Modern Greek Section
Paper Gr 5
Greek literature, thought, and history, from 1700 to 1900
This paper is only available at Part II from October 2011
The 18th century is characterised as the period of Enlightenment and during it important intellectual developments take place, although there are few literary texts of note. Following the creation of an independent Greek state in the 1820s, Modern Greek literature comes into its own. Romanticism holds sway for a time, while at the end of the century the language question comes to the fore. This paper includes some of the most important authors of prose and poetry in the 19th century. While the poets have long been appreciated, an exciting re-evaluation of the prose fiction is currently in progress. Another important text, the Memoirs of Makriyannis, has played a manifold role in the formation of 20th-century views on Modern Greek language and literary criticism. This is also the last great creative period of folk poetry and the period in which the collecting of folk material becomes an important undertaking. While the main emphasis is on literature, the political and social developments of the period are also studied. The paper is divided into two sections: Section A comprises essay questions on the set texts; Section B offers a range of questions covering aspects of the history, thought and culture of the period. Candidates must answer three questions, at least one from each section.
Prescribed texts for 2008
- Άνθη Ευλαβείας (ed. Karathanasis)
- Το δημοτικό τραγούδι: (α) Κλέφτικα (ed. A. Politis); (β) Της ξενιτιάς (ed. Saunier)
- D. Solomos, Ποιήματα (ed. L. Politis or S. Alexiou)
- A. Kalvos, Ωδαί; Makriyannis, Απομνημονεύματα Book I (ed. Vlachogiannis)
- G. Palaiologos, Ο Πολυπαθής
- E. Roidis, Η Πάπισσα Ιωάννα
- D. Vikelas, Λουκής Λάρας
- G. Vizyinos, Νεοελληνικά Διηγήματα (ed. Moullas)
- A. Papadiamantis, Α. Παπαδιαμάντις Αυτοβιογραφούμενος (ed. Moullas), Η Φόνισσα
Teaching
16 lectures on the prescribed texts and 4 lectures on the history of the period (with particular reference to the 19th century).
The following books are recommended for reading in advance
- R. Beaton, Folk poetry of modern Greece (Cambridge 1980)
- D. Dakin, The Unification of Greece, 1770-1923 (London 1972)
- Κ. Δημαράς, Νεοελληνικός Διαφωτισμός (Athens 1977)
- G.P. Henderson, The revival of Greek thought (Edinburgh 1971)
- P.M. Kitromilides, The Enlightenment as social criticism: Iosipos Moisiodax and Greek culture in the eighteenth century (Princeton 1992)
- M. Vitti, Η ιδεολογική λειτουργία της ελληνικής ηθογραφίας (Athens 2nd ed. 1980)
Course advisor
For further information or advice about this course please contact Prof. David Holton (e-mail: dwh11@cam.ac.uk)
