CHRISTIAN LITERATURE, MEDIEVAL AND HUMANIST
cod. 1004614

Academic year 2014/15
1° year of course - First semester
Professor responsible for the course unit
VOCE Stefania
integrated course unit
12 credits
hub:
course unit
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Course unit structured in the following modules:

Learning objectives

Ancient Christian Literature (Prof. Rota):
That of Ancient Christian Literature is an advanced course aiming to provide students with thorough methodological skills in the fields of linguistics and philology in order for critical methodology, translation techniques and critical reading and interpretation of Ancient Christian Greek and Latin literary texts to be fully developed.
Classroom lectures, which are supplemented by practice and personal tutor sessions, will focus on critical reading and advanced interpretation of the texts provided. Students will also be requested to apply translation techniques and critical analysis in a research paper on a topic of choiche that they will have to submit at the end of term.
At the end of the course students should be able to translate complex texts and properly present the results of their researches.


Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):
The course of medieval Latin literature and humanities provides specific knowledge of both language and literature of the Middle Ages and of Renaissance humanism, allowing students to acquire advanced skills as well as substantial and methodological critical understanding of literary texts in Latin. Knowledge and skills will be developed through classes homework and reports on specific topics. Students must be able to work on selected authors applying methodological tools provided during lessons to other contexts and literary texts. They must also be able to examine and critically interpret texts and philological, linguistic and literary issues so to be able to express personal hypotheses on both content and socio-cultural context issues. Students must be able to present trough proper scientific language, the results of their research to fellow students. The study of Medieval and humanistic literature and language provides methodological, analytical and critical skills necessary in the final stages of the students' carrer (creation of repotrs etc.) and possibly helpful in the transition towards their futur jobs (i. e. as teachers).

Prerequisites

Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):
Having obtained 12 credits in Latin Language and Literature.

Course unit content

Ancient Christian Literature (Prof. Rota):

The course will focus on the analysis and on the historical and literary background of Ermia's Irrisio gentilium philosophorum. Selected passages of the text will be read, commented and translated.


Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):

The course is divided as follows: a) classification of medieval Latin literature and humanities; b) epic literary genre and its peculiarities in the medieval and humanistic Age; c) reading and analysis of some stages of epic works with stylistic and rhetorical comment.

Full programme

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Bibliography

Ancient Christian Literature (Prof. Rota):
1) M. SIMONETTI, E. PRINZIVALLI, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica,EDB Editore, Bologna 2010;
2) J. SCHRIJNEN, I caratteri del latino cristiano antico; con un’appendice di Christine Mohrmann: dopo quarant’anni, ed. it. Pàtron, Bologna 2002.

Per gli studenti di Lettere Classiche:
1) M. SIMONETTI, E. PRINZIVALLI, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica,EDB Editore, Bologna 2010;
2) E. NORDEN, Dio Ignoto. Ricerche sulla storia della forma del discorso religioso, ed. it. Morcelliana, Brescia 2002;

Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):
1) Leonardi Claudio, Letteratura latina medievale: un manuale,Sismel Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2003 (o edizioni successive) oppure Edoardo D'Angelo, La letteratura latina medievale: una storia per generi, Roma 2009.
2) La letteratura italiana del Trecento e del Quattrocento: conoscenza della letteratura italiana da Dante al Bembo. Per la parte generale relativa alla storia della letteratura italiana, si consiglia: Storia della letteratura italiana. Il Trecento, a cura di E. Malato, Roma, Salerno 1995 (cap. X Francesco Petrarca); Il Quattrocento, a cura di E. Malato, Roma, Salerno 1996 (capitoli: II parr. 1- 13, e 23-24; III (par. 1, 2); IV (parr. 1- 10); V (parr. 1-3); VII (tutto).

Teaching methods

Ancient Christian Literature (Prof. Rota):
Selected passages from Greek and Latin Christian writers' works will be read, translated and commented during classroom activities, special focus being placed on intertextuality as well as on rhetorical devices and figures of speech. Selected bibliography will be provided during lessons and students will be guided towards the elaboration of a research paper on a topic of their choice through personal tutor sessions scaled up and down according to each student’s needs.


Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):
Classes: historical overview of Medieval and Humanistic literature, with particular focus on the epic poetry during Medieval times (selected readings from the Waltharius, Alexandreis of Gautier di Chatillon e Petrarca’s Africa. A selection of most important and attractive passages wil be read and commented; the text linguistic and stylistic analysis will then follw, and particular focus will be on the analysis of the hypotexts present in the work. The course will also feature students' papers.

Assessment methods and criteria

Ancient Christian Literature (Prof. Rota):
Before being assessed, students will need to present their research paper during classroom lectures or at the end of the course.
The final assessment aims to test:
1) proper reading and translation of Greek and Latin Christian texts;
2) critical and interpretation skills along with the ability to produce personal reinterpretation and interdisciplinary links;
3) complexity of the topic selected for the research paper; 4) oral proficiency; correct use of language; ability to give proper answers to given questions.

Students will have to fully achieve the first two assessment criteria and score a minimum of 60 percent or better to get a pass grade.
The final score will be calculated by the arithmetic mean of the partial scores of the two courses.


Medieval and Humanistic Latine Literature (Prof.ssa Voce):
The student's work will be evaluated on the basis of:
-Papers presented during classes,
-Papers presented at the final exam, where general knowledge of medieval and humanistic literature wil be evaluated, so as the comprehension of the latin text (context, content and meanin) wil be tested.

Students will be assessed on: written and oral proficiency; correct use of language; personal reinterpretation of contents; ability to make inter-disciplinary connections; proper use of specialist language; ability to give proper answers to given questions.

Students will have to score a minimum of 60 percent or better of the given question to get a pass grade.
The final score will be calculated by the arithmetic mean of the partial scores of the two courses.

Other information

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