OxByzList: The Byzness, 5th October 2025
Oxford University Byzantine Society
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THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 15th June 2025
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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For those wishing to submit an event, call for papers, job or scholarship opportunity to the Byzness please send details to the committee at byzantin...@gmail.com indicating the relevant list for The Byzness our external to Oxford and year-round newsletter or The Byzantine Lists our Oxford-centered events and circulated only in term-time. Please keep listings brief and include all relevant information in the body of the notice. Outside of exceptional circumstances, we only share events once.
1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Register for Orthodox Canon Law Conference
Registration is open now for the 2025 annual conference of the Orthodox Canon Law Society of North America (https://www.oclsna.org/conference), which will take place on October 24 and 25 at the Maliotis Cultural Center, on the grounds of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, 50 Goddard Ave., Brookline, MA.
The conference program and abstracts are available on the Society’s website. The twenty-six papers include such diverse subjects as liturgical perspectives in the writings of Demetrios Chomatenos, a revisionist view of the Council in Trullo, Byzantine hagiography on deaconesses, the definition of heresy at the Council of Nicaea, corrective baptism, Armenian views on episcopacy, Coptic canon law under Islamic rule, Trinitarian theology at the Council of Blachernae (1285), and the Synodikon of Orthodoxy. The Orthodox Christian Attorney Network has partnered with the Society and is sponsoring a luncheon program on confession, mandatory reporter laws, and recent First Amendment issues.
The Society is an incorporated non-profit academic society that is Pan-Orthodox as well as unrestricted in denominational affiliation. All are invited to register early and take advantage of lower flight and accommodation costs.
The conference provides a venue for the presentation of papers embodying current research on all aspects of Orthodox canonical studies and for discussion of canonical praxis in a professional setting. Orthodox canon law includes the entire field of Eastern Christian canonical history and practice, including the Oriental and Eastern Catholic traditions. The discipline extends beyond the review of formal legislation and includes a vast scope of practice and literature. The canonical and legal life of the Church is reflected in such diverse areas as hagiography, liturgy, art, hymnography, and pastoral practice.
Byzantine Studies Lectures (NHRF), 2025
The Byzantine Studies Lectures of the Institute of Historical Research (National Hellenic Research Foundation)
20 October:
Eνας γνωστός βιβλιογράφος, ένας άγνωστος γραμματικός: Ο Ζαχαρίας Καλλιέργης (π. 1470-1524)
Maria Luisa Agati, Independent scholar
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24 November:
The Encounter with Islam in Eastern Christian Legal Traditions: Introducing the NOMOS Project
Zachary Chitwood, Ludwig-Maximilians-universität München
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8 December:
Medieval Epiros and Albania: Geopolitical and Economic Reflections in the Light of Coinage
Julian Baker, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford
October 20, 2025 | 12:00 PM (EDT, UTC -4) | Zoom
Siren Çelik, Marmara University
The Byzantines and the Ottomans were both rivals and neighbors, co-existing and fighting each other at the same time. In addition to their political, military and economic interactions, the Byzantines and the Ottomans were also in close cultural contact with each other. Byzantine and Ottoman histories as well as material artefacts preserve the memories of these encounters. Moreover, sources such as Byzantine religious dialogues and travelers’ accounts provide fascinating insights into the daily life encounters between these two cultures whose borders and lifestyles were often fluid. This talk will present some vignettes of daily life encounters between the Byzantines and the Ottomans, especially exploring the Byzantines’ perception of the Ottomans’ daily habits, food and clothing.
Siren Çelik is an associate professor at the History Department of Marmara University, Istanbul. She obtained her PhD in Byzantine Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2016. Her research interests are late Byzantine history, Byzantine literature, daily life and Byzantine-Ottoman interactions. Along with several articles and book chapters, she is the author of Manuel II Palaiologos (1350-1425): A Byzantine Emperor in a Time of Tumult (Cambridge University Press, 2021, paperback 2022) and a Byzantine poetry anthology in Turkish translation, with notes and commentary. She has held fellowships from Dumbarton Oaks, ANAMED-Koç University, Boğaziçi University and Harvard University.
