Classics

Honor- and Shame-Culture: Glaucus and Diomedes; Hector and Andromache (Hom. Il. VI) During the classes will be carried out an in-depth reading of the VIth book of the Iliad containing the description of the missed duel between Glaucus and Diomedes and Hector's meeting with Andromache before his return to battle. Particular attention will be devoted to the motive of honour that underlies the ethics of Homeric heroes, the concern for public opinion (aidos), the fear of anything that might expose the heroes to contempt and ridicule. Specific critical-textual problems raised by the Homeric text will also be discussed. To promote a better understanding of Greek literature of the archaic age, students will be required to read autonomously a selection of texts from Greek lyric poetry and the whole sixth book of Herodotus' Histories. Finally, aspects of the history of Greek language, its literary dialects (in particular, Homeric dialect) and metrics (the dactylic hexameter) will be dealt with during the classes.

Students are required to have a basic knowledge of Greek. The notions of morphology and syntax learned during the first two years of secondary school (IV and V gymnasium: Liceo Classico) must be studied again in a school textbook at the student's choice.

Testi in lingua greca/commenti - Omero, Iliade. Libro VI (lettura in greco). Ediz. di riferimento: D.B. Monro - Th.W. Allen, Homeri Opera, II: Iliadis libros 1-12 continens, Oxonii (Oxford University Press) 19893 [fotocopie in vendita presso: copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10] - Commento: G.S. Kirk, The Iliad: a Commentary, II: Books 5-8, Cambridge 1990 [fotocopie in vendita presso: copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10] (lettura obbligatoria del commento relativo a: Omero Iliade XX). Per una traduzione annotata di riferimento gli studenti possono servirsi di una delle due seguenti edizioni economiche: G. Cerri, Omero. Iliade. Introduzione e traduzione di G. Cerri. Commento di A. Gostoli, Milano (BUR) 1998; oppure: M.G. Ciani, Omero. Iliade. Testo greco a fronte. Commento di E. Avezzù, Venezia (Marsilio) 2007 - Erodoto, Storie, Libro VI (lettura in greco). Ediz. di riferimento: G. Nenci, Erodoto, VI: La battaglia di Maratona, Milano (Fondazione Lorenzo Valla - Mondadori) 1998 - Scelta dai poeti lirici (lettura in greco). Ediz. di riferimento: E. Degani – G. Burzacchini - G. Magnani, Lirici Greci, Bologna (Patron) 2005: tutti i frammenti ivi riportati dei seguenti autori: Archiloco, Ipponatte, Tirteo, Mimnermo, Solone, Saffo, Alceo, Anacreonte, Stesicoro

 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 uploading files. Information about this will be communicated in due time on the teacher's website  Attention: the course is divided into two different classes (A-L: Prof. Giuseppe Lentini; M-Z: Prof. Maurizio Sonnino). It is not allowed to switch from one class to another without previous authorization from the staff.

During one of the lessons there will be a translation test from Greek. This test, to be carried out only once, is merely indicative, so that it does not in any way prevent access to the final oral exam, nor does it preclude a full final mark in case of an excellent 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 correct historical frame. Knowledge of history of Greek literature will be assessed during the exam. The ability to deal with all these aspects of the oral exam entitles students to a full mark.

Manuali /grammatiche di riferimento/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) - Una grammatica ginnasiale a scelta dello studente. È raccomandato, comunque, lo studio di: D. Pieraccioni, Morfologia storica della lingua greca, Messina - Firenze (D'Anna) 1954 - R. Cantarella - G. Scarpat, Breve Introduzione ad Omero, Città di Castello (Dante Alighieri) 1989, pp. 119-126 + 168-248 - O. Longo, Elementi di Grammatica Storica e Dialettologia Greca, Padova (Cleup) 1987, pp. 1-102 (fotocopie in vendita presso: copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10) - L.E. Rossi, Breve Introduzione alla Metrica Greca e Latina, Roma 1999, pp. 1-12, 16-20, 25-27 (fotocopie in vendita presso: copisteria Copy Net, Via degli Irpini, 10)

Lessons will be held in present and will be equally divided between grammar and literature. Grammar lessons will focus on the history of Greek language, with particular attention to the transition from Indo-European to Greek phonetics, the study of Greek dialects (especially Homeric dialect) and metrics (especially the dactylic hexameter). As for literature, after some introductory lessons on Homer and oral poetry, we will read the VIth Book of the Iliad paying attention to both language and content.

Through the reading of the Homeric text at the heart of the course (the first book of the Iliad), as well as an anthology of lyric poems and a selection of passages from Herodotus, a historical introduction to the Greek language and Greek dialects will be presented, particularly to Homeric language

Knowledge of Greek grammar as acquired in high schools (Liceo Classico) is necessary.

Greek texts 1. Homer,Iliad , book I, whole book in the original language -- Reference edition: M.L. West, Homeri Ilias. Volumen prius: rhapsodiae I-XII, In aedibus K. G. Saur, Monachii et Lipsiae, 1998 -- Commentary: S. L. Schein, Homer Iliad Book I, Cambridge 2002 -- Italian translation: Franco Ferrari, Omero. Iliade, Mondadori, Milano 2018) 2. Herodotus book V, ch. 49-102 (to be read in Greek). Reference edition and commentary: S. Hornblower, Herodotus, Histories V, Cambride 2013. Italian translation and commentary Erodoto, Le Storie. Libro V. La rivolta degli Ioni. A cura di G. Nenci, Mondadori, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Milano 1994 3. Selection of Greek lyric poetry (to be read in Greek). Reference edition: F. Ferrari, La porta dei canti, Cappelli, Bologna (i testi da preparare saranno indicati a lezione) Handbooks, grammars, essays: Greek grammar to be studied on a high school Greek Grammar. D. Pieraccioni, Morfologia storica della lingua greca, D'Anna, Messina - Firenze 1975 (3rd ed.) is also recommended. Sections to be indicated from G. Cambiano - L. Canfora - D. Lanza, Lo spazio letterario della Grecia antica, Volume I Tomo I. Sections to be indicated from L. E. Rossi, I poemi omerici come testimonianza di poesia orale, in L.E. Rossi κηληθμῷ δ ̓ ἔσχοντο. Scritti editi e inediti, volume II, Berlin/Boston 2020 Introduction in Franco Ferrari, Omero. Iliade, Mondadori, Milano 2018) Other reference material: O. Longo, Elementi di Grammatica Storica e Dialettologia Greca, Padova (Cleup) 1987, pp. 17-55, 69-102 M.C. Martinelli, Gli strumenti del poeta, Cappelli, Bologna 1995 (sections indicated during the course) M.Giordano, Iliade. Libro I. La peste e l'ira, Roma 2010

Whoever is unable to attend classes *must* contact the teacher to arrange a specific program for non-attending students

The final assessment will be oral, and will focus on reading, translating and commenting on the Greek texts in the syllabus, as well as the ability to expound and elaborate on the notions offered in the lectures and in the essays on the syllabus. A written translation test during the course is planned to assess skills in translation and comprehension of Greek texts.

The course includes lectures and practical exercises