Greek Literary History from Ancient Times to Early Byzantine Times

<p>Explore the development of Greek literature from antiquity to the early Byzantine period. The course includes readings from authors such as Homer, Sappho, and Plato, and examines how literary theories and traditions have been shaped and reinterpreted throughout history.</p><p>This course is for you who have successfully completed 90 higher education credits in linguistics or literature, or the equivalent. The course is compulsory within the Master’s Programme in Languages and Linguistics (Greek orientation) but may also be taken as an independent course. </p><p>The course provides you with a broad and in-depth survey of the development of Greek literature over more than a millennium. The course addresses both change and continuity in literary expression, genres, and ideas - from archaic epic to early Christian writing.</p><p>You will read a selection of Greek texts, both in the original language and in translation, and analyse how their texts reflect the cultural, philosophical, and linguistic contexts of their time. The analyses draw on both ancient and modern interpretative theories, allowing you to explore how concepts such as rhetoric, aesthetics, and morality have been transmitted and transformed through history. </p><p>The course also offers insight into how literature reflects social and cultural structures, with particular attention to issues of gender and ethnicity. Combining textual study with literary-historical and theoretical perspectives, it encourages an understanding of Greek literature both as an artistic tradition and as an ongoing history of ideas. </p><p><br/></p>