Medieval Latin Language and Literature
A.Y. 2020/2021
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide students with: 1) a basic knowledge of the specificities of the Latin language in use in the Middle Ages and of bibliographic tools useful for its analysis; 2) an introduction to the use of basic bibliographic tools for the study of Mediolatin literature, with experiences of practical application; 3) an in-depth level of knowledge in the field of Mediolatin literature, as compared to the level already acquired in the three-year course, with particular attention to the methodological aspects of the analysis and historical-literary setting of texts, through the examination of a specific literary genre or of a single author or text.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student is expected to be aware of the characteristics of the Latin texts of the Middle Ages, in their linguistic and formal specificity, and to master the fundamental bibliographic tools to autonomously face both the identification and the critical study of them. He will know the main characteristics assumed by the Latin language in the Middle Ages; the criteria for bibliographic identification of texts, in the specific problematic nature of the history of studies on Mediolatin sources; the main methods of philological-literary investigation applicable to texts of medieval Latinity. It will thus be able to critically analyze and interpret literary Mediolatin texts both from the linguistic point of view, with awareness of the variables determined by the chronological and geographical context, and in the various aspects related to their genesis and transmission, to their purposes, to their relationship with the previous tradition. Thanks to practical exercises, he will also be able to write a short encyclopedic entry about an author or text of medieval Latinity and to elaborate a public presentation of his or her individual work.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Any health emergency will affect the course as described below.
1) Programme and reference materials
No change. If part of the materials are not available due to the closure of the libraries and the suspension of the expeditions, the teacher will provide alternative materials on the Ariel site of the discipline, together with an explanation file ("Extraordinary program").
2) Teaching methods
SECTION A (3 cfu): The lessons in attendance will be replaced by two complementary ways of telematic delivery of teaching, synchronous and asynchronous, at normal lesson times. The first part, related to research tools, will be carried out in synchronous lessons on Teams platform, recorded and left available to students in the repository of the platform itself or in Ariel. The second part, related to the history of Latin language in the Middle Ages, will be proposed in asynchronous form (ppt with audio uploaded in the Ariel site of the discipline). The third part, the presentation of Wikipedia entries by the students, will be done in synchronous lessons on Teams platform. A forum will also be activated in Ariel for questions about asynchronous lessons and for exchanges useful to support personal exercises.
SECTION B (3 cfu): Also in this case the lessons in attendance will be replaced by both synchronous and asynchronous telematic lessons, in correspondence with the normal lesson times. The reading with translation of the texts of the unit will be proposed in ppt with audio uploaded in the Ariel site of the discipline. The presentation of the literary genre and the case in point, the analysis of the texts and the conclusions will be treated in synchronous lessons on Teams platform, which will also be an opportunity for group work to be carried out in separate channels and then discussed together; these lessons will be recorded and left available in the repository of the platform itself.
FOR BOTH SECTIONS: The calendar of all synchronous and asynchronous lessons will be published in Ariel as soon as the emergency arises; the site will also be the reference place for any organizational communication. All recorded lectures and uploaded ppts will remain available for the entire academic year, until the exam session in January-February 2022.
SECTION A (3 cfu): see the course of Medieval Latin Literature, from which the section is borrowed.
3) Methods of learning verification
The exams will be conducted orally on the Teams platform.
1) Programme and reference materials
No change. If part of the materials are not available due to the closure of the libraries and the suspension of the expeditions, the teacher will provide alternative materials on the Ariel site of the discipline, together with an explanation file ("Extraordinary program").
2) Teaching methods
SECTION A (3 cfu): The lessons in attendance will be replaced by two complementary ways of telematic delivery of teaching, synchronous and asynchronous, at normal lesson times. The first part, related to research tools, will be carried out in synchronous lessons on Teams platform, recorded and left available to students in the repository of the platform itself or in Ariel. The second part, related to the history of Latin language in the Middle Ages, will be proposed in asynchronous form (ppt with audio uploaded in the Ariel site of the discipline). The third part, the presentation of Wikipedia entries by the students, will be done in synchronous lessons on Teams platform. A forum will also be activated in Ariel for questions about asynchronous lessons and for exchanges useful to support personal exercises.
SECTION B (3 cfu): Also in this case the lessons in attendance will be replaced by both synchronous and asynchronous telematic lessons, in correspondence with the normal lesson times. The reading with translation of the texts of the unit will be proposed in ppt with audio uploaded in the Ariel site of the discipline. The presentation of the literary genre and the case in point, the analysis of the texts and the conclusions will be treated in synchronous lessons on Teams platform, which will also be an opportunity for group work to be carried out in separate channels and then discussed together; these lessons will be recorded and left available in the repository of the platform itself.