Advance registration required. Register: https://maryjahariscenter.org/events/daily-life-encounters-between-the-byzantines-and-the-ottomans
New Book Prize in Byzantine Studies from the Medieval Academy
Books are eligible four years after publication.
Books published in 2022 are eligible for submission in 2025 for the Prize awarded in 2026.
The annual due date for nominations is October 15.
The Byzantine Studies Book Prize will be awarded annually to a meritorious monograph in Byzantine Studies, For example, the prize might be offered to studies that substantially engage with the Eastern Roman Empire and/or its successor states from the fourth through the fifteenth centuries (in any subfield); or studies of peoples and states with close connections to Byzantium, such as Coptic Egypt, the Syriac world, Armenia, and Georgia. Books must be monographs written in English. Preference may be given to first or second books, but this is not a requirement of the prize. The Prize of $1,000 will be awarded at the Annual Meeting of the Medieval Academy of America. For the first five years, the Prize will be a pilot program with the possibility of extension, funded by a consortium of five Byzantine Studies organizations: Dumbarton Oaks, Trustees for Harvard University; the Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture; the Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University; the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies at Princeton University; and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University. The MAA is extremely grateful to these organizations for supporting the Prize.
ELIGIBILITY
1) Submission must be a monograph in the field of Byzantine Studies;
2) Submission is eligible in the fourth year after publication (i.e. books published in 2022 are eligible for the 2026 Byzantine Studies Prize);
3) Dossier must include two or three published reviews.
For more information and to submit: https://www.medievalacademy.org/page/ByzantineStudiesPrize
22nd Postgraduate Cypriot Archaeology Meeting (PoCA), held at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, 9-12 October 2025:
PoCA 2025 - 22nd Postgraduate Cypriot Archaeology Meeting
All sessions are held at the “Stelios Ioannou” Learning Resource Centre in the New Campus of the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, LRC 012: Amphitheater "Φίλιππος Τσιμπόγλου" (Filippos Tsiboglou)
For online (ZOOM) participation, please, register here: https://ucy.zoom.us/meeting/register/FpBRgiiZQRe_Scm7-NPVEg#/registration
Christian Arabic Intensive Course at Westminster College, Cambridge (UK), 6-15 January 2026
I am delighted to announce that I will again be teaching a Christian Arabic intensive course at Westminster College, Cambridge, in January 2026. For more information and to sign up, follow this link: https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/biblical-languages/christian-arabic-2026.
Contact Information
Dr Krisztina Szilágyi
Contact Email
URL
https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/biblical-languages/christian-arabic-2026
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
Call for Papers: On the Trail of the Bible of Niketas: A Transverse Approach to Catenae (Leuven, 31 March 2026)
Following the workshop “Negotiating Catenae and Catena Research” held at KU Leuven in June 2025, this second instalment aims to move beyond the traditional approach that considers catenae in isolation, book by biblical book. We find it relevant to adopt a cross-cutting perspective and to study catenae on different biblical books in conjunction.
The workshop welcomes contributions on:
- The Bible of Niketas and the manuscripts it comprises
- The exegetical catenae it contains
- Cross-cutting approaches to catenae, beyond the Bible of Niketas alone
- The figure of the compiler (as visible from prologues, methods etc.).
Proposals for 30-minute papers (title and abstract of no more than 300 words) should be submitted by 1 December 2025 to Tiphaine Lorieux.
The full text of the call can be found here: https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/grieks/nieuws/on-the-trail-of-the-bible-of-niketas-a-transverse-approach-to-catenae
CfP: Innovation During The Later Crusades: War & Society
Edited by Martin Neuding Skoog and Stefan Stantchev
Final proposal deadline, December 31, 2025
Contacts: martin.ne...@fhs.se and stefan.s...@asu.edu
INNOVATION DURING THE LATER CRUSADES: WAR & SOCIETY will explore the changing character of warfare and statecraft as they relate to the history of crusades after 1291. This volume aims to synthesize current scholarship, present informative case studies, and refine methodologies for studying innovation during the Later Crusades. The volume’s intended audience is broad: specialists, generalist historians, political scientists, students, and anyone with an interest in the history of crusades. The Presses Universitaires du Midi has expressed an interest in this volume for its Croisades Tardives series.
