Learning objectives
At the end of the class, students should be able to:
1. Know in depth the proposed monographic topic; understand the appropriate methodologies of source criticism and the main schools of thought of the modern and contemporary scholarly debate on the proposed topic (knowledge and understanding).
2. Apply the critical and methodological tools learnt in class (including the gathering of bibliographical material) to the understanding of other sources and other complex historical and historiographical issues, both ancient and modern (applying knowledge and understanding).
3. Know how to analyze and judge autonomously primary sources and secondary literature, and know how to develop personal critical reflections and original arguments on complex historical and historiographical issues (making judgments).
4. Know how to communicate and present with clarity, verbally or in writing, specialized contents related to complex historical and historiographical issues as well as the reasoning underlying personal reflections and original arguments (communication skills).
5. Develop the learning skills necessary for pursuing further studies autonomously or entering successfully the world of work, either teaching in secondary schools or joining business and professional lines of work (learning skills).
Prerequisites
A good knowledge of the history of the Greek world and a sufficient acquaintance with the ancient Greek language.
Course unit content
The course consists of a single unit (6 cfu = 30 hours) whose title is “The economy of the Greek city-states” and is scheduled in the first part of the second semester (February 15th – March 19th). This unit offers an in-depth discussion of the economy of Greek city-states in the Classical and Hellenistic ages through a survey of their main productive activities (from agriculture, to crafts and trading). In addition to tackling the modern theoretical debate on the nature of ancient economy, the discussion will develop from the reading, translation, and comment of the main epigraphical texts that allow us to outline the functioning of the economic activities in the world of Greek city-states, properly supplemented by historiographical and literary texts.
Full programme
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Bibliography
1. Primary sources
A selection of the main epigraphical and literary texts to be discussed will be made available by the instructor during the class and uploaded on the platform Elly.
2. Bibliography
L. Migeotte, “L’economia delle città greche”, edizione italiana a cura di Ugo Fantasia, Carocci 2005.
Further bibliography will be indicated by the instructor during the class.
Teaching methods
The class consists of both lectures and workshops. During workshops, students will present to the instructor and classmates the results of the individual research projects they carried out autonomously and on their own under the supervision of the instructor. This research project will focus on the in-depth analysis of a specific topic regarding the economy of Greek city-states, starting from primary sources and making use of reference texts and further bibliography.
Non-attending students are expected to contact the instructor directly to receive information about the teaching material and make arrangements for carrying out the individual research project.
Assessment methods and criteria
The learning assessment consists of the in-class presentation of the individual research project (50% of the final grade) and an oral examination (50% of the final grade).
Students will be able to pass the exam (18-23/30) if they demonstrate, at least to a sufficient degree, that they understand and are capable of commenting the texts discussed in class and proposed by the instructor during the exam, know the topics covered in class, orient themselves in the use of the appropriate methodologies of textual criticism and in the discussion of the main schools of thought of the scholarly debates, are able to develop personal critical reflections and arguments in the research project agreed upon with the instructor, and express themselves in a relatively clear manner.
Students who do not fulfill these basic requirements will fail the exam.
Students will achieve middle-range grades (24-27/30) if they demonstrate to fulfill to a more than sufficient or good degree the requirements listed above.
Students will achieve higher grades (28-30/30 cum laude) if they demonstrate that they fully understand and comment autonomously on the texts discussed in class and proposed by the instructor during the exam, have a solid mastery of the topics covered in class, the appropriate methodologies of textual criticism, and the main schools of thought of the scholarly debates, are able to develop critical reflections and original arguments in the research project agreed upon with the instructor, know how to gather autonomously the necessary bibliographical material, and express themselves in a clear manner and with the adequate specialized vocabulary.
Other information
All students are expected to sign up for the class on Elly before lectures start and to check always on the platform the available material and the indications provided by the instructor.
