Ancient culture 4018-KONW32
The seminar (60 h) is designed mainly for first-year students of Modern Greek philology, but is open to all. Students will:
- expand and consolidate the knowledge gained from lectures on the history of ancient Greece from Homer to the Roman period
- learn about selected works of Greek literature (The Iliad and The Odyssey, poetry, tragedy and comedy, etc.)
- learn about the artistic achievements of the Greeks (vase paintings, religious architecture, the Acropolis, Olympia, Delphi, sculptures, etc. shown on slides)
- expand their knowledge of mythology
- develop their awareness of the importance of ancient culture for European and national culture
Winter semester:
1. Introductory remarks. Outline of the topics and the list of references. Outline of the canon of ancient literature and exam requirements.
2-4. How to read ancient writers 1. What is a text? Special features of an ancient text. The physical form of a book, writing systems, writing materials. The history of transmission of ancient texts. Auxiliary sciences of classical philology.
5-6. How to read ancient writers 2. The traps of reconstruction. State of preservation of ancient texts. Elements of text criticism. Attempts to reconstruct Menander’s comedy The Shield. Translations from ancient literatures and problems of translation. (Participation in an attempted reconstruction of The Shield – brainstorming.)
7-8. Homer as a teacher of the Greeks. Ancient models of epic poetry – the aristeia (Homer, Virgil, Lucan, Silius Italicus, Statius). (Interpretation of fragments from a description of an aristeia and seeking the model – a competition.)
9-10. The age of poetry. Genres, representatives.
11-13. From the history of Greek art 1. In the world of vases. Introductory information: production, shapes, styles of vase painting, representatives. (slides)
14. Written test on MYTHOLOGY.
Summer semester
1-3. Playwrights and audiences. Preparation of the audience in Athens. Organization of the agon, conditions hindering and facilitating reception of the text. Theatrical conventions. Characterization of three tragedy writers.
4. Comedy: from Aristophanes to Menander.
5-6. From the history of Greek art 2: Statuary sculpture.
7-8. From the history of Greek art 3: The hill of the Acropolis (slides).
9-10. Above the polis. The Delphi and the Greeks’ religiousness. Olympia and Greek agonistics (slides).
11. The Hellenistic period. Small poetic forms – the epigram. (epitaph-writing competition)
12. How to live – the answers of Greek philosophers (pre-Socratic philosophy, the Lesser Socratics, the great schools of philosophy).
13. Ancient tradition: selected works by modern writers: Odysseus in modern literature.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
In particular, upon completing the course students will:
KNOWLEDGE:
- have knowledge about the problems and work methods of researchers of ancient texts
- be aware of the unique features of the subject and methodology of philology (especially classical philology)
- be familiar with the main difficulties faced by a translator of ancient authors
- be able to list the main periods in the history of Greece and Greek literature
- identify the main features of Greek art (vase paintings, sculpture, religious architecture, etc.)
- be able to list the main literary genres practiced by the Greeks, especially in the archaic and classical period
- have rudimentary knowledge on Greek metrics and poetics
- be more familiar with mythology
- have basic knowledge on forms of reception of Greek heritage in Polish and European culture
SKILLS:
- know how to retrieve, select, critically assess data needed to write a paper
- analyse and interpret excerpts from selected texts (in translations)
- identify elements of ancient tradition in modern literature (poetry) and culture
- prepare typical seminar papers and yearly papers (review, short dissertation, analysis and interpretation of a text)
SOCIAL COMPETENCES
- develop an awareness of the limited scope of their knowledge and the need for continual learning
- be able to work in a group and present their results in an oral report
- organize their own work (canon of reading, see below)
- appreciate the importance of the Greek heritage in Polish and European culture
Assessment criteria
Credits will be based on:
1. Two written papers (of which one will be a review) on any topic from the course, agreed upon with the teacher.
2. A written test in mythology (open and closed questions, interpreting fragments of poetry by contemporary writers, identifying scenes and figures on ancient vases and works by modern artists).
3. Active participation in classes.
In addition, the course involves a canon of Ancient Greek literature in Polish translations (see below), prepared by the students on their own and checked in an individual oral test. The teachers will enter the grade in the space for credits.
Bibliography
Obowiązkowa
W. Lengauer: Starożytna Grecja okresu archaicznego i klasycznego, Warszawa 1999.
J. Łanowski, ks. M. Starowieyski: Literatura Grecji starożytnej. Od Homera do Justyniana, Warszawa 1996.
M. Bernhard: Sztuka grecka, Warszawa 1981.
D. Dembińska-Siury: Człowiek odkrywa człowieka, Warszawa 1991.
A. Świderkówna: Hellenika. Wizerunek epoki od Aleksandra do Augusta. Warszawa 1974
K. Marciniak, Mitologia grecka i rzymska. Bohaterowie ponad czasem. Opowieści o bogach i herosach. Konteksty kulturowe. Historia i współczesność, Warszawa-Bielsko-Biała 2010.
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: