Learning objectives
The Unit A aims at giving a basic knowledge of the political, social and instiitutional history of the Greek world from the Archaic age to the early Hellenistic period.
The Unit B aims at a thorough comprehension of the historical problem of Athenian democracy in all its aspects: its origins, its political institutions and ideology, its working, its effects on the social and economical plane, its analogies and differences with the modern democracy.
Prerequisites
No particular prerequisite is asked for, but for a good general preparation given in the secondary schools.
Course unit content
As in the previous years, the course of Greek History is divided into two units: the first (A) is basic, the second (B) is of in-depth investigation.
Unit A (6 credits): 12th February-21st March 2013.
The Unit, which has a preparatory and methodological character, is an introduction to the study of the history of the ancient Greek World, from the early archaic period to the early Hellenistic period (VIII-III centuries BC). It will pay a special attention to the history of political institutions and international relations in archaic and classical Greece.
Unit B (6 credits): 9th April-16th May 2013
The Unit B (whose title is: "The Athenian democracy in the classical period: origins, main features and success of a model") will be devoted to the study of the principal literary texts that purported to give a description of the main features of Greek (and particularly Athenian) democracy in the classical period: its institutions, basic values and life-style. The course will try to go back to the historical roots of the Greek democracy and will deal with some aspects of its reception in the ancient and modern political thought.
Full programme
Unit A.
This Unit will be prepared on the following material:
1. the subjects dealt with, and the sources read, during the course (these texts will be supplied by the teacher);
2. one of the two following handbooks (to be studied with the support of a good historical atlas):
- C. BEARZOT, Manuale di Storia greca, nuova edizione, Bologna, il Mulino, 2011,
or
- M. CORSARO - L. GALLO, Storia greca, Firenze, Le Monnier Università, 2010;
3. U. FANTASIA, La guerra del Peloponneso, Roma, Carocci editore, 2012.
Unit B.
This Unit will be prepared on the following material:
1. the texts read and commented by the teacher during the course; this material will be supplied by the teacher, but the Italian translation of the Constitution of the Athenians of Pseudo-Xenophon will be read in:
- M. CENTANNI, La nascita della politica: la Costituzione di Atene, Venezia, Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, 2011, pp. 86-111;
2. students have to choose some books or chapters of book among the following (the teacher will give some more information at the beginning of the course):
- G. CAMASSA, Atene: la costruzione della democrazia, Roma, «L’Erma» di Bretschneider, 2007;
- L. CANFORA, La democrazia ateniese, con una postfazione di U. FANTASIA, Parma, MUP, 2011;
- L. CANFORA, Il mondo di Atene, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2011;
- M. CENTANNI, La nascita della politica: la Costituzione di Atene, Venezia, Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina, 2011;
- M. I FINLEY, La democrazia degli antichi e dei moderni, trad. it., Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2004;
- M. H. HANSEN, Polis. Introduzione alla città-stato dell’antica Grecia, Milano, Università Bocconi Editore, 2012;
- K. A. RAAFLAUB - J. OBER - R. W. WALLACE, Le origini della democrazia nella Grecia antica, trad. it., Milano, Edizioni Ariele, 2011.
Bibliography
Literary end epigraphic sources of the archaic and classical periods.
Literary texts concerning ancient Greek, mainly Athenian, democracy (Herodotus, Thucydides, Pseudo-Xenophon, Aristotle etc.).
Further evidence concerning the ancient and modern democracy.
Teaching methods
Front lectures, where sources are read in Italian translation. The professor often invites the students to an active participation.
Assessment methods and criteria
Periodical checks of students' preparation; final examination in oral form.