Our initial call for papers (deadline was August 31) yielded several prospective chapters on a variety of topics. We are now looking for contributions specifically on the topics listed below, but we will consider any and all proposals.
Timeline: proposals deadline is December 31, 2025. Initial chapter drafts will be due in May 2027 and final drafts, in December 2027. Brief proposals (400–700 words) need to articulate the question(s) of interest and introduce the source base. Overview chapters need to be in the 6,000–8,000-word range; case studies should be under 10,000 words.
Topics: We are looking for submissions that clearly articulate continuity, evolution, and/or revolutionary change on the following topics:
· Aspects of “the military revolution” in the context of the later crusades.
· Changes in weapons technology and their impact on warfare.
· Changes in styles of fortifications and siege warfare in late medieval frontier societies.
· Innovation and change within military organizations, tactics and logistics.
· Aspects of military change in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Baltic Sea Region.
· Naval Warfare in the Baltic Sea region.
· Studies of innovation and change within target polities such as the Seljuk Turks, the Mamluks, the Mongols, the Muscovite, the Ottomans and others.
Proposals: We welcome submissions from advanced PhD candidates and established scholars. Authors are expected to submit a proposal that either summarizes the “state of the art” on a related subject or that offers a study based on their own work with primary sources. The volume languages will be English, French, Italian, and Spanish. Submissions will be assessed on the grounds of both promise and fit; chapter submissions will be peer-reviewed first by the editors and then by reviewers commissioned by the press. Publication agreements will be contingent upon strict adherence to submission deadlines.
- A comprehensive narrative of the emperor of empress' life
- Critical engagement with primary sources (e.g. Procopius, Psellos, and others)
- Analysis of the broader historical framework, including administration, church relations, and warfare
- An assessment of the ruler's legacy and its historiography
- A detailed and up-to-date bibliography
Winter School in Greek Linguistics (Ghent University, 1-2 December 2025): Call for Applications
Call for applications for the 2025 edition of the Winter School in Greek Linguistics, to be held at Ghent University on 1–2 December.
Website: https://www.greeklinguistics.ugent.be/
Concept: Ghent University’s Winter School (December 1–2, 2025) offers an intensive overview of methods in Greek historical linguistics, from discourse analysis and dialectology to sociolinguistics and semiotics. Texts range from Homer and Classical dialects to Late Antique papyri, Byzantine authors, and early modern sources. The program combines short lectures and practical exercises; participants should be able to read Greek script and know basic linguistic terms. The final program and assignments will be released by 1 November 2025.
Registration: Send a brief motivation (background, research interests, reasons for attending) to Prof. Klaas Bentein (klaas....@ugent.be) or Prof. Andrea Cuomo (andrea...@ugent.be) by 31 October 2025.
Venue: Faculty of Arts & Philosophy, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Ghent. Organized with OIKOS (limited travel/accommodation support available for OIKOS students). OIKOS: https://www.rug.nl/research/research-let/oikos/
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Job Posting: Project Curator: Hidden Stories of Childhood
Now open for applications is Project Curator: Hidden Stories of Childhood, which is a one-year research position across the Departments of Egypt and Sudan, and Greece and Rome. Here is the link to the job posting: https://bmrecruit.ciphr-irecruit.com//templates/CIPHR/jobdetail_8261.aspx.
Applications close on 17 October.
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is pleased to announce the academic programs and fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year at the Gennadius Library. Opened in 1926 with 26,000 volumes from diplomat and bibliophile Joannes Gennadius, the Gennadius Library now holds a richly diverse collection of over 150,000 books and rare bindings, archives, manuscripts, and works of art illuminating the Hellenic tradition and neighboring cultures. The Library is an internationally renowned center for the study of Greek history, literature, and art, from the Byzantine period to modern times.
