The Greek Palaeography course concentrates on the letter forms and development of the Greek alphabet, especially from the emergence of minuscule hands onwards. Students are introduced to the main types of Greek hands, both majuscule and minuscule, and become proficient in the most usual types of ligatures, letter combinations and abbreviations, as well as nomina sacra.

In every lecture palaeographic terminology is presented and explained. The chronological systems used during the period in question are studied in detail, both in terms of the ways chronologies and numbers are recorded in Greek manuscripts and in terms of the conversion methods from Annus Mundi to Anno Domini.

An important part of the reading and transcription exercises comprises colophons. Types and content are analyzed, as well as the ways colophons can be used to extract manuscript metadata.

The main aim of this course is to enable the students to read and transcribe greek manuscript books and other documents. Most importantly to recognize, to read and utilize the metadata recorded by the creators of the manuscripts in colophons, in order to extract information for manuscript descriptions.

Week #1: General introduction. The disciplines that study writing. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #2: Writing materials. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #3: The development from the roll to the codex. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #4: Reading aids and tools. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #5: Chronological systems. Date conversion techniques. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #6: Majuscule bookhands. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #7: The emrgence of the greek minuscule hands. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #8: Bookhands, cursive and chancery scripts. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #9: Palimpsests. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #10: Indexes and catalogues. On-line manuscript collections and digital portals. Reading and transcription practice.

Week #11: Revision-intensive exercises on dating manuscripts.

Week #12: Reading and transcription practice.

Week #13: Reading and transcription practice.

• ΛΙΤΣΑΣ, E. K. Σύντομη εισαγωγή στην ελληνική Παλαιογραφία και Kωδικολογία, τεύχος 2ο, Θεσσαλονίκη 2001
• MIONIELPIDIO. Eισαγωγή στην Eλληνική Παλαιογραφία, Αθήνα 1977
• ΣΙΓΑΛΑΣ, AΝΤΩΝΙΟΣ. Iστορία της ελληνικής γραφής, Θεσσαλονίκη 21974.
• THOMPSON, E. M. Eγχειρίδιον ελληνικής και λατινικής παλαιογραφίας, κατά μετάφρασιν Σπυρίδωνος Λάμπρου, Aθήναι 1903 [φωτοτυπική ανατύπωση 1975. Η Αγγλική έκδοση στο διαδίκτυο εδώ:
• http://www.katapi.org.uk/G&LPalaeography/Contents-Ch1.html#Titlepage]

Lectures making extensive use of visual aids, exercises in reading, transcription and date conversion.

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Written examination.