Ateneo - UPO

FROM MARTYRS TO PHILOSOPHERS: THE DEBATE BETWEEN PAGANS AND CHRISTIANS IN LATE ANTIQUITY
How much did the birth and spread of Christianity influence Latin literature? How did pagan authors react to this new religion? And how did Christians respond to the prejudices that circulated about their faith? After an introduction to the main authors of ancient Christian literature in Latin, we will see how pagan and Christian intellectuals clashed in order to defend their beliefs and cults and attack those of others.

Bibliography for ATTENDING STUDENTS (i.e. students who will attend at least 75% of the classes)
A) Personal notes and anthology of Latin texts (available in DIR)
B) History of Latin Early Christian Literature: M. Simonetti, E. Prinzivalli, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica, Bologna: EDB, 2010 (ISBN 9788810453032): chapters VII (Inizi della letteratura cristiana in lingua latina), VIII.1-2 (Gli inizi della storiografia cristiana), XVI (Le lettere cristiane in Occidente nel IV secolo), XVIII (Girolamo), XIX (Agostino) (available in DIR).
C) Monographic section: A.A.R. Bastiaensen, Introduzione, in Atti e passioni dei martiri, Milano-Roma: Mondadori-Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, 1987 (ISBN 9788804284505), pp IX-XL (available in DIR); M. Zambon, Nessun Dio è mai sceso quaggiù. La polemica anticristiana dei filosofi antichi, Roma: Carocci, 2019 (ISBN 9788843095858): parts I and II (pp. 1-139).
Bibliografia for NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:
A’) Reading and translation of Atti dei martiri scillitani, Passione di Perpetua e Felicita e Atti di Massimiliano (Atti e Passioni dei martiri, Milano-Roma, Mondadori-Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, 1995 [ISBN 9788804284505], pp. 97-149, 233-246).
B’) History of Late-Antique Latin Literature: P. Camastra, Letteratura latina tardoantica, Bari, Edipuglia, 2012 (ISBN 97888722865171)
C’) Monographic section: É. Rebillard, Greek and Latin Narratives about the Ancient Martyrs, Oxford, OUP, 2019 (ISBN 9780198848875); M. Zambon, Nessun Dio è mai sceso quaggiù. La polemica anticristiana dei filosofi antichi, Roma: Carocci, 2019 (ISBN 9788843095858).

1. Knowledge and understanding:
Basic level: Acquisition of a good knowledge of Latin Christian literature and culture. Acquisition of a solid knowledge of the Latin language in its morphological and syntactic structures. Advanced level: Acquisition of an in-depth knowledge of Latin Christian literature and culture. Achievement of an in-depth knowledge of the Latin language in its morphological and syntactic structures.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Basic level: Ability to apply the linguistic knowledge in the translation of texts from Latin into Italian, and to comment on Latin texts in the original language. Advanced level: Excellent ability to apply linguistic knowledge in the translation of texts from Latin into Italian, and to provide an in-depth commentary of Latin texts in the original language.
3. Autonomy of judgments:
Basic level: Acquisition of the ability to express judgments on texts from a morpho-syntactic and content point of view. Advanced level: Acquisition of the ability to autonomously express judgments on texts both from a morpho-syntactic and content point of view, and from a stylistic and textual-critical point of view.
4. Communication skills:
Basic level: Acquisition of the ability to present the concepts and data in an orderly and clear manner. Advanced level: Acquisition of the ability to explain the concepts and data learned not only in a clear and orderly way, but also using appropriate language, demonstrating mastery of the subject and moving independently between the topics.
5. Learning ability:
Basic level: Ability to use the methodological tools provided in class and make use of the materials present in DIR and the essays provided in the bibliography, in order to identify the fundamental themes. Advanced level: Ability to master the methodological tools provided in class and make use of the handouts present in DIR and the essays provided in the bibliography, in order to identify the fundamental themes and the various connections.

