The course is primarily intended—though not exclusively—for students enrolled in the Classical curriculum who have not previously studied Ancient Greek. Its goal is to equip them with the necessary tools to begin reading texts directly in the original language.

As a general rule, students who have attended a Liceo Classico (Classical High School) are not eligible to take this course. However, any exceptional cases should be promptly discussed with the instructor.

A solid knowledge of Ancient Greek is a fundamental learning objective for students in the Classical curriculum, particularly in preparation for teaching Greek Language and Culture in the relevant subject areas.

The course will be divided into two parts. In the first semester (second trimester), the focus will be on the fundamental aspects of Greek grammar and vocabulary (e.g., alphabet and phonology; definite article; declension of nouns and adjectives; pronouns; verb conjugation; basic syntax).

In the second semester (third trimester), students will read and analyze an anthology of texts of intermediate difficulty. This will serve both to assess the skills acquired during the first part of the course and to deepen their understanding of Greek syntax and vocabulary.

None.

Knowledge and Understanding: Students are expected to demonstrate a solid foundational knowledge of Ancient Greek morphology and to have acquired a sufficiently broad vocabulary to begin reading original texts.

Applied Knowledge and Understanding: Students should be able to apply their foundational knowledge through the reading, translation, and interpretation of Greek texts of intermediate difficulty.

Independent Judgment: Students must show the ability to grasp both the general meaning and the finer linguistic details of the assigned texts, including a thorough analysis of Greek morphological structures.

Communication Skills: By the end of the course, students should be able to identify, understand, and analyze the main morphological structures of the Ancient Greek language, using appropriate technical terminology in both discussion and written commentary.

Learning Skills: Students are expected to effectively apply their acquired knowledge of morphology and syntax through close reading and commentary of Greek texts. They should also demonstrate the learning strategies and independence necessary to continue their study of Ancient Greek at a more advanced level.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

None.

Teaching

In addition to lectures, the course includes in-class exercises involving grammatical analysis, morphological manipulation, and the sight translation of short passages of varying difficulty.

Attendance

Regular attendance is strongly recommended. Attending students are required to participate in at least two-thirds of the classes.

Working students or those with specific needs (personal, learning-related, or otherwise) are encouraged to contact the instructor to arrange support activities or tailored learning plans as needed.

Course books

To acquire a solid understanding of Greek grammar, students are required to study:

(1) P. Agazzi – M. Vilardo, Hellenistì. Corso di lingua e civiltà greca. Manuale, fifth edition, Zanichelli, Bologna 2023.

Exercises:

(2) P. Agazzi – M. Vilardo, Hellenistì. Corso di lingua e civiltà greca. Esercizi 1, fifth edition, Zanichelli, Bologna 2023.

Reading materials:

(3) The texts to be read during the second part of the course will be made available in reproduction.

***

Alternatively, for students who wish to take the exam in English, the following optional materials are required:

(4) At least one of the following textbooks: D.J. Mastronarde, Introduction to Attic Greek, 2nd ed., Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2013; E. Dickey, Composition Analysis of Greek Prose, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007;

(5) One of the following reference grammars: H.W. Smyth, Greek Grammar, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1920 (reprinted several times); E. van Emde Boas, A. Rijksbaron, L. Huitink, M. de Bakker, The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

(6) Additional materials for the study of the texts discussed in class (see point 3).

Assessment

Final Examination
The final exam will consist of an oral interview. During the exam, the student must demonstrate a solid understanding of the main morphological structures of Ancient Greek covered during the course. Specifically, the student will be expected to:

Show mastery of these concepts through the reading, translation, and grammatical analysis of the texts studied and discussed in class during the year;

Demonstrate a good knowledge of the grammar textbook listed in the syllabus, as well as the topics covered during lessons;

Show the ability to approach the sight-reading and translation of a simple prose passage.

The exam will assess all three of these areas equally, and the final grade (on a 30-point scale) will be the average of the scores received in each part of the assessment.

Grades in the very good to excellent range (25–30 cum laude) will be awarded to students who, in addition to a solid grasp of Greek grammar and the texts studied in class, demonstrate effective use of methods required for translating an unfamiliar passage at sight.
Grades in the sufficient to good range (18–24) will be given to students who show only a basic knowledge of Greek grammar, a fair understanding of the class texts, and a more limited, though still adequate, ability to handle the sight translation task.

