Prof. Giorgia Bandini, Urbino
Prof. Roberto Danese, Urbino
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Gregor Vogt-Spira, Marburg
ABSTRACT
Ancient Rome stands out as a remarkable example of knowledge and culture transfer. Not only does a comprehensive reception of Greek culture take place in Rome from the third century B.C. onward, but this foreign descendency is specifically emphasized. This expresses a view of transfer and integration processes as productive engines of growth that is deeply rooted in Roman culture. This can be traced particularly well in the case of literature, which is introduced into Rome in the first place as a transfer of the Greek literary system.
An example of this is the genre of comedy, as it integrates two fundamentally different theatrical traditions: a literary Greek and a pre-literary Italian one. This gives rise to complex questions, some of which have been hotly disputed for over 150 years, and whose discussion has not infrequently produced innovations. In recent decades, our knowledge of the Greek side has grown considerably, which also sheds new methodological light on this cultural transfer and promises answers to a number of unresolved questions. The conference will take stock of the approaches of the last 25 years and ask about perspectives for future research.
