Course Details

GREEK LITERATURE B

L0134

Course
GREEK LITERATURE B
Code
L0134
Academic Year
2026/2027
Curriculum Year
2025/2026
Degree Programme
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Curriculum
000 - CORSO GENERICO
Course coordinator
Lecturers
Credits
6
Lecture Hours
30
Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)
L-FIL-LET/02 - Greek Language and Literature
Course Type
Single-subject learning activity
Course Delivery
OPZ - Opzionale
Year
2
Teaching period
Primo Semestre
Campus
VERCELLI
Teaching language
Italian
Course Contents
Reading of Sophocles, Ajax. Linguistic, historical, philological and literary analysis of the texts.
Reference Texts
1) A. C. Cassio, Storia delle lingue letterarie greche, Firenze, Le Monnier Università, seconda edizione 2016 (Euro 32, ISBN 9788800745796); 2) A. Porro, W. Lapini, C. Bevegni, Letteratura greca, Bologna, Il Mulino, ISBN-10: 8815271600, ISBN-13: 9788815271600 (euro 29,75), oppure F. Montanari, F.
Montana, Storia della letteratura greca. Dalle origini all'età imperiale, Bari, Laterza, ISBN-10: 8842093076, ISBN-13: 978-8842093077 (euro 25), oppure un manuale di letteratura greca liceale, da concordare con il docente. 3) P. J. Finglass, Sophocles. Ajax. Edited with introduction, translation, and commentary, Cambridge 2011. 4) E. Csapo, M. Miller, The Origins of the Theater in Ancient Greece and Beyond. From Ritual to Drama, Cambridge 2007. ISBN 9780521836821
Learning Outcomes
Acquisition of a good knowledge of the characters of literary texts of ancient Greece. Acquisition of linguistic, historical and literary elements needed for understanding it. Improvement of the knowledge of the Greek language in its morphological and syntactic structures. Acquisition of the knowledge of didactic methods that can be used in school teaching for transmitting the above-described pieces of knowledge. Acquisition of the philological notions that are necessary to understand critical editions of the ancient Greek texts on the syllabus. These aspects will all be taken into equal account for the final grading. The teacher will pose appropriate questions which will allow to evaluate whether the student has reached these goals. In-class lectures correspond to 1,2 CFU, individual study to 4,8 CFU.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of ancient Greek (Italian A level, or "Maturità"). The students taking the course must have a basic knowledge of IT (internet; download of files from the DIR website) and a good knowledge of Italian. They are also supposed to have a basic knowledge of ancient history and the geography of the Mediterranean area: these subjects are normally taught in Italian schools
Teaching Methods
Lectures; classroom discussion; online teaching.
Additional Information
The teacher will prepare didactic materials relevant to the course. These materials can be accessed through the university intranet service (DIR). Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via reference office 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 tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.
Assessment Methods
The final exam consists of an oral test in three sections. The correct translation and analysis of morphological and syntactic structures of a section of the text on the syllabus will enable the assessment of the knowledge of the Greek language (60% weight in the exam evaluation); the interpretation of the text in the context of the themes discussed in the module, the discussion of possible didactic use of the text in school teaching, and the analysis of the historical and literary interpretation will enable the assessment of the knowledge of Greek history, of the history of Greek literature and of didactic methods (30 % weight in the exam evaluation). The knowledge of philological concepts will be tested through the interpretation of the critical apparatus of one of the editions used (10 % weight in the exam evaluation). A passing grade must be acquired in each section of the exam. The final grade will be based on the degree of knowledge and understanding of the texts and of the linguistic, literary, philological and didactic concepts, on the ability to apply knowledge to the text or to the proposed interpretation problem, and on the degree of expressive and communicative capacity. Mark between 18 and 22: Overall, sufficient knowledge of the topics, but lack of in-depth analysis and independent revision. Mark between 23 and 27: More in-depth knowledge of the topics, moderate in-depth analysis, and independent revision. Mark between 28 and 30: Very in-depth knowledge of the topics, evident in-depth analysis, and independent revision. A mark with distinction ("lode") will be achieved by students who will show to be able of critical thinking and independent judgment concerning the contents of this course.
Detailed Syllabus
Reading of Sophocles, Ajax. The students will analyse the texts from a linguistic, historical, philological and literary point of view. They will examine the main teaching methodologies for teaching these topics in schools.

"Integration of the gender dimension": The representation of women in Greek tragedy, with particular reference to the figure of Tecmessa in Sophocles' Ajax, will be the focus of the analysis of lines 284–330, 485–524, and 915–924 of the play.
Expected Learning Outcomes
The students will acquire a good linguistic and literary competence in the interpretation of Greek literature through the original reading of large sections of Greek texts. The interpretation of passages will enable students to understand problems related to the history and literary history of ancient Greece. They will acquire the knowledge of didactic methods that can be used in school teaching for transmitting the key elements of the above-described pieces of knowledge and abilities. The teacher will evaluate whether the student has reached these objectives based on the ability to translate the texts and to provide a solid linguistic and philologic interpretation, on the knowledge of literary history and of the main didactic methods.

KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of the formal characteristics and of the contents of the texts and the related historical-literary context.

SKILLS:
- Ability to critically analyse texts.
- Ability to present arguments with clarity and using the specialistic language.
Last update:09-09-2026 00:14:31