For further information, consult the ASCSA website at: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr/research/gennadius-library/educational-programs/fellowships
Applications for the Career Development Research Fellowship in Classics at St John’s College Oxford are now open. Details on the Fellowship scheme and how to apply can be found here: https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/vacancies/career-development-research-fellowships-2026/
The Career Development Fellowships are intended to provide an outstanding early-career researcher with an unrivalled opportunity to establish a research profile as a member of a collegiate community. They are tenable for four years, from 1st October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The closing date for applications is 24th October 2025.
Informal enquiries may be addressed to Emma Greensmith (emma.gr...@sjc.ox.ac.uk) and Georgy Kantor (georgy...@sjc.ox.ac.uk)
Permanent Lectureship in Ancient Philosophy, KCL
The Department of Philosophy at King's College London has advertised a full-time, permanent lectureship in ancient philosophy. The successful candidate will be offered a contract starting from: 1 September 2026.
The closing date for applications is: 30 November 2025.
Please see here for further information about the post.
For any queries, please contact the Head of Department, Andrea Sangiovanni (andrea.sa...@kcl.ac.uk).
Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies (Education Focused) Level B/C at the University of Sydney
The position is open to a candidate capable of providing high-quality teaching, unit coordination, and student supervision in Modern Greek culture and language. The candidate will be required to teach a broad range of topics in the field of Modern Greek and Byzantine literature, history and culture, participate in the teaching of language units at all levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced); and take an active role in supervision of Honors, Masters and PhD.
Key responsibilities:
- teach, coordinate and design a broad range of topics in the field of Modern Greek and Byzantine literature, history and culture
- participate in the teaching of language units at all levels (beginners, intermediate and advanced)
- contribute to collaborative teaching in the School and work flexibly and collaboratively in a team environment
- fulfil the necessary administrative and leadership tasks to ensure the smooth running of the Discipline
- supervise honours and postgraduate research students in Modern Greek and congruent areas of Studies
- maintain a research profile compatible with the Discipline, School and Faculty research programmes through publication and research grant applications (this may take the form of disciplinary research, or Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, or a mixture of both fields)
- engage in community outreach activities of the Discipline and the School and work with the Greek community in fundraising and the promotion of Greek Studies
- actively participate in governance and academic community at School and Faculty levels.
Selection Criteria:
- a PhD in Greek literature/culture/history or related areas
- demonstrated experience in teaching/research in higher education institutions
- a strong research record of academic publications in the field of Greek Studies in reputed academic journals
- a track record of experience in organisational and administrative within the Discipline of Modern Greek and the School of Languages and Cultures.
Further information is available here: https://usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/USYD_EXTERNAL_CAREER_SITE/job/Camperdown-Campus/Education-Focused-Academics--Sydney-Horizon-Educators--Teaching-and-Research-Academics-Faculty-of-Arts-and-Social-Sciences_0141476
New York University -- ISAW Visiting Research Scholar Program, 2026-27
The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) is a center for advanced scholarly research and graduate education, which aims to encourage particularly the study of the economic, religious, political and cultural connections between ancient civilizations. In an effort to embrace a truly inclusive geographical scope while maintaining continuity and coherence, the Institute focuses on the shared and overlapping periods in the development of cultures and civilizations around the Mediterranean basin, and across central Asia to the Pacific Ocean. The approaches of anthropology, archaeology, geography, geology, history, economics, sociology, art history, digital humanities, and the history of science and technology are as integral to the enterprise as the study of texts, philosophy, and the analysis of artifacts.
ISAW anticipates appointing scholars in several different categories for the 2026-27 academic year. Applicants in all categories should be individuals of scholarly distinction or promise in any relevant field of ancient studies who will benefit from the stimulation of working in an environment with colleagues in other disciplines. Scholars with a history of interdisciplinary exchange and scholars whose academic interests include Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia are especially welcome and encouraged to apply.
Scholars at ISAW have access to the Institute's own library, as well as to a wide range of other libraries at NYU, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (located a block away), and other institutions in New York City, including Columbia University and the New York Public Library. They are provided with their own carrel workspace.
