Introduction to the languages and cultures of Byzantium and the medieval Near East

Language

French
> English-friendly

Prerequisites

None.

Main themes

Introduction to the Byzantine studies and to the study of the medieval Middle East, focusing on the linguistic and cultural diversity. For the domains concerned by the course, the following topics are presented :

• introduction to the history and geography;
• introduction to the linguistic systems of the most important languages of the area;
• sketch of representative works on the literatures written in these languages;
• notions on other cultural productions.

Content

The course offers an overview of Byzantine civilization and of the medieval Near East (4th-15th century). Particular attention is paid to the diversity of languages and literatures in the areas in question. In addition to Byzantium, the course tackles aspects of the Syriac and Arabic cultures, Armenia, Georgia, Coptic Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and the Slavic world (however, not all domains are necessarily adressed each year). As this is an introductory course, the presentation focuses on fundamental concepts, such as

• basic linguistic notions;
• writing systems in use;
• key historical, geographical and confessional milestones;
• a selection of major literary and artistic works or movements.

Teaching methods

The lecture takes place, as a rule, in-person. It is complemented by a reading portfolio. A list of reference works is also provided.

Evaluation methods

Oral examination on the contents of the course and the reading assignments.

Online resources

Course materials will be made available gradually on the Moodle course page.

Bibliography

Une bibliographie d’orientation est disponible sur Moodle. / A bibliography is available on Moodle.

Faculty or entity

> EHAC