Learning objectives
The Unit aims at providing a thorough knowledge of Thucydides' historical method and narrative technique, of the history of the Peloponnesian War and of some of the main aspects - political, military, ideological and cultural - of the great conflict between Athens and Sparta. The students, through the direct participation to the activities of the course (see Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento), will develop an autonomous capacity of historical and historiographical analysis of Thucydides' work.
Prerequisites
A good preparation on the political history of ancient Greece and a sufficient level of knowledge of the ancient Greek language.
Course unit content
The divided Greece: reading and commenting on the 3rd Book of Thucydides' "The Peloponnesian War".
The Unit (6 credits) will consist in an in-depth investigation of the main events of the 3rd Book of Thucydides' work, dedicated to the central years of the so-called 'Archidamian' stage of the Peloponnesian War (beginning of 428-beginning of 425): the revolt of Lesbos and its repression, the tragic fate of Plataea, the Corcyrean civil war, the first Athenian expedition to Sicily, the fightings in North-Western Greece. The study of this phase of the war will turn out to be a privileged point of view for examining closely the historical method and the narrative technique of Thucydides as well as some of the main themes and aspects of the clash between Athens and Sparta and the respective allies.
Full programme
The standard edition of Thucydides' work will be: Thucydidis Historiae, recensuit I. B. ALBERTI, I-III, Romae 1972-2000.
The 3rd Book can be read in one of the following currently available Italian translations:
TUCIDIDE, Le Storie, trad. a cura di G. Donini, Torino, UTET, 2005;
TUCIDIDE, La guerra del Peloponneso, a cura di C. Moreschini, F. Ferrari, G. Daverio Rocchi, Milano, BUR, 1985.
Students will read the following book: U. FANTASIA, La guerra del Peloponneso, Roma, Carocci ed., 2012.
The Professor will indicate further specific bibliography at the beginning of the course.
Bibliography
The 3rd Book of Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, integrated by other literary and epigraphic sources and by modern studies relevant to the subject of the course.
Teaching methods
Front lectures, with an active participation of the students, and the investigation of a specific topics agreed on by the single students with the Professor.
Assessment methods and criteria
Final oral examination on the subjects treated during the front lectures and on the texts read by individual study, as well as seminars with general debate about the papers presented by students on the topics agrred on with the Professor.
Other information
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