New Ancient Poetry: Masterpieces from Papyri - zajęcia w języku angielskim B2+

ogólnouniwersyteckie

w sali

Contrary to the common belief, ancient literature is not a closed set – every decade brings a major discovery, which makes us rethink our assumptions about antiquity. This course is devoted to reading (in English translation) the poetic masterpieces of the Greeks discovered throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, largely unknown to the larger public.

The modern school canon of the masterpieces of ancient literature is regrettably limited to several, not necessarily representative, works. Although the twentieth- and twenty-first-century advancements of papyrology, the discipline focusing on the study of newly found fragments of ancient books and documents, has resulted in the publication of dozens of previously unknown fascinating texts, including fragments of lost masterpieces, this revolution barely affected the way ancient culture is taught at school, and its fruits remain largely unknown to the larger public. This course’s aim is to put some of these undeservedly obscure masterpieces in the spotlight. The focus will be on ancient Greek poetry; the participants will read (in English translations) and discuss poems of different periods and various genres, retrieved from ancient papyri. The course will explore the following topics:

(1) Ancient book culture. The oldest surviving Greek papyrus: the papyrus roll and writing tablets from the "Tomb of the Musician” in Athens.

(2) Archaic pornography? The "Cologne Archilochus”.

(3) Sappho on old age.

(4) Sappho’s family drama.

(5) Reconstructing tragedy: tragic plot summaries from papyri.

(6) "Broken laughter” – the comedy from papyri. Menander.

(7) Playing with the satyrs: Sophocles’ Trackers (and Tony Harrison’s Trackers from Oxyrhynchus).

(8) Things get complicated: Timotheus’ Persians.

(9) Bookish pleasures: Callimachus’ Aitia.

(10) Sex, violence and tattoos: "The Tatoo Elegy”.

(11) A poet’s testament: Posidippus’ Seal.

(12) Disappointing novelties? "The New Posidippus”.

(13) How to buy a dildo: Herodas’ Mimiamb 6.

(14) Entertaining the masses: mimes from papyri.

(15) Witnessing the end of the world: Palladas’ epigrams.

The English translations of the Greek texts under discussion will be successively supplied to the participants.

R. S. Bagnall (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Oxford 2009.

M. Hose and D. Schenker (eds), A Companion to Greek Literature, Chichester 2016.

K. Gutzwiller, A Guide to Hellenistic Literature, Malden, Mass. 2007.

The student knows the basic facts about ancient book culture, the genres of Greek poetry and its periodization. The student is able to discuss in English, orally and in writing, ancient poetic texts. The student is capable of formulating his or her own interpretive ideas on the poems under discussion. The student understands the importance of the ancient cultural heritage for modern culture.

Participation in discussions (50%), essay (50%).

admissible one absence

ogólnouniwersyteckie

w sali

Contrary to the common belief, ancient literature is not a closed set – every decade brings a major discovery, which makes us rethink our assumptions about antiquity. This course is devoted to reading (in English translation) the poetic masterpieces of the Greeks discovered throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, largely unknown to the larger public.

The modern school canon of the masterpieces of ancient literature is regrettably limited to several, not necessarily representative, works. Although the twentieth- and twenty-first-century advancements of papyrology, the discipline focusing on the study of newly found fragments of ancient books and documents, has resulted in the publication of dozens of previously unknown fascinating texts, including fragments of lost masterpieces, this revolution barely affected the way ancient culture is taught at school, and its fruits remain largely unknown to the larger public. This course’s aim is to put some of these undeservedly obscure masterpieces in the spotlight. The focus will be on ancient Greek poetry; the participants will read (in English translations) and discuss poems of different periods and various genres, retrieved from ancient papyri. The course will explore the following topics:

(1) Ancient book culture. The oldest surviving Greek papyrus: the papyrus roll and writing tablets from the "Tomb of the Musician” in Athens.

(2) Archaic pornography? The "Cologne Archilochus”.

(3) Sappho on old age.

(4) Sappho’s family drama.

(5) Reconstructing tragedy: tragic plot summaries from papyri.

(6) "Broken laughter” – the comedy from papyri. Menander.

(7) Playing with the satyrs: Sophocles’ Trackers (and Tony Harrison’s Trackers from Oxyrhynchus).

(8) Things get complicated: Timotheus’ Persians.

(9) Bookish pleasures: Callimachus’ Aitia.

(10) Sex, violence and tattoos: "The Tatoo Elegy”.

(11) A poet’s testament: Posidippus’ Seal.

(12) Disappointing novelties? "The New Posidippus”.

(13) How to buy a dildo: Herodas’ Mimiamb 6.

(14) Entertaining the masses: mimes from papyri.

(15) Witnessing the end of the world: Palladas’ epigrams.

The English translations of the Greek texts under discussion will be successively supplied to the participants.

R. S. Bagnall (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology, Oxford 2009.

M. Hose and D. Schenker (eds), A Companion to Greek Literature, Chichester 2016.

K. Gutzwiller, A Guide to Hellenistic Literature, Malden, Mass. 2007.