Storia Greca - Epigrafia e Storia (Ordinario)
Prerequisiti
The first module is intended for undergraduate students and is open to PhD students. The second module is intended for undergraduate and PhD students. No prior knowledge of Greek history or Greek epigraphy is required, as the necessary background will be provided during the course. Knowledge ancient Greek is required.
Programma
Epigraphic evidence constitutes an essential source for the study of the history and culture of the ancient Greek world. Inscriptions provide information on language, writing, institutions, religious cults, and the social organization of Greek communities, as well as on their external relations. They complement literary, papyrological, and numismatic sources by offering evidence that reaches us directly from antiquity, unmediated by later transmission, while preserving the distinctive characteristics of the local contexts in which it was produced.
The course will focus on the reading and analysis of a selection of inscriptions illustrating the contribution of epigraphic evidence to the study of the Archaic and Classical Greece.
In particular, in the first part of the course the following texts will be examined.
- The decree issued by a Cretan community in honour of the scribe Spensithios (c. 500 BCE). This document sheds light on the institutional practices of the community, as well as on the role of writing and archival procedures in the preservation of public records.
- The lead letter from Berezan (late sixth century BCE), which provides an opportunity to explore the presence of Greek merchants in the Black Sea region, the risks they faced, the legal protections afforded to foreigners at that time, the use of writing by merchants during this period, and, more broadly, the question of literacy in the Archaic Greek world.
- A section of the so-called Gortyn Code, dating to the first half of the fifth century BCE, which regulates the relationships among the different groups within the civic community.
The second part of the course will be devoted to Attic epigraphy. Through the analysis of a selection of inscriptions, students will examine the evolution of the form and structure of Athenian decrees, together with the evidence they provide for changes in the city's institutional organization over time. The course will also introduce several major categories of documentary inscriptions.
Course Structure and Schedule
Classes will begin on Tuesday, 27 October, and will be held Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 and Thursdays from 8:00 to 10:00 in the Tonelli Classroom.
The course also includes eight hours of supplementary instruction taught by dott. Fabrizio Di Sarro.
Obiettivi formativi
The course aims to provide students with the skills required to analyse an epigraphic document in all its aspects, to prepare a critical edition, and to understand the contribution that epigraphic evidence can make to the study of ancient history.
Riferimenti bibliografici
General Reference Works:
- R. P. Austin, The Stoichedon Style in Greek Inscriptions, Oxford 1938.
- M. Guarducci, Epigrafia Greca, voll. I-IV, Roma 1967-1978.
- M. Guarducci, L'epigrafia greca dalle origini al tardo impero, Roma 1987.
- A. Inglese – A. Campus (a cura di), Percorsi di ricerca in epigrafia greca, Roma 2024.
- L. Jeffery, The Local Scripts of Archaic Greece, Oxford 1990.
- B. H. McLean, An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman Periods from Alexander to Constantine (323 B.C.–A.D. 337), Ann Arbor 2002.
- Michela Nocita, Epigrafia greca, Fano 2025.
- L. Robert, Les épigraphies et l'épigraphie grecque et romaine, in «L'Histoire et ses méthodes» sous la direction de Ch. Samaran, (Encyclopédie de la Pléiade, vol. 11), Paris 1961 pp. 453–497 [= Opera Minora Selecta V, pp. 63-109 = Choix d'écrits, Paris 2007, 87-114]
- L. Threatte. The grammar of Attic inscriptions. Phonology. Berlin/New York 1980.
Specific bibliography relating to the texts discussed will be provided during the lectures.
Moduli
| Modulo | Ore | CFU | Docenti |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modulo 1: L’età arcaica (per ordinari) | 20 | 3 | Anna Magnetto |
| Modulo 2: Atene in età classica e nel primo ellenismo (per ordinari e PhD) | 20 | 3 | Anna Magnetto |
| Supplementary teaching | 8 | 0 |