The course can be attended by students who have LETTERATURE CLASSICHE 3 in their study plan.
To follow the course, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the whole Latin grammar.

Lectures in class; translation exercises in class; online teaching; individual study. Students interested in the course are invited to register as soon as possible on the course page on DIR, where they will be able to find material and detailed information on the course.

Students who wish to replace the program of an old course of Latin literature with the current one are requested to contact the teacher, in order to receive the form. The program exchange will be considered valid if the student will attend at least 75% of the lessons.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services- students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the teacher in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The exam includes a written test and an oral one. Passing the written test is a necessary condition to access the oral exam. The written test consists of a dictionary translation of a Latin text not presented in class but of the same style and genre. Some moments of the course will be dedicated to exercises and grammar review, in preparation for the written exam.
For ATTENDING students, the oral exam, which will last approximately 35-40 minutes, will be divided into three parts: 1) translation of one passage presented in class or more, with questions concerning the language and the content (point A of the bibliography); 2) a question on the history of Latin Christian literature, based on the manual (point B); 3) a question on the topics discussed in class and on the other readings (point C). In order to pass the exam, the student will have to answer at least sufficiently to each of the questions. Exams which show that even just one of the scheduled texts has not been prepared will not be considered sufficient.
For NON-ATTENDING students, the ORALexam is also divided into three parts: 1) translation of one or more than one passage from the three texts that the students will have to prepare in the original language, with questions on the language and the content (point A' of the bibliography); 2) questions on the history of Late-Antique Latin literature, on the basis of the manual (point B'); 3) questions on monographic part (point C'). To pass the exam the student will have to answer at least sufficiently to each of the questions. Exams which show that even just one of the scheduled texts has not been prepared will not be considered sufficient.
The oral test will be aimed at verifying the student’s linguistic skills through the correct translation and analysis of the proposed passage, as well as the comprehension of the texts, the historical-literary context, the themes illustrated in class and the knowledge of the features of the history of Latin Christian literature.

1. Introduction to the history of Latin Early Christian literature
1) The first examples of Christian prose; 2) The first Christian authors in Latin: Tertullian, Cyprian, Lactantius; 3) A Greek master in Latin translation: Origen; 4) The 4th century: Eusebius of Vercelli, Hilarius of Poitiers, Ambrose; 5) Jerome; 6) Augustine
2. Monographic section: from martyrs to philosophers
a) Acts and passions of the martyrs: 1) The first acta martyrum: the Acts of the Scillitan martyrs; 2) Facta sum masculus: the Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas. 3) The soldier of Christ: the Acts of Maximilian
b) The reactions of the pagans and the responses of the Christians: 1) The prejudices of the pagans: the Octavius by Minucius Felix; 2) Tertullian and the defense of Christianity; 3) The Christian discourse on spectacles

Basic level:
Good knowledge of Latin Christian literature and culture. Solid knowledge of the Latin language in its morphological and syntactic structures.
Ability to apply the linguistic knowledge in the translation from Latin to Italian and to comment on Latin texts in the original language
Ability to express judgments on texts from a morpho-syntactic and content point of view.
Ability to present the concepts and data learned in an orderly and clear manner.
Ability to use the methodological tools provided in class and make use of the materials present in DIR and the essays provided in the bibliography, in order to identify the fundamental themes.
Advanced level:
In-depth knowledge of Latin Christian literature and culture. In-depth knowledge of the Latin language in its morphological and syntactic structures.
Excellent ability to apply linguistic knowledge in translating from Latin into Italian and to provide and in-depth commentary of Latin texts in the original language
Ability to autonomously express judgments on texts both from a morpho-syntactic and content point of view, and from a stylistic and textual-critical point of view.
Ability to present the concepts and data learned not only in a clear and orderly way, but also using appropriate language, demonstrating mastery of the subject and moving independently between the topics.
Ability to master the methodological tools provided in class and make use of the handouts in DIR and the essays provided in the bibliography, in order to identify the fundamental themes and the various reciprocal connections.