EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE GREEK WORLD

In the Greek world, education falls into three fields that, while partially intersecting, are distinct: family, the teacher-student relationship, society in general. As a matter of fact, the child comes first in contact with his parents, who provide knowledge and values. Real education, however, usually comes from a teacher, often – but not necessarily – in a school context. Anyway, the transmission of knowledge and customs is always an interest of the community as a whole, and the relationship of young Greeks to their parents and their masters cannot be understood without framing it within the general context of the various kinds of societies in ancient Greece and of the ideal of paideia (“education”, but progressively more and more “all-round formation”, hence “culture”) which in these societies had so much importance.

The course aims to ensure that students acquire comprehensive and multifaceted knowledge of the educational phenomena in the Greek world, also seen in relation to our contemporary society, compared with which ancient Greece presents both irreducible differences and unexpected similarities. Students who will study successfully will not only become aware of the various types of educational relationships in Greek history and how these relationships are interpreted in ancient literature and philosophy, but will also have the hermeneutic tools to “read” these data.

Family organization in the Greek society. The relationship between father and children in myths. The character of the father and education in Homeric and Esiodic poems. Ideals and educational practices in the poleis, particularly in Sparta and Athens. Familiar conflicts in the tragedies. The great issues discussed in the Meno: virtue and knowledge; innateness and education.

1. Eva Cantarella, Non sei più mio padre. Il conflitto tra genitori e figli nel mondo antico, Milano (Feltrinelli) 2015, 151 pages, 14 euro.

2. Platone, Menone, a cura di Franco Ferrari, Milano (BUR) 2016, 250 pages (without the Greek text), 16 euro.

3. Werner Jaeger, Paideia. La formazione dell’uomo greco, Milano (Bompiani) 2003, pages 25 to 282 (it will be provided by the professor).