The class offers to students the basic principles for direct access to Greek sources, essential to an in-depth study of Greek Language and Literature and the Classical Tradition. The course will also focus on some relevant aspects of Greek culture through reading of texts in original language, which will be accompanied by reflection on grammar, syntax and lexicon. The aim is to achieve a minimum degree of linguistic and cultural familiarity with classical texts and authors, so to allow direct reference to the sources and the interpretation of texts and images.

According to the Dublin descriptors, students, at the end of the course, will acquire:

1) Knowledge and understanding: basic knowledge of the Greek language: alphabet, vocabulary, elementary structures of grammar and syntax; knowledge of the main Greek myths;

2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to analyse a text in its content and formal aspects, in relation to the problems linked to the classical tradition; ability to search ancient sources, even with facing translation;

3) Autonomy of judgement: acquisition of a critical perspective towards the analysis of texts, ability to independently assess the reliability of information and interpretations.

4) Communication skills: reflection on the most suitable communication strategies in relation to the communication and didactics of the classical tradition

5) Learning skills: ability to critically utilise the knowledge acquired in the course.

Part I

Guided reading of the following texts (3 ECTS)

1) Sophocles, Electra (full reading in Italian translation with facing Greek text)

2) Ps.-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca II 4,12-5,12 (Hercules’ labours); III 4,1-5,9 (the Theban myth); Epit. 2,3-16; 3,21-22; 6,23-28 (the Atreidae).

3) Corpus Hippocraticum, De natura hominis, cap. 11; De anatomia

4) Ps.-Plato, Definitiones, 411a1-412d12

For texts 2), 3), and 4) global understanding of the Greet text is required, as well as the ability to recognise the correspondence with the Italian translation; for text 4) full reading in translation is recommended.

Part II

Lectures on methodology and case-studies (3 ECTS; 6 ECTS)

1) Historical and critical reading of the literary and iconographic sources
2) Introduction to inquiry into mythographical sources

3) Classical Tradition and history 

Part I (3 ECTS)

1) Sofocle, Aiace – Elettra – Trachinie – Filottete, introduzione di U. Albini, traduzione, note storiche e note di E. Savino, Milano, Garzanti 1999, pp. 96-193 (or any other edition with facing Greek text).

2) Apollodoro, I miti greci, a cura di P. Scarpi, Milano, Fondazione Lorenzo Valla 1996, pp. 122-154, 196-221, 320-27, 338-343, 390-397.

3) Corpus Medicorum Graecorum I 1,3. Hippocratis De natura hominis, ed. J. Jouanna, Berlin, Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften 2002, pp. 192-196. Italian translation: M. Vegetti (a cura di), Opere di Ippocrate, Torino, UTET 1965, pp. 425-426; E. Craik (ed.), Two Hippocratic Treatises On Sight and On Anatomy, Leiden/Boston, Brill 2006, pp. 138-140. Italian translation: C. Carena (a cura di), Ippocrate. L’arte della medicina, Torino, Einaudi 2020, pp. 192-193.

4) E. Benati (a cura di), [Platone]. Horoi, Baden-Baden, Academia Verlag 2023, pp. 174-181.

Text 2), 3) e 4) will be available on Studium.it and Teams.

Part II (3 ECTS; 6 ECTS)

1)      M. Centanni, L’originale assente. Introduzione allo studio della tradizione classica, Ronzani Editore, Vicenza 2021²:

a.       6 ECTS course (students of Classics): a choice of chapters from the volume (approx. 200 pp.), to be approved by the teachers before examination;

b.      9 ECTS course (students of Cultural Heritage): thorough reading of the whole book (439 pp.).

2)   2)   R. Graves, I miti greci, Longanesi, Milano 1996¹² (students will produce an essay concerning a myth of their own choice, by proposing a reconstruction based on the sources listed in the book; approx. 40-50 pp. to be studied);

3)      5 essays chosen by the student on case-studies of the Classical tradition, taken from «La Rivista di Engramma» (www.engramma