Zoography and observation of animals were topics of great interest in ancient cultures and the zoological lore was transmitted in different forms. So the description of animals is the occasion to approach a wide range of textual genres, from books of medicine to magic and belles lettres. Offering a large selection of different texts in translation, the course will introduce the main sources of Hellenistic period and Late Antiquity, together with the mechanism of their reception through the elaboration of complex cultural models. The anthological choice will include remarkable examples of translations, classificatory approach, adab literature, encyclopedias and an ample selection of medical texts. The readings will be supported by an introduction to the different cultural environments and to the single authors. close