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BYZANTINE HISTORY

Mario D'AMBROSI BYZANTINE HISTORY

0312600052
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANISTIC STUDIES
EQF6
HUMANITIES
2021/2022



YEAR OF COURSE 2
YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2020
AUTUMN SEMESTER
CFUHOURSACTIVITY
945LESSONS
MARIO D'AMBROSI T Curriculum
Objectives
THE COURSE AIMS TO OFFER BASIC KNOWLEDGE ON THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330-1453), AS WELL AS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF ITS SOCIETY AND ECONOMY. THE SEMINAR PART FOCUSES ON SALIENT ASPECTS OF BYZANTINE HISTORIOGRAPHY, BY READING AND COMMENTING SOURCES IN ITALIAN TRANSLATION.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO:
-KNOW POLITICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE, FROM THE FOUNDATION OF CONSTANTINOPLE (324/330) TO THE OTTOMAN CONQUEST (1453);
-CRITICALLY UNDERSTAND THE EVENTS OF BYZANTINE HISTORY;
-ANALYSE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND BYZANTINE SOCIETY;
-DISCERN THE OBJECTIVITY OF BYZANTINE HISTORIANS AND RECOGNISE THE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL VALUE OF A SOURCE;
-UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL PHENOMENA AND THE SPECIFICITY OF BYZANTINE CIVILISATION (GREEK, ROMAN AND EASTERN ELEMENT);
-LEARN AND REFINE THE TECHNIQUES OF ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF BYZANTINE HISTORIOGRAPHIC SOURCES, OF READING DOCUMENTS, OF UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS OF BYZANTIUM.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
-CRITICALLY INTERPRET THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY OF BYZANTIUM;
-HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE BYZANTINE CIVILISATION;
-APPLY THE TOOLS OF HISTORIOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION TO BYZANTINE SOURCES, ALSO BY USING IT TOOLS AND ONLINE DIGITAL RESOURCES (FOR EXAMPLE ONLINE NUMISMATIC AND SPHRAGISTIC REPERTORIES, ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS AND DIGITISED DOCUMENTS, SITES AND ARTISTIC RELICS OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INTEREST).

MAKING JUDGEMENTS
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
-ACQUIRE AUTONOMY OF HISTORIOGRAPHICAL JUDGMENT;
-FILTER AND SIFT THE DATA IN THEIR POSSESSION; ELABORATE REFLECTIONS AND CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE VARIOUS SECTORS OF THEIR COMPETENCE;
-SHOW FULL AWARENESS OF THE POSSIBLE SOCIAL AND ETHICAL EFFECTS CONNECTED TO THE EXPRESSION OF THEIR ANALYTICAL AND JUDGMENTAL SKILLS.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
-COMMUNICATE, WITH CLARITY AND APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, TO SPECIALISTS AND NON-SPECIALISTS, INFORMATION, REFLECTIONS, PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS AND TO TRANSFER THE BAGGAGE OF THE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED DURING THE COURSE;
-RELATE IN DIFFERENT WORK CONTEXTS AND TO MEDIATE WITHIN A WORK GROUP.

LEARNING SKILLS
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
-CONTINUE INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR STUDYING AND PROFESSIONAL UPDATING, BOTH IN REFERENCE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDERTAKING HIGHER EDUCATION COURSES (1ST LEVEL MASTER OR MA DEGREE), AND WITH RESPECT TO THE NEEDS EMERGING FROM CONTACT WITH THE WORLD OF WORK.
Prerequisites
NONE. IT IS SUGGESTED A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE ROMAN AND MEDIAEVAL HISTORY.
Contents
HISTORY OF THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE (330-1453).

SEMINAR:
THE REBELLION OF GEORGE MANIAKES: SOME PASSAGES FROM MICHAEL PSELLOS' «CHRONOGRAPHIA» AND FROM JOHN SKYLITZES' «SYNOPSIS HISTORIARUM».
Teaching Methods
ORAL EXPOSITION OF THE TOPICS. POWER-POINT PRESENTATION (HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL MAPS ETC.). SPECIFIC HAND-OUT WILL BE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE COURSE.
Verification of learning
FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION (FULL MARKS: 30/30 WITH HONOURS).
FOR STUDENTS WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE COURSE: READING OF HISTORICAL SOURCES AND COMMENTARY. GENERAL EXAMINATION ABOUT BYZANTINE HISTORY (330-1453).
FOR STUDENTS WHO WON'T BE ATTENDING THE COURSE: GENERAL EXAMINATION ABOUT BYZANTINE HISTORY (330-1453) AND THE SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS TO BE STUDIED FOR THE PROGRAMME.
Texts
FOR THE GENERAL PART:

1) W. TREADGOLD, STORIA DI BISANZIO, ITALIAN TRANSLATION BY G. GARBISA, ITALIAN EDITION BY G. RAVEGNANI, IL MULINO, BOLOGNA 2005 (THE WHOLE BOOK).

FOR THE SEMINAR:

2) MICHELE PSELLO. IMPERATORI DI BISANZIO (CRONOGRAFIA), TESTO CRITICO A CURA DI S. IMPELLIZZERI, COMMENTO DI U. CRISCUOLO, TRADUZIONE DI S. RONCHEY, I-II, MILANO 1984 (SCRITTORI GRECI E LATINI - FONDAZIONE VALLA), SELECTED PASSAGES,
TOGETHER WITH
IOANNIS SCYLITZAE SYNOPSIS HISTORIARUM, EDITIO PRINCEPS, RECENSUIT IO. THURN, BEROLINI ET NOVI EBORACI 1973 (CORPUS FONTIUM HISTORIAE BYZANTINAE. SERIES BEROLINENSIS, 5), SELECTED PASSAGES.

STUDENTS, WHO WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE COURSE, WILL STUDY THE FOLLOWING TEXT INSTEAD OF THE SEMINAR:
2) CH. DIEHL, FIGURE BIZANTINE, ITALIAN TRANSLATION BY M.S. RUFFOLO, TORINO 2007 (THE WHOLE BOOK).
More Information
IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THE ATTENDANCE AT THE COURSE IN ORDER TO PREPARE THE ORAL EXAMINATION. HAND-OUT WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE LESSONS.

THE COURSE WILL BE HELD IN THE FIRST ACADEMIC SEMESTER.
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