The student will acquire: an in-depth and detailed knowledge of the characteristics of Christian literary production of the first five centuries; the ability to apply the methodology of philological and literary research to unfamiliar sources; the ability to collect and interpret the acquired data, as well as to integrate them with an autonomous use of scientific research tools, arriving at complex evaluations; the ability to express and communicate the conclusions of the study and research activity in a clear and scientifically correct manner.
teacher profile teaching materials
Schedule: 6 hours/week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 12 noon - 2 p.m.
Classroom: Sala riunioni di Mondo Antico.
Beginning: Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Also available online, in synchronous and recorded mode.
Course Title 2025–2026: Roman Hagiographic Traditions in Late Antiquity: Translations and Reworkings
Little is known about the final phase of the lives of the apostles Peter and Paul from historically reliable sources. However, from the second century onwards, apocryphal texts (such as the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Paul) began to emerge, portraying Rome as the setting for many of the narrated events and the site of both apostles’ martyrdom. The course aims to explore, from various analytical perspectives (philological-critical, linguistic-literary, historical-doctrinal), the Passion of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, attributed to the so-called “Pseudo-Marcellus”. This text, dating from the turn of the fourth to the fifth century, represents the moment when the tradition of Peter and Paul in the Urbs was fixed in its “official” form. An additional point of interest lies in the translation of this work from Latin into Greek and its subsequent reworking (7th–8th century), which includes the incorporation of further hagiographic traditions.
The course is seminar-based and requires the active participation of students.
General section.
For students who have never taken an exam in Ancient Christian Literature: M. SIMONETTI - E. PRINZIVALLI, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica, Bologna: EDB, 2022.
For students who have already taken exams in Ancient Christian Literature: H.Y. GAMBLE, Libri e lettori nella chiesa antica, Brescia: Paideia, 2006.
Mutuazione: 20710600 LETTERATURA CRISTIANA ANTICA L.M. in Religioni, Culture, Storia LM-64 D'ANNA ALBERTO
Programme
First semester.Schedule: 6 hours/week, Monday-Wednesday-Friday, 12 noon - 2 p.m.
Classroom: Sala riunioni di Mondo Antico.
Beginning: Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
Also available online, in synchronous and recorded mode.
Course Title 2025–2026: Roman Hagiographic Traditions in Late Antiquity: Translations and Reworkings
Little is known about the final phase of the lives of the apostles Peter and Paul from historically reliable sources. However, from the second century onwards, apocryphal texts (such as the Acts of Peter and the Acts of Paul) began to emerge, portraying Rome as the setting for many of the narrated events and the site of both apostles’ martyrdom. The course aims to explore, from various analytical perspectives (philological-critical, linguistic-literary, historical-doctrinal), the Passion of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, attributed to the so-called “Pseudo-Marcellus”. This text, dating from the turn of the fourth to the fifth century, represents the moment when the tradition of Peter and Paul in the Urbs was fixed in its “official” form. An additional point of interest lies in the translation of this work from Latin into Greek and its subsequent reworking (7th–8th century), which includes the incorporation of further hagiographic traditions.
The course is seminar-based and requires the active participation of students.
Core Documentation
Lecture materials (including critical editions of texts read in class) will be provided by the teacher.General section.
For students who have never taken an exam in Ancient Christian Literature: M. SIMONETTI - E. PRINZIVALLI, Storia della letteratura cristiana antica, Bologna: EDB, 2022.
For students who have already taken exams in Ancient Christian Literature: H.Y. GAMBLE, Libri e lettori nella chiesa antica, Brescia: Paideia, 2006.
Type of delivery of the course
The course has a seminar character and involves the active participation of students.Attendance
For students who are unable to attend, there are adjustments to the program; they are therefore invited to contact the teacher.Type of evaluation
Interview with the teacher on the program of the course.