Scholars in all categories are expected to undertake research projects connected with ISAW's core academic mission, to be in residence at the Institute during the period for which they are appointed, to take part in the intellectual life of the community, to participate in ISAW seminars, to give a public lecture on their research at ISAW, and to play an active role in mentoring graduate students.
ISAW is prepared to host visiting scholars in three categories:
(1) Two-Year Visiting Assistant Professors: ISAW anticipates appointing up to two two-year Visiting Assistant Professors with a start-date of September 1, 2026. Holders of these positions are appointed as faculty, teach a graduate-level research seminar at ISAW, and teach one undergraduate course in an NYU department per academic year.
Visiting Assistant Professorships are reserved for early-career scholars who received their PhDs on or after May 1, 2023. Current doctoral students in their final year of dissertation work are also welcome to apply, but please note that official conferral of the PhD must take place prior to the start-date of the position (September 1, 2026).
A research account is provided to defray the cost of travel to conferences and other research expenses.
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $79,750-$99,750. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
(2) One-Year Research Scholars: ISAW anticipates appointing up to three funded one-year Research Scholars for the 2026-27 academic year (September 1, 2026-August 31, 2027). Holders of these positions are appointed as professional research staff.
One-Year Research Scholar positions are available to scholars of all post-PhD career stages, from recently minted PhDs to retired academics. Current doctoral students in their final year of dissertation work are also welcome to apply, but please note that official conferral of the PhD must take place prior to the start-date of the position (September 1, 2026).
A research account is provided to defray the cost of travel to conferences and other research expenses.
In compliance with NYC's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $79,750-$99,750. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
(3) Externally-Funded Visiting Scholars: ISAW is prepared to consider applications from postdoctoral scholars with their own funding from another source for appointments to be held during the 2026-27 academic year. Appointments can be for one semester (fall 2026 or spring 2027) or for the entire 2026-27 academic year.
Externally Funded Visiting Research Scholar positions are available to scholars of all post-PhD career stages, from recently minted PhDs to retired academics. Applicants should have their doctorates in hand by the beginning of their period of appointment at ISAW.
ISAW does not provide any funding to Externally Funded Visiting Scholars. Applicants should secure their own funding from an outside fellowship organization or via sabbatical funding from their home institution.
Application Instructions
The application must be completed in Interfolio and should include a cover letter, CV (including publication list), a research proposal, three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample (either a published article or dissertation chapter). Applicants must also complete a researcher profile form and an EEO form in Interfolio. Letters of recommendation from ISAW faculty and staff are not permitted.
The application link for each category appears below:
(1) Two-Year Visiting Assistant Professor: https://apply.interfolio.com/171469
(2) One-Year Research Scholar: https://apply.interfolio.com/171465
(3) Externally Funded Visiting Scholar: https://apply.interfolio.com/168099
For category 1 and 2, the application deadline is November 20, 2025. Applicants will be prompted in Interfolio to submit the names and email addresses of three referees; please be sure to do so before the November 20th deadline. Referees will be contacted via email and asked to submit their letters of recommendation electronically via Interfolio; they will have until December 1st to submit the letters.
Applicants will receive a system-generated confirmation email from Interfolio when they have successfully submitted their application. If you do not receive this email, this likely means that you have not successfully submitted your application. We are NOT able to review in-progress applications in Interfolio, so please make sure that you have successfully submitted your application prior to the November 20th deadline.
Late submissions will not be accepted. Please plan accordingly.
Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme
The Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is an established national initiative, funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and managed by Research Ireland.
This programme aims to support suitably qualified applicants to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship at an eligible higher education institution in Ireland for either one or two years. Among its features are:
- individual, prestigious awards for excellent research in the name of the applicant;
- an objective selection process using international, independent expert peer review;
- funding across all disciplines, from archaeology to zoology; and
- awards for bottom-up, non-directed research.
Pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of research or those introducing creative, innovative approaches are welcomed. Proposals of an interdisciplinary nature are also encouraged as it is recognised that advancing fundamental understanding is achieved by integrating information, techniques, tools and perspectives from two or more disciplines.
More information and application materials can be found here.
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Madeleine Duperouzel
DPhil in History
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com