FOR BOTH SECTIONS: The calendar of all synchronous and asynchronous lessons will be published in Ariel as soon as the emergency arises; the site will also be the reference place for any organizational communication. All recorded lectures and uploaded ppts will remain available for the entire academic year, until the exam session in January-February 2022.
SECTION A (3 cfu): see the course of Medieval Latin Literature, from which the section is borrowed.
3) Methods of learning verification
The exams will be conducted orally on the Teams platform.
Course syllabus
The course is divided into two sections, carried out in parallel.
Section A includes: 1. an introduction to the basic bibliographic tools for the study of Mediolatin literature, with practical experiences in the classroom; 2. a profile of the main transformations undergone by the Latin language in the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The last part of the lectures will be dedicated to the presentation by students of their individual exercises in drafting a Wikipedia entry, concerning an author or work from the Latin Middle Ages, prepared by the specific bibliographic tools of the discipline, and uploaded to the web .
The section B will focus on a case study, belonging to the hagiographic genre: it will present the articulation of the dossier concerning a martyr with fanciful events, Demetrius of Thessalonica. Starting from Greek sources, different Latin versions originate and intersect. The story of the narrations related to the saint exemplifies the dynamics of transmission and the problems of critical reconstruction of many medieval texts because of anonymity and the kind of use, which make them unstable and difficult to place exactly in time and space.
For those who take the exam for 9 cfu, the remaining 3 credits must be acquired attending the final section of the course of Medieval Latin Literature.
Section A includes: 1. an introduction to the basic bibliographic tools for the study of Mediolatin literature, with practical experiences in the classroom; 2. a profile of the main transformations undergone by the Latin language in the transition from Antiquity to the Middle Ages. The last part of the lectures will be dedicated to the presentation by students of their individual exercises in drafting a Wikipedia entry, concerning an author or work from the Latin Middle Ages, prepared by the specific bibliographic tools of the discipline, and uploaded to the web .
The section B will focus on a case study, belonging to the hagiographic genre: it will present the articulation of the dossier concerning a martyr with fanciful events, Demetrius of Thessalonica. Starting from Greek sources, different Latin versions originate and intersect. The story of the narrations related to the saint exemplifies the dynamics of transmission and the problems of critical reconstruction of many medieval texts because of anonymity and the kind of use, which make them unstable and difficult to place exactly in time and space.
For those who take the exam for 9 cfu, the remaining 3 credits must be acquired attending the final section of the course of Medieval Latin Literature.
Prerequisites for admission
The course presupposes the knowledge of the fundamentals of the literary history of the Latin Middle Ages, as acquired through the exam of Medieval Latin literature or, partially, through the exam of Humanistic Philology. A good knowledge of Latin is also essential.
Teaching methods
In the part of section A dedicated to research tools, the presentation by the teacher will be accompanied by experiences of research in group in the classroom, through the digital supports available for the discipline (databases and online archives). Furthermore, part of the time will be devoted to individual presentations of students, aimed at demonstrating both the results obtained in the drafting of the respective Wikipedia entries, and the ability to organize their exposure effectively. The linguistic part of section A will be introduced with lectures, but will also involve the drawing up of individual exercises in applying the acquired knowledge, through the linguistic analysis of a segment of text that will be discussed during the exam.
The lectures of section B will take place in the traditional frontal mode, but students will be invited to discuss points of method and interpretation of the case addressed.
Both sections use booklets provided on the Ariel platform: the first one includes a description and a reasoned list of the research tools of the discipline and texts for individual analysis exercises; the second one contains an anthology of texts and other materials useful for the historical-literary framing of the case addressed.
Given the strong interactive and applicative component of teaching, attendance is strongly recommended.
The lectures of section B will take place in the traditional frontal mode, but students will be invited to discuss points of method and interpretation of the case addressed.
Both sections use booklets provided on the Ariel platform: the first one includes a description and a reasoned list of the research tools of the discipline and texts for individual analysis exercises; the second one contains an anthology of texts and other materials useful for the historical-literary framing of the case addressed.
Given the strong interactive and applicative component of teaching, attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
Section A:
1) E. Löfstedt, Il latino tardo: aspetti e problemi, Brescia, Paideia, 1980, only chapters II e V.
2) P. Stotz, Il latino nel Medioevo: guida allo studio di un'identità linguistica europea, Firenze, Sismel - Ed. del Galluzzo, 2013, only §§ 1-7 (pp. 3-26), 10-11 (pp. 43-50), 15-18 (pp. 57-68).
