Methods and Techniques of Scholarship

There are five topics which are regarded as ‘half options’, and anyone taking these has to choose two. They are:

a) Greek Literary Papyrology. This will be examined by a practical test, taken in the candidate’s own time, in the form of an exercise in reading and analysing an ancient papyrus text: candidates will be asked to transcribe a papyrus from the photograph provided, then comment on the script, lectional signs, reading, and ancient context of production, or use by an ancient reader. Teaching is provided in university lectures primarily by Dr Dirk Obbink. An introductory series in each term offers hands-on experience in transcription and identification of texts. An optional advanced version in the second term offers the chance to edit an unpublished Greek papyrus from the Oxyrhynchus collection.

b) Greek Palaeography. The examination will consist of one paper (1½ hours) in which candidates have to transcribe set passages from two photographs of medieval manuscripts. You will be asked to comment very briefly on the date and style of each manuscript. The scripts chosen will be mainstream Greek bookhands from the ninth century onwards. There will be lectures or classes.

c) Latin Palaeography. The examination will consist of one paper (1½ hours) in which candidates have to transcribe set passages from two photographs from medieval manuscripts. You will be asked to comment very briefly on the style and date of each manuscript. The scripts chosen will be mainstream Latin bookhands from the Carolingian to humanistic periods.

d) Greek Metre. The course covers the more structurally complex metres, including those of the lyric poets and iambists of the archaic period down to Pindar and Bacchylides, and the lyric metres of Attic drama. There will be classes given by Dr Armand d’Angour. The examination paper (1½ hours) will consist of passages for scansion, identification of metres and comment on points of metrical interest.

e) Latin Metre. There are no set texts, but candidates will be expected to show understanding of the metres of Plautus and Terence, the history of hexameter and of the elegiac couplet from Ennius to Ovid and the metres of Catullus and Horace. The examination paper (1½ hours) will consist of passages for scansion and metrical comment. Teaching is normally given in tutorials or classes by Mr Peter Brown (Trinity College) and/or Mr Adrian Hollis (Keble College).