Learning objectives
At the end of the class, students should be able to:
1. Know in depth the proposed monographic topic; understand the appropriate methodologies of source criticism and the main schools of thought of the modern and contemporary scholarly debate on the proposed topic (knowledge and understanding).
2. Apply the critical and methodological tools learnt in class (including the gathering of bibliographical material) to the understanding of other sources and other complex historical and historiographical issues, both ancient and modern (applying knowledge and understanding).
3. Know how to analyze and judge autonomously primary sources and secondary literature, and know how to develop personal critical reflections and original arguments on complex historical and historiographical issues (making judgments).
4. Know how to communicate and present with clarity, verbally or in writing, specialized contents related to complex historical and historiographical issues as well as the reasoning underlying personal reflections and original arguments (communication skills).
5. Develop the learning skills necessary for pursuing further studies autonomously or entering successfully the job market, either teaching in secondary schools or joining business and professional lines of work (learning skills).
Prerequisites
A good knowledge of Greek history as acquired through the institutional course of the bachelor degree and a good acquaintance with the ancient Greek language.
Course unit content
The course consists of a single unit (6 cfu = 30 hours) whose title is “Andocides, the scandals of 415 BCE, and the Mysteries trial” and is scheduled in the first part of the second semester (February 10th – March 14th 2025). The unit aims to offer an in-depth discussion of the religiously motivated scandals that marked Athens in the summer of 415 BCE, reconstructing the political and judicial contours of the affair and offering a glimpse of the tensions and subversive drives that ran through Athenian society in the last fifteen years of the fifth century. This discussion will be led mainly from the reading and detailed historical commentary of the speech "On the Mysteries" by Andocides, one of the undisputed key players in the affair. In addition to the speech, we will read and analyze passages from other primary sources, such as Thucydides, the oration "Against Andocides" by Pseudo-Lysias, Plutarch's "Life of Alciabiades," and the so-called "Attic stelae". The main secondary literature on the subject will also be presented and discussed.
Full programme
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Bibliography
1. Primary sources
M.R. Dilts, D.J. Murphy (eds.), "Antiphontis et Andocidis orationes", Oxford 2018, pp. 115-164 (the instructor will upload to the platform Elly the PDF file of the text; the volume is available for reference in the University library).
Other primary sources being discussed in class will be made available by the instructor during the course and also uploaded to the platform Elly.
2. Bibliography
"Andocides. On the Mysteries", text edited with introduction, commentary, and appendixes by D.M. MacDowell, Oxford 1962 (the instructor will upload to the platform Elly the PDF file of the text; the volume is available for reference in the University library).
Other bibliography being discussed in class will be made available by the instructor during the course and also uploaded to the platform Elly.
The final program in view of the exams will be made available on Elly at the end of the class.
Teaching methods
The class consists of both lectures and workshops. During workshops, students will present to the instructor and classmates the results of the individual research project they carried out autonomously and on their own under the supervision of the instructor. This research project will focus on the in-depth analysis of a passage from the speech "On the Mysteries" by Andocides or other primary source and will make use of other primary sources as well as reference texts and further bibliography. The presentation will be then turned into a 10-page written report to be submitted to the instructor at the end of the class or close to the chosen exam session.
Non-attending students are expected to contact the instructor directly to receive information about the class material and make arrangements for carrying out the individual research project.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning assessment will be based on the in-class presentation of the individual research project accompanied by the written report (50% of the final grade) and on an oral examination concerning the content of the class (50% of the final grade).
Students will be able to pass the exam (18-23/30) if they demonstrate, at least to a sufficient degree, that they understand and are capable of commenting the texts discussed in class and proposed by the instructor during the exam, know the topics covered in class, orient themselves in the use of the appropriate methodologies of textual criticism and in the discussion of the main schools of thought of the scholarly debates, are able to develop personal critical reflections and arguments in the research project agreed upon with the instructor, and express themselves in a relatively clear manner.
Students who do not fulfill these basic requirements will fail the exam.
Students will achieve middle-range grades (24-27/30) if they demonstrate to fulfill to a more than sufficient or good degree the requirements listed above.
Students will achieve higher grades (28-30/30 cum laude) if they demonstrate that they fully understand and comment autonomously on the texts discussed in class and proposed by the instructor during the exam, have a solid mastery of the topics covered in class, the appropriate methodologies of textual criticism, and the main schools of thought of the scholarly debates, are able to develop critical reflections and original arguments in the research project agreed upon with the instructor, know how to gather autonomously the necessary bibliographical material, and express themselves in a clear manner and with the adequate specialized vocabulary.
Other information
This Greek history class is aimed at students of the master degree course in Classical philology and literature (LM 15) for whom the exam is compulsory.
Students of the master degree course in Modern philology and literature (LM 14) and of other master degree courses are welcome as long as they fulfill the set out requirements and already took an institutional course in Greek history during their bachelor degree. However, those students who already took an institutional course in Greek history during their bachelor degree and wish to include 6 additional cfu of Greek history in their study plan without knowing the ancient Greek language may more usefully take either the Greek epigraphy and institutions class of the bachelor degree in Humanities, also taught by Prof. Cristina Carusi (L-Ant/02), or the Historiographic survey methods class of the master degree in Classical and modern philology and literature, taught by Prof. Luca Iori (L-Ant/02). Conversely, those students who never took an institutional course in Greek history during their bachelor degree and wish to include 6 cfu or 12 cfu of Greek history in their study plan must turn to the Greek history class of the bachelor degree in Humanities also taught by Prof. Cristina Carusi.
All students are expected to sign up for the class on Elly before lectures start and to check always on the platform the available material and the indications provided by the instructor. It is equally important that during classes and close to the exams students keep constantly monitored their official e-mail address (@studenti.unipr.it) in order not to miss important announcements and communications sent by the instructor.
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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