ANCIENT GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Knowledge of Greek literature in its historical developement and of the texts in their original language, which students shall be able to translate and analyze in relation to content and formal structure, focusing on grammatical, syntactic, stylistic and metrical aspects.

Frontal lessons and class exercises.

A - Literary history (4 ECTS)

1) History of Greek Literature from the beginning to the VI century AD.

B - Reading of texts in original language (5 ECTS)

1) Hesiod, Theogony or Homer, Odyssey IX;

2) A selection from Greek lyric poetry (numbers refer to Degani and Burzacchini): Archilochus: 2, 3, 6, 8; Hipponax: 7, 8, 19, 20; Tyrtaeus: 1-2; Mimnermus: 1, 2; Solon: 1; Xenophanes: 1, 2; Sappho: 1, 2, 3, 11; Alcaeus: 2, 7, 8, 15; Anacreon: 3, 9; Alcman: 1, 3, 5; Stesichorus: 1, 2; Ibycus: 1, 2; Simonides: 1-2; Pindar, Olympian I.

3) Aristotle, Poetics, chaptt. 1-6.

4) A text to be chosen between:

- Herodotus, The Histories I 1-13, 23-45; IV 99-103;

- Plutarch, Life of Alexander, chaptt. 1-6, 11-14, 26-28, 40-44, 60-63, 72-77.

5) Euripides, Iphigenia Taurica, vv. 1-122, 456-642, 723-826, 1152-1499.

For poetical texts in recitative metres, metrical reading and analysis are required.

A - Literary history (4 ECTS)

D. Del Corno, Letteratura Greca, Milano, Principato 1995, pp. 37-78 (epic poetry), 90-147 (lyric poetry), 165-179 (introduction to tragedy), 183-197 (Aeschylus), 199-214 (Sophocles), 217-239 (Euripides), 255-270 (introduction to comedy), 275-290 (Aristophanes), 317-329 (historiography. Herodotus), 331-342 (Thucydides), 345-350 (beginnings of rhetoric. Lysias), 359-364 (Xenophon), 369-376 (IV century orators. Demosthenes, Aeschines, Isocrates, Hyperides), 412-431 (Middle and New Comedy. Menander), 437-457 (Hellenism. Callimachus, Apollonius of Rhodes), 459-469 (Theocritus), 469-471 (Herodas), 472-481 (Epigram), 485-490 (Polybius), 515-528 (II sophistic), 529-535 (Plutarch), 538-546 (Novel), 548-550 (Julian), 552-554 (Nonnus and late-antique epic poetry).

B Reading of texts in original language (5 ECTS)

1) Esiodo, Teogonia, a cura di G. Arrighetti, Milano 1984, part. pp. 64-127, or: Omero, Odissea, vol. III (libri IX-XII), introduzione, testo e commento a cura di A. Heubeck. Traduzione di G.A. Privitera, Milano, Fondazione “Lorenzo Valla”, 1988, pp. 7-49.

2) E. Degani - G. Burzacchini (a cura di), Lirici Greci. Antologia. Aggiornamento bibliografico a cura di M. Magnani, Bologna, Pàtron editore, 2005, pp. 23-24, 26-27, 30-31, 36-42, 54-58, 70, 72-74, 86-94, 96-103, 107-113, 115-119, 125-146, 157-163, 195-197, 214-222, 232-233, 248-250, 258-260, 283-284, 290-291, 294-296, 299-302, 305-312, 318-322, 324-329, 332-348.

3) Aristotele, Dell'arte poetica, a cura di C. Gallavotti, Milano 1974, pp. 2-27.

4) - Erodoto, Le storie, I: La Lidia e la Persia, a c. di D. Asheri, Milano, Fondazione “Lorenzo Valla”, 1988, pp. 6-21, 26-51; IV: La Scizia e la Lidia, a c. di A. Corcella e S. Medaglia, Milano, Fondazione “Lorenzo Valla” 1993, pp. 114-119 (or any adition with facing Greek text), or:

- Plutarco, Le vite di Alessandro e Cesare, a cura di D. Magnino, Milano, Rizzoli BUR, 1992, pp. 32-47, 56-65, 96-105, 176-186, 202-215.

5) Euripide, Ifigenia in Tauride – Ifigenia in Aulide, a cura di F. Ferrari, Milano, Rizzoli BUR, 1998 or any other edition with facing Greek text (pages corresponding to selected verses).

Recommended text for metrical analysis:

M.C. Martinelli, Gli strumenti del poeta, Elementi di metrica greca, Bologna, Cappelli, 1995, pp. 15-67, 77-112, 115-129, 133-137.

Pages of Martinelli's book listed above contain both basic notions and highly specialized discussion, which cannot be specified here. The teacher will help students to focus the main topics.

Further texts will be available on Studium.unict.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.