Philology, literatures and history of the ancient world

ROBERTO NICOLAI MASTROFRANCESCO

To consolidate and deepen the knowledge of the Greek language and literature, while cultivating a critical approach to the teaching of Ancient Greek and engaging in reflective inquiry into its complex dynamics in light of the ongoing debate in classical studies;
To acquire a profound understanding of the methodologies and didactical tools essential for instructing Greek language and literature at the upper secondary level;
To develop cross-disciplinary reflections on cultural themes, thereby fostering the capacity to formulate nuanced and sophisticated judgments;
To design thematic and interdisciplinary learning modules, developing operational tools that are applicable in teaching practice.

Students will be made aware of the themes of interaction between history and literature, the characteristics of the historiographical literary genre, and the possibility of teaching history through Greek literature.

Good foundational knowledge of the Greek language and literature, as well as of Greek history.

The aim of the course is to combine the teaching of literature with that of history, particularly ancient history, not so much in terms of historical knowledge as in terms of methodology and critical approach to ancient literary texts, particularly those belonging to the historiographical genre, but not exclusively so. The study of these texts can develop linguistic, stylistic and historical-literary skills, which are essential for a correct evaluation of the historical information that can be gleaned from them. In addition to some modern studies, the bibliography also includes scientific commentaries on the texts that will be analysed.

Greek texts
Aesch. Pers. (selezione); Soph. OT (selezione); Hdt. 1. 1-5; Hdt. IX (selezione); Thuc. VI-VII (selezione); Xen. anab. (selezione); Xen. Cyr. (selezione); Xen. Ages. (selezione)

D. Asheri (a cura di), Erodoto. Le storie, I, Libro I, La Lidia e la Persia, trad. di V. Antelami, Milano 1988
D. Asheri (a cura di), Erodoto. Le storie, IX, Libro IX, La battaglia di Platea, commento aggiornato da P. Vannicelli, testo critico di A. Corcella, traduzione di A. Fraschetti, Milano 2006
P. Finglass, Sophocles. Oedipus the King, Cambridge 2018
A.F. Garvie, Aeschylus. Persae, Oxford 2009
S. Hornblower, A Commentary on Thucydides, III, Books 5. 25 – 8. 109, Oxford 2008
R. Nicolai, La storiografia nell’educazione antica, Pisa 1992
R. Nicolai, Storia e storiografia nella scuola greca, in J. A. Fernández Delgado, F. Pordomingo, A, Stramaglia (Eds.), Escuela y literatura en Grecia antigua. Actas del Simposio Internacional. Universidad de Salamanca, 17-19 noviembre de 2004, Cassino 2007a, pp. 39-66
R. Nicolai, The place of history in the ancient world, in J. Marincola (Ed.), A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography, I, Oxford 2007, pp. 13-26
R. Nicolai, L’uso della storiografia come fonte di informazioni: teoria retorica e prassi oratoria, in Iglesias Zoido 2008, pp. 143-174
R. Nicolai, Verità della storia e verità del paradigma: riflessioni su Isocrate (con un’appendice platonica), in A. I. Bouton-Touboulic, F. Daspet (édd.), Dire le vrai. Acte de la Journée d’Études du XLIIe Congrès international de l’ l’Association des Professeurs de Langues anciennes de l’Enseignement Supérieur, Bordeaux 23 mau 2009, Bordeaux 2012a, pp. 9-37
R. Nicolai, La storiografia come restauro necessario, “SemRom” n. s. 1, 2012, pp. 59-69
R. Nicolai, Edipo archeologo. Le profezie sul passato e le origini della ricerca storica, in A. Gostoli e R. Velardi (a cura di), con la collaborazione di M. Colantonio, Mythologeîn. Mito e forme di discorso nel mondo antico. Studi studi in onore di Giovanni Cerri, Pisa-Roma 2014, pp. 254-263
R. Nicolai, At the Boundary of Historiography. Xenophon and his Corpus, in G. Parmeggiani, N. Luraghi (edd.), Between Thucydides and Polybius, Center for Hellenic Studies, Washington D. C. 2014, pp. 63-87
R. Nicolai, Genre, models and functions of Xenophon's Anabasis in comparison with Isocrates’ λόγοι, in M. Tamiolaki (ed.), Xenophon and Isocrates. Political Affinities and Literary Interactions, Berlin-Boston 2018, pp. 197-217
Chr. Pelling, Literary Texts and the Greek Historian, London – New York 2000

Traditional lessons that involve active student participation.

As the course covers topics that span multiple literary genres and authors, students are expected to attend regularly.

The oral exam is conducted on the texts studied during the course and includes translation, commentary, and contextualization of the texts, as well as verification of linguistic and historical-literary competencies.

The student is invited to translate and comment on one of the texts studied during the course and to place it within its historical-literary context.