Unit HISTORY OF ROMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
- Course
- Italian, classical studies and european history
- Study-unit Code
- GP005344
- Curriculum
- Civiltà e cultura dell'antico
- Teacher
- Roberto Cristofoli
- Teachers
-
- Roberto Cristofoli
- Hours
- 36 ore - Roberto Cristofoli
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2022
- Offered
- 2022/23
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Discipline storiche, filosofiche, antropologiche e sociologiche
- Academic discipline
- L-ANT/03
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian.
- Contents
- 1) History of the historiography on the ancient Rome in both Greek and Latin language and examination of the various historiographical genres (with special attention to ancient biography, which is theoretically distinct from the historiography, but actually strictly related to it);
2) Historical reconstruction, through constant recourse to Greek and Latin sources, of the Second Punic War. - Reference texts
- Students who attend classes are only expected to know the contents of the lectures and of all texts presented and analysed during the course.
If necessary, Students can brush up on their knowledge of ancient Roman history through an advanced handbook such as G. Geraci - A. Marcone, “Storia Romana. Editio Maior”, Ed. Le Monnier Università (Mondadori Education), Milano 2017, EAN 9788800746991, and their knowledge of ancient Roman historiography through the handbook “Introduzione alla storiografia romana”, Ed. Carocci, Roma 2019 (II Ed.), EAN 9788843094950.
Students who are unable to attend lectures must contact the Professor, who will provide them with an alternative learning programme indicating additional and different books.
In Unistudium Students can find the texts presented within the course.
Students with disabilities and / or with DSA are asked to consult the University Services on the page
https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa; Students can also get in touch with the responsible contact person, and agree with the Professor tools and strategies aimed at facilitating the learning path. - Educational objectives
- The main knowledge that Students are expected to acquire will be:
- knowledge of the historiography on the ancient Rome (in both Greek and Latin language) and of its various genres;
- deep knowledge of the history and historiography on the events and on the dynamics taking place in the period of the Second Punic war.
The main skills that will allow Students to apply their acquired knowledge will be:
- Students will be able to reconstruct the events of specific stages of the history of a civilization denoting a certain degree of autonomy;
- Students will acquire an appropriate methodology to analyze and to interpret sources for reconstructing the past. - Prerequisites
- In order to fully understand the contents of the course, it is useful that Students have attended the undergraduate course in Roman history, with particular reference to the notions concerning the Third century BC.
- Teaching methods
- The course consists of frontal lectures.
- Other information
- The course is scheduled to start towards the end of February 2023. Attendance at lectures is recommended and can foster a better and deeper understanding of the topics.
Students who are unable to attend lectures must contact the Professor, who will provide them with an alternative learning programme.
The Professor is available to speak individually with Students, who are asked to consult the web-page:
https://www.unipg.it/personale/roberto.cristofoli/didattica
Students with disabilities and / or with DSA are asked to consult the University Services on the page
https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa; Students can also get in touch with the responsible contact person.
To contact the Professor, write to: roberto.cristofoli@unipg.it - Learning verification modality
- Final oral examination. The examination lasts about 20-25 minutes and is aimed at evaluating Student’s knowledge at both general (knowledge of the features and of the ideology of the main authors of historiography on ancient Rome in its genres) and specific level (namely by reference to historical reconstruction, in its various aspects, of the Second Punic war). The answers to the exam questions will determine an evaluation based on argumentative rigor, property of language, exhaustive exposition of the contents.
Students with disabilities and / or with DSA can benefit, during the exam, from the inclusive technologies, compensatory tools and dispensative measures provided for by the legislation. Technologies, tools and measures must be requested and agreed with the Professor well in advance of the exam. See the web-page:
https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa; Students can also get in touch with the responsible contact person. - Extended program
- The development of a well-defined historiographical thought, which has its roots in Greek models but is characterized by significant specificities in its outcomes, is one of the traits that Roman civilization could rightly boast.
The course is divided into two parts. The first part of the course (18 hours) will aim at outlining a history of the historiography on the ancient Rome in both Greek and Latin language. Particular attention will be given to the use of sources in ancient historiography, to the differences between ancient and modern concept of historical writing, to the various types of historiographical genres and to the development of biography, which is theoretically distinct from the historiography, but actually strictly related to it – and this is especially true in the particular case of lives devoted to military and political personalities. The lectures will also deal with the main ancient authors of historical and biographical works: some significant and extensive passages from their works will be examined in order to draw attention to the features and the ideologies of the writers.
The second half of the course will be devoted to the historical reconstruction, through constant recourse to Greek and Latin sources, of the Second Punic War, that was fought in Italy, Spain and North Africa, that saw a series of victories for Hannibal in Italy in its first part and then a slow recovery of Rome (also passed for the adaptation to a new way of conceiving war), and that is configured as a turning point in the history of ancient Rome. We will examine the historical reconstructions by ancient authors as well some modern scholars in relation to war plans, dynamics of battles, institutional changes and choices of political leaders.