The course is organized in different sections
-A first section, consisting of about 5/7 lectures, is focusing the general background concerning the Aegean Cultures and their frequentation of the ancient Mediterranean context. The main topics will be: myths, literature, archaeological sources, with focus on the Mediterranean in the Bronze Age. There will be Historical Geography as a main frame, and focus on sites and material cultures relating to Mycenaean, Cycladic, Cypriot cultures. Also sea trade, sea network, wreaks and sources dating to the bronze periods will be analysed.
- a second section, of about 5/6 lectures will be dedicated to the pre-colonization and to the preliminary steps of the Greek colonization, including the phenomenon of the emporia with archaeological examples, the geo-political context of these preliminary phases.
- a third section, of about 10 lectures, is dedicated to the typologies and the issues of the I and II colonization, from the historical, archaeological and geographical point of view. The main topics will be: the general background, the relationship between colonies and 'metropoleis', local communities and Greeks between 'ibridization' an conflict, relationship between chora and polis in colonial context, distribution of the 'kleroi', organization of the urban contexts, of the territory and of the natural resources, position of the cemeteries and funerary rituals.
- a fourth section, of about 20/25 lectures is dedicated to specific contexts, which are used as exaples, in order to give to the students an idea of the methodological approach and of the technical terminology of the subject. Several areas of the 'Greece overseas' will be examined, and among them: the oriental colonies, through some examples and issues, also in relating the Persian domination; the Greek colonies and emporia in North Africa, as Naukratis and the 'Egyptian donation' of a colony, the Cyrenaican colonies and sub-foundations; the Greeks in the Black Sea, and the exploitation of the agricultural sources; Cyprus as crossing point among sea trade and colonization; Adriatic colonies, Magna Graecia and Sicily and relationship with indigenous and Punic context; Phocean trade and colonian choices.
