Introduction to the scholarly handling of texts, whether ancient or modern, inscriptions or manuscripts, and instruction in the methodologies, tools, sources, and the editing and use of texts relevant to a particular field of history; instruction in any auxiliary science requisite for historical research.

This is a general introduction to the use of primary documents pertinent to Mediterranean history and culture during the ancient and medieval periods. It addresses issues of paleography, codicology, textual tradition, and the critical edition of sources. The focus will be on Greek manuscripts, but problems shared between Greek and other manuscript cultures (especially Arabic) will also be discussed. The bulk the primary source material will be medieval, but the course is of potential interest to scholars of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, since the works of ancient authors survive mostly in medieval manuscripts. We will mainly study books, but will also refer to administrative documents. The unifying theme for covering such a great chronological, geographical, cultural, and linguistic gamut will be the common developments regarding the technology of book production and the logic of authoring, editing, and reproducing texts before the advent of printing. Differences will also be discussed.

This seminar will meet in a room in the Bancroft Library.

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