The Byzness, 22nd June 2025
Oxford University Byzantine Society
THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 22nd June 2025
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1.
NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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This is the last Byzness of this academic year, so I’d like to just wish you all a great summer. The Byzness will return come autumn, under the stewardship of the new OUBs committee.
- Alex
1. NEWS AND EVENTS
“Gold multipla and coin-set jewellery. Imperial largesse and dynastic legitimation under Maurice (582-602)”, Frankfurt-Leuven
The Frankfurt-Leuven project “Commentary on John of Ephesus’s Ecclesiastical History” is organizing a series of occasional lectures on John of Ephesus.
The next lecture will be given by Benjamin Fourlas (FU Berlin) on Monday, 30 June, at 4:15 pm CEST (3:15 pm London time). Benjamin’s talk is entitled “Gold multipla and coin-set jewellery. Imperial largesse and dynastic legitimation under Maurice (582-602)”.
These are open to the public via Zoom. The link can be found here.
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
XIII INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON BYZANTINE AND MEDIEVAL STUDIES "DAYS OF JUSTINIAN I" Skopje, 31 October - 2 November 2025
Special Thematic Strand for 2025: ‘Networks’
Keynote Speaker: Professor Niels Gaul (Edinburgh)
Organized by the Institute of National History, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje and University of Bologna, in partnership with Faculty of Theology “St. Clement of Ohrid” in Skopje.
The International scientific symposium “Days of Justinian I” is an annual interdisciplinary scholarly forum aimed at the presentation of the latest research followed by discussions on various aspects of Byzantine and Medieval Studies before 1500; this includes the treatment and interpretation of cultural, historical and spiritual heritage in contemporary modern Europe. The Symposium is dedicated to Emperor Justinian I with the aim to bring together scholars from around the world to address a broad range of issues related to Byzantium and the European Middle Ages, comprising the exploration of the cultural and historical legacy as an integrative component of the diversities and commonalities of Europe and wider. For all the ways in which Byzantium – the empire of the medieval Romans centered on Constantinople – has been described in recent research, it is rarely conceived as an ‘internetwork’: a set of overlapping networks through space and time.
Despite the emphasis on cohesive factors such as Roman law, imperial traditions or religion, we might consider the circulation of actors to and through Constantinople as the core dynamics that maintained the middle Byzantine empire. Boys and young men were sent to the capital to acquire an education and bureaucratic expertise, later circulating back through the provinces in the service of the emperor or a strategos, or as bishops or judges. Along the way, they became nodes in several overlapping networks, interlinking metropolis and periphery. How does Byzantine history read when viewed as an actor-centered story of evolving networks? How did the networks of the multipolar late antique empire transform themselves during the period of transition, when Constantinople became its pivotal node? And at what point and in what ways did the middle Byzantine centripetal networks reach a tipping point toward centrifugal, resulting in the increasing fragmentation of imperial power and the return of urban communities? Moving beyond the ‘big picture’, social network analysis (SNA) – or some of its concepts and ideas – can be fruitfully applied to many topics in Byzantine and Medieval studies.
This symposium offers a welcome opportunity to explore a range of broad themes, specific topics, or questions, including those outlined in the bullet points below. Interdisciplinary contributions are also encouraged.
First Deadline for submitting abstracts: 10 August, 2025.
Second Deadline for submitting abstracts: 1 October, 2025.
Notification of acceptance for early applicants: 15 August, 2025.
Notification of acceptance for other applicants: 5 October, 2025.
Deadline for submitting the full papers for publication: 1 March, 2026.
For more information and how to submit abstracts, please see the full Call for Papers here.
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medieval History, Faculty of History, University of Warsaw
Post-doc for the Sonata Bis NCN research project: “Recognising Saints in the High Middle Ages: Local and Papal Formalisation of Cults Reconsidered”.
Full-time employment planned for 36 months
Employment is planned from 1 January 2026 (or alternatively 1 December 2025).
Total gross monthly salary including seniority bonus: approximately PLN
8850.00.
Additional benefits: additional (thirteenth) salary similar to the amount of
the monthly salary each year, 36 days of paid vacation per year, the
possibility of obtaining each year a financial allowance for vacation and
Christmas break.
About the project:
The aim of the RECOGNISING-SAINTS project is a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of the recognition and formalization of cults of saints in Latin Europe from the late 10th to the late 13th centuries. The subject of interest is both local approval of sainthood and papal canonizations, as well as the actors involved in the process of recognizing new cults and the forms in which this took place. The primary research tool, and an important outcome of the project besides publications, will be the Sainthood Recognition Catalogue - a complete digital catalogue of all cases of sainthood recognition in the High Middle Ages. The Principal Investigator of the project is Prof. Grzegorz Pac.
Qualification - essential criteria:
1. Ph.D. degree in history, classical philology, literary studies, theology, art history, or a related field, obtained no earlier than 2018 (this period may be extended pursuant to the Types of costs in research projects funded by the National Science Centre, Poland). The doctoral degree must be awarded by an entity other than the University of Warsaw, unless the candidate has completed at least 10 months of post-doctoral fellowship abroad after obtaining the degree. The candidate must not hold a titular professorship or have a habilitation, or have worked with the PI on a research grant in the past.
2. Experience with research in an area related to the project topic: history, culture, religiosity of medieval Europe documented by relevant publications. Preferably previous studies or good acquaintance with topics regarding the cult of saints and/or Church history in the Middle Ages.
3. At least very good knowledge of Latin, enabling reading of sources.
4. Modern languages: fluency in speaking and writing in English, and ability to read in another modern language (preferably French, Italian, Spanish).
Application deadline: 30 September 2025.
Additional information can be found here: Job offer for postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Medieval History – Faculty of History
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Alexander Johnston
MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com