Midterm Exam (Optional)
Students who attend the course regularly may, on a voluntary basis, take an optional midterm exam, scheduled during the winter session of the academic year. The midterm will be an oral exam covering the material studied during the first semester and will be divided into two equally weighted parts. In the first part, the student will be asked questions related to the phonetics, morphology, and syntax of Ancient Greek. In the second part, the student will be asked to translate a few short Greek prose sentences, with the guidance of the examiner. The midterm grade will be averaged with the final exam grade.

Exam in a Foreign Language (Optional)
Both the final and midterm exams may be taken entirely in English. No prior notice is required; however, students are encouraged to contact the instructor in advance to receive guidance on the appropriate study materials.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Independent study; periodic meetings during the instructor’s office hours (optional).

Attendance

To allow non-attending students to compensate through independent study for the material covered in class, the following resources are indicated, corresponding to the same content as the course syllabus, in order to support full comprehension: a selection of Greek texts indicated by the instructor.

Non-attending students are required to contact the instructor *at least two months before the start of the exam sessions*.

Course books

To acquire a solid understanding of Greek grammar, students are required to study:

(1) P. Agazzi – M. Vilardo, Hellenistì. Corso di lingua e civiltà greca. Manuale, 5th edition, Zanichelli, Bologna 2023.

Exercises:

(2) P. Agazzi – M. Vilardo, Hellenistì. Corso di lingua e civiltà greca. Esercizi 1, 5th edition, Zanichelli, Bologna 2023.

Reading materials:

(3) An anthology of texts, which will be provided in reproduction by the instructor.

***

Optional materials in English (for students who wish to take the exam in English):

(4) At least one of the following textbooks:
D.J. Mastronarde, Introduction to Attic Greek, 2nd ed., Berkeley/Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2013;
E. Dickey, Composition Analysis of Greek Prose, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

(5) One of the following reference grammars:
H.W. Smyth, Greek Grammar, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1920 (reprinted multiple times);
E. van Emde Boas, A. Rijksbaron, L. Huitink, M. de Bakker, The Cambridge Grammar of Classical Greek, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

(6) Additional resources for the analysis of the texts provided by the instructor (see point 3).

Assessment

During the final exam, which will consist of an oral examination, the student must demonstrate a solid knowledge of the main morphological structures of the Greek language covered in class. Specifically, the student must:

demonstrate that they have acquired this knowledge through the reading, translation, and grammatical commentary of the texts provided by the instructor;

demonstrate a good knowledge of the Greek grammar textbook indicated in the syllabus;

demonstrate the ability to navigate the reading and sight-translation of an elementary-level prose text.

The three aspects listed above will be assessed during the exam and will have equal weight in determining the final grade. The final grade, expressed on a 30-point scale, will be the average of the grades obtained in each of the three parts of the assessment.

Exams will be graded as very good or excellent (25–30 cum laude) when the student demonstrates, in addition to a solid knowledge of Greek grammar and the texts provided by the instructor, the acquisition of the methodology necessary to approach the sight-translation of a simple text. Exams will be considered sufficient or satisfactory (18–24) when the student shows only a basic knowledge of Greek grammar, a fair knowledge of the texts provided by the instructor, and a limited but still adequate ability to handle the sight-translation of a simple text.

INTERMEDIATE TEST (OPTIONAL): Enrolled students may, on a voluntary basis, take an intermediate test during the winter session of the academic year. The intermediate test will consist of an oral examination on the topics covered in the first semester. The examination will be divided into two equally weighted parts. In the first part, the student will answer questions related to the phonetics, morphology, and syntax of Ancient Greek. In the second part, the student will be asked to translate, with the examiner’s assistance, some brief Greek prose sentences. The grade for the intermediate test will be averaged with that of the final exam.

CONDUCTING THE EXAM IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (OPTIONAL): The exam may be taken entirely in English. No prior notice is required for this option. However, students are strongly encouraged to contact the instructor in advance to receive guidance on the appropriate study materials.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.