PRINCIPLES OF GREEK LITERATURE AND EXEGESIS OF ANCIENT GREEK TEXTS.
The course is in two parts. The first part will deal with topics related to the literary, historical and cultural framing of the most important authors and genres of Greek literature, from its origins to the late ancient age. Analyses will be carried out on original Greek texts.
The second part will focus on the translation and critical interpretation of the prologue and parodos of Aristophanes’ The Wasps (vv. 1-334).
Reference texts
- Homer, Iliad, book I: recommended edition D.B. Monro, T.W. Allen, Homeri Ilias, Oxford, any reprint; recommended Italian translation G. Cerri, Omero. Iliade, comment by A. Gostoli, BUR, Milano 2003.
- Homer, Odyssey, book IX: recommended edition A. Heubeck (ed.), Omero. Odissea. Books IX-XII, trans. G.A. Privitera, A. Mondadori, Milano, various reprints.
- M. Vetta (ed.), Symposion. Antologia dai lirici greci, Loffredo, Napoli 1999, or G. Perrotta-B. Gentili-C. Catenacci, Polinnia. Poesia greca arcaica. D'Anna Editore, Messina-Firenze 2007.
- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex (recommended edition H. Lloyd-Jones–N.G. Wilson [eds.], Sophoclis fabulae, Clarendon Press, Oxford 1990) or Euripides, Medea (recommended edition H. van Looy [ed.], Stuttgart-Leipzig 1992).
- Aristophanes, The Wasps, prologue and parodos (vv. 1-334) (recomm. ed. Z.P. Biles-S.D. Olson [eds.], Aristophanes: Wasps, Oxford 2015; recommended Italian translation E. Fabbro [ed.], Aristofane. Le Vespe, Milano 2012).
- history of Greek literature, to be chosen amongst: D. Del Corno, Letteratura greca, Principato, Milano 1995; L.E. Rossi, Letteratura greca, Firenze, Le Monnier, 1995; G.A. Privitera-R. Pretagostini, Storie e forme della letteratura greca, Torino, Einaudi, 1997; G. Guidorizzi, Letteratura greca. Da Omero al secolo VI d.C., Mondadori, Milano 2002 (or any other handbook approved by Professor Catenacci).
- as a supporting tool for exercises on metre, students will use B. Gentili- L. Lomiento, Metrica e ritmica. Storia delle forme poetiche nella Grecia antica, Mondadori, Milano 2003.
- a dictionary of classical mythology is recommended, e.g. P. Grimal, Enciclopedia della mitologia, Garzanti, Milano (any reprint).