3) Booklet: Strumenti e testi per le esercitazioni (available from the beginning of February 2021 on the Ariel website, on the page dedicated to Medieval Latin Language and Literature)
Section B:
1) Booklet: Un martire in viaggio: san Demetrio nel mondo latino (available from the beginning of February 2021 on the Ariel website, on the page dedicated to Medieval Latin Language and Literature)
Knowledge of the Latin texts examined will also be required in the original language.
2) A. Degl'Innocenti, I leggendari agiografici latini, in Forme e modelli della santità in Occidente dal tardo antico al Medioevo, cur. M. Bassetti, A. Degl'Innocenti, E. Menestò, Spoleto, Centro italiano di studi sull'Alto Medioevo 2012, pp. 137-158
3) P. Chiesa, Le 'edizioni scientifiche' di testi agiografici fra teoria e prassi, in Understanding Hagiography. Studies in the Textual Transmission of Early Medieval Saints' Lives, cur. P.F. Alberto, P. Chiesa, M. Goullet, Firenze, SISMEL - Ed. del Galluzzo 2020, pp. 5-26
4) R. Guglielmetti, Le versioni latine della «Passio s. Demetrii», in «Hagiographica» 27 (2020), forthcoming
Section C:
See the program of the final section of the course of Medieval Latin Literature.
Non-attending students:
For all three sections the exam programme must be agreed with the teacher.
1) E. Löfstedt, Il latino tardo: aspetti e problemi, Brescia, Paideia, 1980, only chapters II e V.
2) P. Stotz, Il latino nel Medioevo: guida allo studio di un'identità linguistica europea, Firenze, Sismel - Ed. del Galluzzo, 2013, only §§ 1-7 (pp. 3-26), 10-11 (pp. 43-50), 15-18 (pp. 57-68).
3) Booklet: Strumenti e testi per le esercitazioni (available from the beginning of February 2021 on the Ariel website, on the page dedicated to Medieval Latin Language and Literature)
Section B:
1) Booklet: Un martire in viaggio: san Demetrio nel mondo latino (available from the beginning of February 2021 on the Ariel website, on the page dedicated to Medieval Latin Language and Literature)
Knowledge of the Latin texts examined will also be required in the original language.
2) A. Degl'Innocenti, I leggendari agiografici latini, in Forme e modelli della santità in Occidente dal tardo antico al Medioevo, cur. M. Bassetti, A. Degl'Innocenti, E. Menestò, Spoleto, Centro italiano di studi sull'Alto Medioevo 2012, pp. 137-158
3) P. Chiesa, Le 'edizioni scientifiche' di testi agiografici fra teoria e prassi, in Understanding Hagiography. Studies in the Textual Transmission of Early Medieval Saints' Lives, cur. P.F. Alberto, P. Chiesa, M. Goullet, Firenze, SISMEL - Ed. del Galluzzo 2020, pp. 5-26
4) R. Guglielmetti, Le versioni latine della «Passio s. Demetrii», in «Hagiographica» 27 (2020), forthcoming
Section C:
See the program of the final section of the course of Medieval Latin Literature.
Non-attending students:
For all three sections the exam programme must be agreed with the teacher.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam includes an oral test, which consists of an interview on programme topics, aimed at ascertaining students' acquisition of the knowledge and skills presented above and the specific contents of the monographic section (including the comprehension in the original language of the texts to be studied). Both the solidity of acquired knowledge and the ability to organize them in an effective discourse and to expose them using the specialized vocabulary of the discipline will be evaluated.
For section A, a part of the exam will be the discussion of a written exercise in linguistic analysis on a section of one of the texts contained in the relevant booklet, to be delivered to the teacher at least a week before the exam.
In addition to the final exam, the writing of an encyclopedic entry on an author or text of the medieval Latinity (to be published in Wikipedia and presented to colleagues during the lessons) contributes to the final mark.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
For section A, a part of the exam will be the discussion of a written exercise in linguistic analysis on a section of one of the texts contained in the relevant booklet, to be delivered to the teacher at least a week before the exam.
In addition to the final exam, the writing of an encyclopedic entry on an author or text of the medieval Latinity (to be published in Wikipedia and presented to colleagues during the lessons) contributes to the final mark.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/08 - MEDIEVAL AND HUMANISTIC LATIN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor:
Guglielmetti Rossana Eugenia
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/08 - MEDIEVAL AND HUMANISTIC LATIN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor:
Guglielmetti Rossana Eugenia
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/08 - MEDIEVAL AND HUMANISTIC LATIN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor:
Guglielmetti Rossana Eugenia
Professor(s)