By the end of the course, the student will: 1) have acquired adequate knowledge of the history of the discovery and exploration of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum, of the consistency and type of textual finds discovered there, and of the techniques for unrolling and deciphering the scrolls from the origins of research to current developments; 2) be able to adequately contextualize the main historical, cultural, and textual testimonies pertaining to the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum; 3) be able to formulate independent and informed judgments on the topics covered in the course; 4) be able to communicate the course content to both specialists and non-specialists, discussing problems and offering arguments and solutions; 5) have developed the skills necessary to independently explore the course topics, with particular reference to the main aspects of Herculaneum papyrology and to an exceptional testimony of Greco-Roman culture between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of Latin and Ancient Greek
Teaching Methods
In-person lectures, conducted through classroom interaction, including seminar format, and with the aid of multimedia teaching materials.
Assessment Methods
Oral exam: discussion on the course topics and the proposed reading list
Texts
In addition to the texts and bibliography presented by the instructor during class, the reference bibliography is as follows: – M. Capasso, Manuale di papirologia ercolanese, Congedo, Galatina 1991;– F. Longo Auricchio, G. Indelli, G. Leone, G. Del Mastro, La Villa dei Papiri. Una residenza antica e la sua biblioteca, Carocci, Roma 2020;– T. Dorandi, Nell’officina dei classici. Come lavoravano gli autori antichi, Carocci, Roma 2007.
Contents
History of the discovery and exploration of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum. Size, characteristics, and development of the Library and its holdings. Techniques for unwinding and deciphering the scrolls, from the first mechanical systems to current optical scanning and AI technologies. Philology of the Herculaneum texts, including readings and case studies.
Course Language
Italian
More information
The teaching materials presented in class will be made available by the teacher.
