Greek History Ma
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to provide students with secure advanced knowledge of Greek history in its chronological development as well as of the specific research methods and current approaches and perspectives within the discipline by means of an in-depth treatment of a monographic theme and a critical and methodologically sound approach to ancient sources.
Expected learning outcomes
The expected learning outcomes include:
- advanced knowledge of the development of Greek history and especially of the political, institutional, socio-economic and cultural issues investigated during the course;
- ability to analyse, contextualise and critically interpret ancient sources (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) according to their specific characters and the thematic issues they individually pose;
- ability to use research methods and bibliographical resources developed by modern scholarship with a view to investigating the ancient Greek world;
- ability to communicate effectively using appropriate language and proving capable of critical judgment with regard to the topics and issues taken into consideration.
- advanced knowledge of the development of Greek history and especially of the political, institutional, socio-economic and cultural issues investigated during the course;
- ability to analyse, contextualise and critically interpret ancient sources (literary, epigraphic and archaeological) according to their specific characters and the thematic issues they individually pose;
- ability to use research methods and bibliographical resources developed by modern scholarship with a view to investigating the ancient Greek world;
- ability to communicate effectively using appropriate language and proving capable of critical judgment with regard to the topics and issues taken into consideration.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
Course title: The "Lycurgan programme": politics, institutions, society and culture at Athens in the age of Alexander the Great
The topics dealt with during the course will be as follows:
Part A
In part A.1, the aim is to consider the process of the political rise of Macedonia between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, and, in particular, to analyse the dynamics of the relations between Philip II, Alexander the Great and the cities of the Greek world, starting with Athens for which the literary sources (beginning with the speeches of Demosthenes) and the epigraphic documentation are remarkably rich.
In part A.2, the focus will shift to Athens after the battle of Chaeronea where, against the backdrop of Macedonian political dominance and of Alexander's expedition to Asia, a coherent programme of institutional, religious and cultural reorganization and of reaffirmation of the city's democratic values was implemented under the leadership of the politician and orator Lycurgus and of a political elite that supported him. The programme is again documented by the numerous preserved speeches of the orators of the time and by an extraordinary (and I would say almost unique) corpus of inscriptions including laws, decrees, accounts, inventories, lists and other documentary typologies.
The topics dealt with during the course will be as follows:
Part A
In part A.1, the aim is to consider the process of the political rise of Macedonia between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, and, in particular, to analyse the dynamics of the relations between Philip II, Alexander the Great and the cities of the Greek world, starting with Athens for which the literary sources (beginning with the speeches of Demosthenes) and the epigraphic documentation are remarkably rich.
In part A.2, the focus will shift to Athens after the battle of Chaeronea where, against the backdrop of Macedonian political dominance and of Alexander's expedition to Asia, a coherent programme of institutional, religious and cultural reorganization and of reaffirmation of the city's democratic values was implemented under the leadership of the politician and orator Lycurgus and of a political elite that supported him. The programme is again documented by the numerous preserved speeches of the orators of the time and by an extraordinary (and I would say almost unique) corpus of inscriptions including laws, decrees, accounts, inventories, lists and other documentary typologies.
Prerequisites for admission
The course, an advanced course, is addressed to students who have already taken an introductory course in Greek History.
Teaching methods
Part A will be offered in a lecture format; part B will be more interactive and will be organized in a seminar-like format. The course takes the students through the different topics with an approach based on a detailed analysis and commentary on the relevant sources and a critical discussion of interpretative perspectives developed in modern scholarship. All texts and documents analysed during the lectures are available, in advance for downloading, on the course website on the Ariel platform.
Attendance of lectures is recommended but is not compulsory.
Attendance of lectures is recommended but is not compulsory.
Teaching Resources
Part A
A.1
1) Together with the lectures notes and the ancient sources examined during the course (which will be uploaded ahead of each lecture on the Ariel platform),
1) M. MARI, L'ascesa della Macedonia e Filippo II, in M. GIANGIULIO (a cura di), Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, IV: Grecia e Mediterraneo dall'Età delle Guerre Persiane all'Ellenismo, Roma, Salerno Editrice, 2008, pp. 433-461.
2) S. HORNBLOWER, La Grecia classica. Dalle guerre persiane ad Alessandro Magno, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997, pp. 213-498.
A.2
1) M. FARAGUNA, Atene nell'età di Alessandro. Problemi politici, economici, finanziari, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1992, pp. 165-285, 381-396.
2) M. FARAGUNA, Una città in attesa: Atene, Alessandro e la Macedonia tra realtà presente e memoria del passato, «Scienze dell'Antichità» 26.3 (2020), pp. 51-67.
Part B
1) The short text of Hyperides' speech Against Diondas, not yet included in any Italian edition, will be made available on the Ariel platform.
2) Licurgo, Contro Leocrate, a cura di A. TADDEI, Milano, BUR Rizzoli, 2012.
3) M. PELLEGRINO, Introduzione all'oratoria greca. Autori e testi di età classica, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
Bibliography for non-attendants
Part A
A.1
1) S. HORNBLOWER, La Grecia classica. Dalle guerre persiane ad Alessandro Magno, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997, pp. 213-498.
