This course examines the history of Greek literary translation from the nineteenth century to the present and its contribution to the development of modern Greek literature. It focuses on translators as cultural mediators, the reception of European authors and translation strategies across different historical periods. Case studies include the Ionian School, Palamas, Greek translations of Shakespeare and Dante, Symbolism, Modernism and literary retranslation. Students are introduced to comparative methods of translation analysis and explore the relationships between translation, publishing practices and the literary canon. The course builds on European Literature and Translation I and prepares students for more specialised study.

The course aims to familiarise students with the history and major figures of Greek literary translation, develop their understanding of its role in the reception of European literature, and cultivate skills in the comparative analysis of translated literary works.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
• describe major developments in the history of Greek literary translation;
• identify significant translators and their contributions to modern Greek literature;
• compare different translations of the same literary work;
• understand the function of retranslation;
• analyse translation strategies in literary texts;
• assess the relationship between translation and the literary canon;
• critically examine translations from different historical periods;
• understand the translator’s role as a cultural mediator.

Week 1: The Greek Tradition of Literary Translation. Major historical developments in Greek literary translation. Translators and literature.

Week 2: Translators as Cultural Mediators. The translator as author and critic. The cultural role of translation.

Week 3: The Ionian School and Europe. Solomos, Polylas, Mavilis and Theotokis. Translation activities and European literary connections.

Week 4: Palamas and the Question of Translation. “Translate the Ancients”. Translation and national literature.

Week 5: Shakespeare in Greek Translation. History and representative examples. Issues of style and language.

Week 6: Dante in Greek Translation. From the nineteenth century to the present. Comparative examination of translation choices.

Week 7: Byron, Foscolo and Philhellenism. Translations and reception. European literature and the Philhellenic movement.

Week 8: Symbolism and Greek Poets. Baudelaire, Verlaine and Mallarmé. Cavafy and Karyotakis.

Week 9: Modernism and Its Greek Translations. T. S. Eliot, Ezra Pound and George Seferis. The reception of European Modernism.

Week 10: Literary Retranslation. Theoretical approaches. Greek case studies.

Week 11: Comparative Reading of Translations. Examples from poetry, prose fiction and drama.

Week 12: Translation, Publishing Houses and the Literary Canon. Publishing series, anthologies and cultural strategies.

Week 13: Contemporary Challenges. Digital editions, artificial intelligence and the future of literary translation.

Core Bibliography
• Νεότερη Ευρωπαϊκή Λογοτεχνία. Ανθολόγιο μεταφράσεων [Modern European Literature: An Anthology of Translations], edited by N. Vagenas and T. Kagialis.
• Ευρωπαϊκά Γράμματα. Ιστορία της Ευρωπαϊκής Λογοτεχνίας [European Letters: A History of European Literature], Vols. I–III, Sokolís Publishers.

Supplementary Bibliography
• Selected Greek translations and retranslations of European literary works.
• Selected studies on the history of Greek literary translation.
• Studies on retranslation and the reception of European literature in Greece.

Teaching combines lectures, seminar discussions, comparative reading of translations and critical commentary on translation choices. Case studies from the Greek literary translation tradition are used, with particular emphasis on the presentation and discussion of multiple translations of the same literary work. Students are encouraged to participate actively and develop historically informed and critically grounded approaches to literary translation.

Digital libraries, electronic archives, digitised literary texts and translations, and online bibliographical resources are used to support teaching and learning. The course’s online learning platform facilitates the distribution of teaching materials and communication with students. The possibilities and limitations of digital editions and artificial intelligence applications in literary translation are critically examined.

Final written examination (70%).

Comparative analysis of translations or a short written assignment discussing translation choices (30%).

The final examination assesses students’ understanding of the historical and theoretical issues addressed in the course, while the written assignment focuses on the application of comparative and critical methods to the analysis of literary translations.