Admission requirements
Admission for MA students after competition of a previous BA / MA course in (Greek) papyrology; when in doubt consult the teacher.
Description
Students decipher, individually and in co-operation, the Greek text of unpublished papyrus fragments from the collection of the Leiden Papyrological Institute and make a first edition of an individually assigned fragment according to modern papyrological practices. Intermediate results will be presented to the group and a final edition will be prepared for publication.
Course objectives
Knowledge:
thorough knowledge of the elements, structure and contents of papyrus editions of Greek documentary papyri;
knowledge of and insight in the printed and digital papyrological resources to be used for editing documentary papyri.
Skills:
The student is able to:
describe the material aspects of Greek papyrus fragments;
date and analyse different types of Greek handwriting used in documentary papyri;
decipher various types of Greek papyrus documents from different periods;
detect and solve problems of reading, formulation, translation, interpretation and context;
present a text, including its problems in reading and interpretation;
provide constructive oral and written feedback to other editions and evaluate the value of such feedback on one’s own work and incorporate it;
conduct independent research into the meaning of words, the use of names, terms and formulas, and the historical background;
write a complete papyrus edition following the latest papyrological guidelines and conventions, including material description, Greek transcription, critical apparatus, translation and commentary.
Timetable
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Self-study
Active participation in the seminars is obligatory.
Assessment method
Assessment
Written assignments (40%)
Oral presentation(s) in class (20%)
Final written paper(s) (40%)
The requirements for MA and ResMA students are differentiated: ResMA students are expected to produce a final edition of (close to) publishable quality; MA students are expected to produce a final edition with all required elements based on existing literature, but that may still be in need of more thorough independent research of some aspects.
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
If the final mark is insufficient, the student can revise the written assignment(s) and/or the final written paper (after consultation with the teacher).
Inspection and feedback
Reading list
J.-L. Fournet, ‘Guidelines for editing papyri’, Chronique d’Égypte 97 (2022) 306-346 (also available online at https://aip.ulb.be//PDF/Guidelines_for_editing_papyri.pdf)
Other relevant literature will be announced on Brightspace during the course.
Read in advance the following chapters from the The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology (ed. R.S. Bagnall, Oxford, 2009) (also available online through the catalogue of the Leiden University Library):
P. Schubert, ‘Editing a Papyrus’
G. Cavallo, ‘Greek and Latin Writing in the papyri’
R.S. Bagnall, ‘Practical Help: Chronology, Geography, Measures, Currency, Names, Prosopography, and Technical Vocabulary’
N. Gonis, ‘Abbreviations and symbols’
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Arsenaal.