Philology, literatures and history of the ancient world

RAFFAELE LUISELLI

In consistency with the educational purposes of the whole teaching course, aim of the teaching unit is to give students knowledge and comprehension skills in the field of Papyrology, that complete and/or reinforce those acquired in the first grade of studies. Moreover, it will make the students able to approach orginal themes in a research context, making more complex judgments, communicating knowledge and its process, and studying the subject in an independent and self-educational way. In particular, students are expected to acquire: (a) the basic technical and methodological tools necessary to study the Greek papyri, both literary and documentary; (b) a basic knowledge of the development of the Greek script from the fourth century B.C to the eighth century A.D.; (c) an ability to express their own distinctive scholarly voices on individual documents, as well as on select problems of historical and philological character; and (d) a good knowledge of the instrumenta studiorum of the discipline.

A good knowledge of classical Greek is required. It is helpful for students to have a basic knowledge of Greek palaeography. It is important for them to be able to read secondary literature written in English, German, and French.

«Greek papyri from Ptolemaic Egypt».
This course offers an introduction to the literary and documentary papyri from Ptolemaic Egypt. The first course unit, for which it is expected that 16 hours of study activity in class takes place, aims to help students understand how a methodologically correct study of the ancient papyri must be carried out. In the second course unit, which will have an associated expected 26 hours of study activity in class, we will focus on a selection from the published papyri that range in date from the late fourth century B.C. to the late second century B.C. The papyri will be studied in chronological order. Students will be asked to transcribe and translate each text; and their work will be discussed in class. The teacher will give methodological information, and will also comment on the main data provided by the texts themselves, with particular emphasis on topics such as palaeography, language, textual criticism, and historical background.

(1) First course unit: (a) R.S. Bagnall (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Oxford: Oxford University Press 2009, ch. 7 (pp. 170-178), 8 (pp. 179-196), 10 (pp. 216-255), 11 (pp. 256-281), 16 (pp. 358-394), 17 (pp. 395-417); (b) E.G. Turner, Greek Papyri: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press 1980, ch. 1-8. The following Italian translation may be used: E.G. Turner, Papiri greci, Italian edition by M. Manfredi, Rome: Carocci 2002 (or subsequent reprints; 1st Italian edition, La Nuova Italia Scientifica, 1984), ch. 1-8 (pp. 19-169); (c) U. Wilcken, Grundzüge und Chrestomathie der Papyruskunde, I. Historischer Teil. Erste Hälfte: Grundzüge, Leipzig: Teubner 1912. The following Italian translation may be used: U. Wilcken, Fondamenti della papirologia, Italian edition by R. Pintaudi, Bari: Dedalo 2010, pp. 90-123, 203-229, 269-279, 299-319, 385-442; (d) K. Vandorpe (ed.), A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt, Hoboken (NJ): Blackwell, 2019, pp. 35-49, 103-117, 147-155, 163-170, 179-198, 283-289, 299-307, 429-435. 
(2) Second course unit: students will be given digital images of the papyri to be discussed in class.

An oral exam at the end of the course will be used to assess the student learning outcomes. The exam will yield the relevant information needed to determine the level of a student’s acquisition of key competences, as well as the level of their ability to communicate them. In order to pass the exam, students must get a mark of 18/30, and must show to have acquired a basic knowledge of one of the course topics. In order to get a mark of 30/30 cum laude, students must show to have acquired excellent knowledge of all the course topics.

Can you decipher and translate lines 1-3 of this papyrus text?
How would you describe this papyrus?
How would you describe the handwriting?
What are the steps of papyrus paper manufacturing process?
What is a kollesis, and how is it made?
How does this verb form compare with classical Greek?
Can you tell me something about the penthemeros certificates?
What is a paragraphos, and what is it for?
Can you tell me something about the column layout in the ancient book rolls?