practised by the Athenian audience in the 5th century BC, and how innovative is it in its dealing with the great tragic authors of the 5th century BC? Some possible answers to these questions will be attempted through the reading of significant texts from the plays of the three great tragedians.

The notions of grammar and syntax learned during secondary school and the notions of historical grammar learned during the course of Greek Language and Literature I must be reviewed, because they will be required in the final exam anyway.

Testi da portare all’esame • Aristotele, Poetica: lettura della seguente sezione: 1447a 1 – 1456a 32. Ediz. di riferimento: D.W. Lucas, Aristotle. Poetics, Oxford 1968 [Oxford University Press: il testo critico ivi riprodotto è quello di: R. Kassel, Aristotelis Poetica, Oxford 1965] (fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). Come traduzione italiana di riferimento (accompagnata, peraltro, da ottima introduzione) si consiglia: D. Lanza, Aristotele. Poetica, Milano 1987 [BUR] • Eschilo, Sette contro Tebe: lettura integrale del testo greco e del commento. Ediz. di riferimento: G. Hutchinson, Aeschylus. Seven against Thebes, Oxford 1985 (fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). Per una traduzione di riferimento si consiglia: F. Ferrari, Eschilo. Persiani. Sette contro Tebe. Supplici, Milano (BUR) 1987. • Sofocle, Filottete: lettura integrale del testo greco e del commento. Ediz. di riferimento: G. Avezzù – P. Pucci, Sofocle. Filottete, Milano 2003 (Fondazione Lorenzo Valla) • Euripide, Medea. Ediz. di riferimento: D.L. Page, Euripides. Medea, Oxford 1938. Manuali/articoli • L.E. Rossi, Letteratura Greca, Firenze (Le Monnier) 1995 (ediz. fuori-commercio: fotocopie in vendita presso la copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10). In alternativa è possibile studiare su un altro manuale a scelta dello studente, purché vengano abbracciate tutte le fasi della letteratura greca dalle origini alla tarda età imperiale.

 Students are required to attend classes. If students miss classes they should inform staff of their absence and the reason for it. Students are also invited to join the virtual classroom (Classroom), which is useful for sending quick communications and distributing files. Information about this will be communicated in due time on the teacher's website.  Please, pay attention: the course is divided into two different classes (A-L: Prof. Maurizio Sonnino; M-Z: Prof. Luca Bettarini). It is not allowed to switch from one class to the other without previous authorization from the staff.  Attention: Classes start: Friday 4 October 2024; class schedule: Thu/Fri. 8-10 a.m. (Aula Magna Pasquini, Zoology).

During the course, there will be a translation test from Greek, which, if successful, will allow access to the final oral exam.The oral exam will be devoted to ascertain students' skill in Greek language, metrics and literature. Students will have to translate some of the chosen texts and answer questions about Greek language (morphology and syntax). Afterwards, they will be asked to put what they have read in the right historical frame. The exam will conclude with some questions about the history of Greek literature. The ability to deal with these three aspects of the oral exam entitles students to a full mark.

The course will be divided into two different parts. In the first semester we will proceed to the reading of relevant sections from Aristotle's Poetics, paying attention to the technical language and to some aspects of tragic theory developed here. In the second semester we will proceed to the reading of sections from two tragedies (Sophocles, Seven agains Thebes; Euripides, Bacchae; Sophocles, Philoctetes), which students will have to read in full to take the final exam. Students will prepare on their own the reading of Plato's Ion in order to improve their knowledge of Attic prose of the 4th century B.C. There will be a translation test from Greek, which will allow access to the oral exam if students will show a good knowledge of Greek language.

General part: Greek Literature of the classical, Hellenistic and Roman age Monographic course: Symposion and sympotic literature in classical and post-classical age The course aims at introducing the Greek literature of the classical and post-classical period, following the fil rouge of the symposion and of the sympotic literature in classical and post-classical age.

It is required an adequate knoweldge of the archaic age of Greek literature and a good knowledge of ancient Greek language.

A handbook of History of Greek Literature of classical, Hellenistic and Roman age at the choice of the student (for example L.E. Rossi - R. Nicolai, Storia e testi della letteratura greca. Vol. I L’età arcaica, Firenze (Le Monnier) 2003 + Vol. II: L'età classica, Firenze (Le Monnier) 2003 + L.E. Rossi - R. Nicolai, Storia e testi della letteratura greca. Vol. III: L'età ellenistica e l’età imperiale romana, Firenze (Le Monnier) 2003; Aristofane, Nuvole, a cura di G. Guidorizzi, Milano 1996 Aristophanes, Wasps, edited with introduction and commentary by D. M. Macdowell, Oxford 1971 J. Diggle, Euripidis fabulae, I, Oxford 1984 Euripide. Ciclope, a cura di M. Napolitano, introduzione di L.E. Rossi, Venezia 2003 E. Fabbro, Carmina convivalia Attica, Roma 1995 B.A. Van Groningen, Pindare au banquet, Leyde 1960 Platone, Simposio, a cura di F. Ferrari, Milano (BUR) 1985 Platone, Apologia di Socrate e Critone, a cura di M.M. Sassi, Milano (BUR) 1993 A. Leurini, Ion Chius. Testimonia et fragmenta, Amsterdam 2000 Victoria Jennings, Andrea Katsaros, The world of Ion of Chios, Leiden 2007 F. Ferrari, P. Berol. Inv. 13270: i canti di Elefantina, SCO 38 (1988), 181-227 Other essays and/or books to be read will be suggested in class

Mandatory attendance. Non-attending students have to agree on a specific program with the teacher

Assessment methods consist of a final oral exam that provides questions regarding the course’s arguments; there will be also a written exam, that is a translation from ancient Greek: the student will be admitted to the oral exam only if he will pass the written one.

The course will be mainly carried out in frontal classes and in practical lessons regarding the metrics of selected texts