Semester 3

KΦB03: Byzantine Historiography I

Historians of the Fall of Constantinople (1453). Emphasis is given to texts describing the events which took place in the few days following the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. Furthermore, a comparison is attempted with the Fall of Constantinople to the Franks in 1204.

ΜΦB03 Byzantine Historiography I

Historiography of the Early Byzantine period. Classicizing histories, chronography, ecclesiastical historiography. Authors and Works.

ΓΦB03 Byzantine Historiography I

Historians of the Fall of Constantinople (1453). Emphasis is given to texts describing the events which took place in the few days following the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks. Furthermore, a comparison is attempted with the Fall of Constantinople to the Franks in 1204.

Semester 4

MΦΒ04 Scholarship in Byzantium

Byzantine Education. Grammar – Schedography - Lexicography. Teaching of representative texts.

ΜΦΒ05 Greek Palaeography

The subject of the course is the evolution of the Greek handwriting from the 4th century A.D. to the 15th century A.D. The course offers an introduction to the basic principles of the science of paleography, familiarity with the reading of Byzantine manuscripts, and the development of the skill of ordering chronologically the various types of Greek handwriting by presenting representative samples of them. In parallel, the basic principles of the science of codicology will be presented.

Semester 5

ΜΦΒ06 Readings on Byzantine Everyday Life and Culture

Introduction to Byzantine everyday life and culture. Basic bibliography. The Byzantine family and the life in the cities. Relevant readings with an emphasis on the Book of the Eparch.

ΓΦΒ07 Byzantine Hymnography

The emergence and evolution of the literary genre – early Christian hymns – kontakion – kanon – periods of hymnography – post-Byzantine works. Readings from the hymns of Romanos the Melodist. The reception of Byzantium in 19^th-century Greece.

Semester 6

KΦΒ06 Readings on Byzantine Everyday Life and Culture

Introduction to Byzantine everyday life and culture. Basic bibliography. The Byzantine family and the life in the cities. Relevant readings with an emphasis on the Book of the Eparch.

KΦΒ07 Byzantine Hymnography

The emergence and evolution of the literary genre – early Christian hymns – kontakion – kanon – periods of hymnography – post-Byzantine works. Readings from the hymns of Romanos the Melodist. The reception of Byzantium in 19^th-century Greece.

MΦΒ07 Byzantine Hymnography

Principles of hymnography. The hymnographical genres with an emphasis on the kanon. Melodists and hymnographers. Readings from hymns

Semester 7

KΦB08: Byzantine Rhetoric - Epistolography

Having as staring point the satirical text Timarion  we are going to study the relations between the Byzantine satire and the tradition of Lucian.  We are also going to comment upon the topics of satire, which correspond to social and historical circumstances of the 12^th century.

MΦΒ08 Byzantine Rhetoric - Epistolography

Theoretical introduction to the rhetoric of the Byzantine era. Study of selected rhetorical texts. Particular emphasis is placed on homiletics, funeral orations and ekphraseis.

ΓΦΒ08 Byzantine Rhetoric - Epistolography

During the course the literary genres of the mirror of princes and the royal encomium will be presented. By reading and analyzing characteristic excerpts we will distinguish their morphological and structural similarities and differences, their ideological affinity, their role in the formation and promotion of the political thought of the empire and their contribution to the refinement of rhetorical art during the Byzantine era.

ΓΦΒ10 Theological and Philosophical Literature

Theoretical introduction to the Philosophical Literature of the Byzantine era. Study of selected philosophical texts. Particular emphasis is placed on the text of Theodore Metochites.

Semester 8

ΜΦΒ09 Hagiography

The evolution of hagiography. The hagiographical genres. Life of St Prophyrios of Gaza.

ΜΦΒ10 Theological and Philosophical Literature

(not offered in 2013-14)

ΜΦΒ11 Byzantine Historiography II

Historiography of the Middle Byzantine period. Emphasis is placed on the Chronography of Michael Psellos.

ΓΦΒ11 Byzantine Historiography II

Historiography of the Middle Byzantine period. Classicizing histories, chronography. Authors and Works.

ΜΦΒ12 Secular Poetry

Introduction to the mystic poetry of Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022). A number of his hymns as well as his poetic technique are analyzed from a philological point of view.

ΓΦΒ12 Secular Poetry

Language, metres, representative poets. The relation between the Byzantine and the classical art of epigram. Teaching of representative texts (4th-15th cent.). Special reference is made to the Greek Anthology.

ΦB27 Byzantine Literature

Course offered from 2012-13 onwards to the Department of History and Archaeology, 3^th Semester (3 hours per week)

[ΦB23 Byzantine Literature]

Course offered until 2011-12 to the Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology, Section of Philosophy, 6^th Semester (5 hours per week). From 2012-13 onwards students can register to any of the courses offered to the Department of Philology.

In 2011-12 the course was divided into two parts:

I (3h) A history of Byzantine literature. Byzantine literary genres. Transmission of the texts. Stylistic levels. Representative authors. Reading and study of selected passages from poetic and prose texts dating from the whole Byzantine period.

II (2h) Introduction to Greek Paleography: roll and codex, writing materials (papyrus, parchment, paper), evolution of the Greek script, the dating of manuscripts, watermarks, manuscript description. Readings of majuscule and minuscule samples.

Byzantine Literature for Slavicists

Course offered from 2011-12 onwards to the Department of Slavic Studies (3 hours per week)

Byzantine Civilisation for Theologians

Course offered from 2011-12 onwards to the Department of Social Theology (2nd semester, 3 hours per week)