The Byzness, 1st December 2024
Oxford University Byzantine Society
THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 1st December 2024
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1.
NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Inscribing Sacred Matter: Reading and Writing Inscriptions on Byzantine Relics
The Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture is
pleased to announce the next lecture in our 2024–2025 lecture series.
Inscribing Sacred Matter: Reading and Writing Inscriptions on Byzantine
Relics
Brad Hostetler, Kenyon College
Thursday, December 5, 2024 | 17:00 (GMT) 12:00 PM (EST) | Zoom
Byzantium was replete with inscriptions. Buildings, wall paintings,
mosaics, and portable objects alike were adorned with words that labeled
iconography, documented patronage, and articulated prayers. Little is known
about what the Byzantines did with this rich culture of epigraphy. Did they
read these inscriptions once or repeatedly, and in which contexts? This talk
brings together literary and material sources that speak to the act of reading
and writing inscriptions in situ, focusing on those that were attached to
relics and reliquaries. Episodes from saints’ lives, miracle tales, and
histories reveal the ways in which the Byzantines engaged with their epigraphic
culture. Far from being a passive feature of relics, it is argued that
inscriptions were an essential component to the identification and veneration
of sacred matter.
Brad Hostetler is Associate Professor of Art History at Kenyon College
(Gambier, Ohio). He specializes in the art and material culture of Late
Antiquity and Byzantium, with a focus on text and image relationships.
Advance registration required. Register: https://maryjahariscenter.org/events/inscribing-sacred-matter
Contact Brandie Ratliff (mjc...@hchc.edu),
Director, Mary Jaharis Center for Byzantine Art and Culture, with any
questions.
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
Society for Late Antiquity: SCS 2026 Call for Papers
Society for Classical Studies 157th Annual Meeting
January 7–10, 2026 | San Francisco
The Society for Late Antiquity invites papers that in some way situate themselves at the intersection of intellectual and economic history (broadly conceived) and speak to aspects of technical or professional knowledge in the long Late Antiquity.
Ideas for submissions might include:
· Technical Treatises – such as agricultural, military, or magical manuals. What role do compendia and encyclopedic works play in the transmission of technical and professional knowledge?
· New Professions and Technologies – such as the expansion of imperial bureaucracies, professionalization of Christian clergy, or technologies (e.g., large-scale water mills, or tube-constructed vaulting) and art forms (e.g., cage cups or gold-sandwich glass) that expanded or developed after the 3rd century CE.
· Technologies of Knowing – codices, tabulation, exegetical or typological readings of text or iconography.
· Technique/Technology within Space – where and how is professional and technical knowledge visible in the environment? Can we reconstruct changes in technical knowledge from changes in workshop spaces?
· Fragments of Knowing – where and how do technologies and professions end or break down? Processes of recycling, deconstruction, or de-skilling.
· Professional Education and Organization – how did one become a “professional”?
Please ensure that the abstracts are anonymous, and that they follow the guidelines for individual abstracts (see the SCS Guidelines for Authors of Abstracts)
Send them via email to Betsy Bevis, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign at (ebe...@illinois.edu) by February 14, 2025.
The organizers will review all submissions anonymously, and their decision will be communicated to the authors of abstracts by March 21, 2025, with enough time that those whose abstracts are not chosen can participate in the individual abstract submission process for the upcoming SCS meeting.
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Zoë Sarbanes Pappas Senior Fellowship in the study of medieval through modern Greece at the Gennadius library
Deadline: January 31, 2025
Duration: Academic year, early September
2025 to end of May 2026.
Eligibility: An established scholar working in any area
related to the study of Greece in the Medieval through Modern periods for
a project that benefits from the use of the Gennadius Library, and/or
School Archives, or other related sources. Special collections, rare
books, archives, and research holdings of 150,000 titles create
a comprehensive resource for the history of Greece through the ages.
Applicants should hold the rank of Associate Professor (or equivalent)
or higher and possess a significant record of publication and teaching.
Open to all nationalities and any university.
Terms: Using the resources and collections of the Gennadius Library and the School, the Zoë Sarbanes Pappas Senior Fellow shall pursue research on a project that enriches the academic program of the School. Sarbanes Pappas fellows participate in the academic life of the Gennadius Library and the School in a variety of ways, including: mentoring Gennadius Library fellows, participating in the academic programming of the Gennadius Library, offering occasional seminar presentations (of particular materials related to the scholar's research), and organizing a colloquium, an exhibition, or some other activity in the subject of their expertise. Applicants are encouraged to consult with the Director of the Gennadius Library, Maria Georgopoulou, well in advance of the deadline when planning their proposed contributions to the academic program of the Gennadius Library and the School. The Sarbanes Pappas Senior Fellowship is considered a full-time fellowship. Holders should not undertake teaching (remote or in person) or substantive service commitments during the tenure of the award. Holders should consult with the Director of the School before planning travel independent of their role as Sarbanes Pappas Fellow. A final report is due at the end of the award period, and the ASCSA expects that copies of all publications that result from research conducted as a Fellow of the ASCSA acknowledge the support of the ASCSA and be contributed to the Gennadius Library.
Compensation: Stipend of $45,000, waiver of School
membership fees, round-trip coach airfare to Athens, and lunches at Loring
Hall (Monday through Friday) for the fellow. An additional $2,500 is
available for the fellow to use in developing and presenting contributions
to the academic life of the Library.
Application: Submit an online
application form. An application consists of a brief statement of interest
(1 page); curriculum vitae (max. 3 pages) including list
of publications; statement of proposed research project (max. 3 pages);
statement of proposed contribution to the Gennadius Library academic
programs (max. 3 pages); two letters of recommendation to be submitted
online by the application deadline. Upon submission of the online
application, recommenders will be sent an automated email with
instructions about how to submit their letters of recommendation, or
applicants may choose to send the request at any time by clicking
the "Send Request Now" button on the application form.
Questions? Contact: appli...@ascsa.org
The award will be announced in spring 2025.
Funded MA and PhD Opportunities at CEU (Vienna): Info Sessions
EU's Department of Historical Studies is organizing various online info sessions on Friday 6 and 13 December and Friday 10 and 17 January for anyone interested in applying to their MA and PhD programs. Please visit this webpage for further information and registration.
Central European University is a graduate-level, English-language university with a multi-disciplinary Department of Historical Studies that offers the following programs:
• PhD in Late Antique, Medieval and Early Modern Studies (5 fully funded positions)
• PhD in Comparative History (5 fully funded positions)
• 1-year MA and 2-year MA in Historical Studies (History track and Late Antique & Medieval Studies track)
• 2-year MA in Museum Studies
The department’s programs are accredited in the US and Austria. Further information on the department and its programs can be found here: https://historicalstudies.ceu.edu/. The application deadline is February 1, 2025.
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Alexander Johnston
MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com