Learning outcomes

The course is meant as an introduction to the study of a complex culture where writing had its origin, and various expressive forms were created – such as mythological compositions, devotional and wisdom literature, heroic and historiographic narrative, etc. The wide spectrum of Near Eastern literatures includes different languages spoken in the various areas where cuneiform script spread and was used since the III millennium BC. Phenomena of transmission are evident in contemporary and successive cultures during the II and I millennia BC. The course aims at providing a general introduction to the genres and main literary works of Near Eastern literatures with particular reference to the Mesopotamian (Sumero-Akkadian) tradition and to illustrate the contexts of production and reception of the most representative texts, the dynamics of their transmission, canonization and innovation. Through the illustration of the characteristics of Sumero-Akkadian literature and its relationships with other cultures, the course also provides an important complement to the study of ancient literature of the Mediterranean area.