Corso di laurea magistrale in
Archeologia e Storia antica

In accordance with the educational objectives of the degree in Ancient Archaeology and History, the course intends to provide the basic skills necessary to deal with the understanding and historical interpretation of an epigraphic text, with attention also to the archaeological and topographic context of the finding.

Particularly, the course aims to initiate the students to the knowledge of the general issues concerning the Greek Epigraphy in the long span-time included from the acquisition of the alphabetic writing (VIIIth century BC) to the classical age (Vth century BC).

At the end of the course, the student will have achieved:

• The knowledge of the main lines of development of the Greek Epigraphy through the study of a series of selected inscriptions;
• The ability to autonomously deal with the examination of an epigraphic text: reading, translation, dating, palaeographical, linguistic and literary commentary, historical interpretation;
• The ability to effectively and clearly communicate, through the use of the specialized vocabulary, the acquired knowledge and the reflections elaborated about the principal issues posed by an epigraphic text.

Series of lectures, 36 hours in total (6 CFU).

The teaching will be conducted as a seminar, with active participation of the students and practical training in reading inscriptions.

The lessons involve the use of a video projector. The power points will be made available to the students.

The texts of the inscriptions (apographs and/or photographies and transcriptions) will be provided in photocopy during the lectures.

The expected knowledge and skills will be verified through an oral examination. The examination will always start by analysing an epigraphic texts (apographs and/or photographies).

The preparation will be considered adequate (with a grade expressed in thirtieths):

- If the student will demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the topics and issues addressed;

- If the student will be able to present the topics with the appropriate vocabulary, specific of the discipline;

- If the student will be able to autonomously deal with the examination of an epigraphic text, demonstrating in particular to be able to contextualize it in the correct chronological and geographical framework.

The course will be devoted to analyze the acquisition of alphabetic writing in the Greek world and the different local alphabets. A number of inscriptions considered significant to understand the phenomenon and to illustrate the various archaic scripts will be read, translated and commented. Great attention will be reserved to the contexts of discovery of the inscriptions, to their historical framework and to the societies that produced them.

Principal contents:

• Adoption of the alphabet in the Greek world: the Greeks learn to write by the Phoenicians.
• Main archaic alphabets: a plural world.
• Various typologies of inscriptions: public, private and sacred epigraphs.
• Tools of the epigraphist: principal epigraphic collections (paper and digital), bibliographic guides and sitography.

For the students attending the course, the preparation has to be conducted on their notes, on the handouts distributed during the lectures and on a number of selected pages from: M. Guarducci, L'epigrafia greca dalle origini al tardo impero, Roma 1987.

They must also read the following general bibliography:

E. Culasso Gastaldi, L’epigrafia greca, in G. Poma (a cura di), Le fonti per la storia antica, Bologna 2008, pp. 193-216.

L. Lazzarini, La scrittura nella città. Iscrizioni, archivi e alfabetizzazione, in S. Settis (a cura di), I Greci. Storia, Cultura, Arte, Società, vol. 2.II: Definizione, Torino 1997, pp. 725-750.

Moreover, each student, depending on his/her interests, will focus on an epigraphic text and its context of production. The choice will be made at the end of the course. Then the related bibliography will be provided.

The students not attending the course are invited to contact directly and promptly the teacher (danielafrancesca.marchiandi@unito.it). The program consists of the study of a number of selected inscriptions from the book: M. Guarducci, L'epigrafia greca dalle origini al tardo impero, Roma 1987.

Moreover, they have to read the general bibliography indicated above for attending students.

E. Culasso Gastaldi, L’epigrafia greca, in G. Poma (a cura di), Le fonti per la storia antica, Bologna 2008, pp. 193-216.

L. Lazzarini, La scrittura nella città. Iscrizioni, archivi e alfabetizzazione, in S. Settis (a cura di), I Greci. Storia, Cultura, Arte, Società, vol. 2.II: Definizione, Torino 1997, pp. 725-750.

As the attending students, finally, each student not attending the course, depending on his/her interests, will focus on an epigraphic text and its context of production. The choice will be agreed with the teacher, who will provide the related bibliography.