2) One of the following essays:
A. MOMIGLIANO, Filippo il Macedone. Saggio sulla storia greca del IV secolo a.C., Milano, Guerini, 1987 (first published in 1934);
G. SQUILLACE, Filippo il Macedone, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009 (reprint 2023).
A.2
1) M. FARAGUNA, Atene nell'età di Alessandro. Problemi politici, economici, finanziari, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1992, pp. 165-285, 381-396.
2) F. FARIELLO-L. GALLO, Alessandro Magno eroe dei due mondi. La storia, le fonti, l'archeologia e il mito, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2023.
Part B
1) The short text of Hyperides' speech Against Diondas, not yet included in any Italian edition, will be made available on the Ariel platform.
2) Licurgo, Contro Leocrate, a cura di A. TADDEI, Milano, BUR Rizzoli, 2012.
3) M. PELLEGRINO, Introduzione all'oratoria greca. Autori e testi di età classica, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
4) One of the following texts:
F. LANDUCCI GATTINONI, Il testamento di Alessandro. La Grecia dall'Impero ai Regni, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014;
M. MARI (a cura di), L'età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Roma 2019, chapters 1, 4 e 7 (all by M. Mari).
Napoli, Jovene Editore, 1999, pp. 57-79.
A.1
1) Together with the lectures notes and the ancient sources examined during the course (which will be uploaded ahead of each lecture on the Ariel platform),
1) M. MARI, L'ascesa della Macedonia e Filippo II, in M. GIANGIULIO (a cura di), Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, IV: Grecia e Mediterraneo dall'Età delle Guerre Persiane all'Ellenismo, Roma, Salerno Editrice, 2008, pp. 433-461.
2) S. HORNBLOWER, La Grecia classica. Dalle guerre persiane ad Alessandro Magno, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997, pp. 213-498.
A.2
1) M. FARAGUNA, Atene nell'età di Alessandro. Problemi politici, economici, finanziari, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1992, pp. 165-285, 381-396.
2) M. FARAGUNA, Una città in attesa: Atene, Alessandro e la Macedonia tra realtà presente e memoria del passato, «Scienze dell'Antichità» 26.3 (2020), pp. 51-67.
Part B
1) The short text of Hyperides' speech Against Diondas, not yet included in any Italian edition, will be made available on the Ariel platform.
2) Licurgo, Contro Leocrate, a cura di A. TADDEI, Milano, BUR Rizzoli, 2012.
3) M. PELLEGRINO, Introduzione all'oratoria greca. Autori e testi di età classica, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
Bibliography for non-attendants
Part A
A.1
1) S. HORNBLOWER, La Grecia classica. Dalle guerre persiane ad Alessandro Magno, Milano, Rizzoli, 1997, pp. 213-498.
2) One of the following essays:
A. MOMIGLIANO, Filippo il Macedone. Saggio sulla storia greca del IV secolo a.C., Milano, Guerini, 1987 (first published in 1934);
G. SQUILLACE, Filippo il Macedone, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2009 (reprint 2023).
A.2
1) M. FARAGUNA, Atene nell'età di Alessandro. Problemi politici, economici, finanziari, Roma, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, 1992, pp. 165-285, 381-396.
2) F. FARIELLO-L. GALLO, Alessandro Magno eroe dei due mondi. La storia, le fonti, l'archeologia e il mito, Firenze, Le Monnier, 2023.
Part B
1) The short text of Hyperides' speech Against Diondas, not yet included in any Italian edition, will be made available on the Ariel platform.
2) Licurgo, Contro Leocrate, a cura di A. TADDEI, Milano, BUR Rizzoli, 2012.
3) M. PELLEGRINO, Introduzione all'oratoria greca. Autori e testi di età classica, Roma, Carocci, 2021.
4) One of the following texts:
F. LANDUCCI GATTINONI, Il testamento di Alessandro. La Grecia dall'Impero ai Regni, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2014;
M. MARI (a cura di), L'età ellenistica. Società, politica, cultura, Roma 2019, chapters 1, 4 e 7 (all by M. Mari).
Napoli, Jovene Editore, 1999, pp. 57-79.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam is oral and aims at ascertaining knowledge of the topics dealt with during the course, also by through a critical discussion of ancient sources and modern scholarship.
Assessment criteria are the following: ability to organize knowledge through discourse; ability to apply critical thought with regard to the topics considered; critical awareness of the problems of method posed by the study of ancient society and by the use of ancient sources; ability to present topics and express oneself with the specialist language appropriate to the discipline.
Marks are out of 30.
Assessment criteria are the following: ability to organize knowledge through discourse; ability to apply critical thought with regard to the topics considered; critical awareness of the problems of method posed by the study of ancient society and by the use of ancient sources; ability to present topics and express oneself with the specialist language appropriate to the discipline.
Marks are out of 30.
Unita' didattica A
L-ANT/02 - GREEK HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-ANT/02 - GREEK HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-ANT/02 - GREEK HISTORY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)