The Byzness, 24th November 2024
Oxford University Byzantine Society
THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 24th November 2024
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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27th OUBs International Graduate Conference
For those who may have missed it, there’s just under a week left to submit abstracts for this academic year’s OUBs Graduate Conference entitled: “Byzantium and its environment.”
For those graduate students interested in participating and showcasing their research that touches upon nature and/or the physical environment during the Late Antique and Byzantine period please see the call for papers here.
1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Byzantine Studies Lectures (NHRF), November 25th
The Byzantine Studies Lectures of the Institute of Historical Research (National Hellenic Research Foundation) continue on Monday November 25 with a hybrid lecture on:
Senate, Church councils and concilium regis: The formation of the medieval consultative monarchy in the sixth century
Demetrios Kyritses, University of Crete
18:00 EET, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48, V. Constantinou Av. 11635, Athens.
To join via Zoom please follow the link here.
Medieval Greek Summer Session 2025, Gennadius Library, Athens
Deadline: January 15, 2025
The Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens announces the summer session focused on the study of Medieval Greek, from June 30 to July 30, 2025.
Founded in 1881, the American School is the most significant resource in Greece for American scholars in the fields of ancient and post-classical studies. One of the two major research libraries of the School, the Gennadius Library, which houses over 146,000 volumes and archives, is devoted to post-classical Hellenic civilization.
The Library invites applications for a month-long Summer Session for Medieval Greek at the Intermediate to Advanced Level. The objective is to familiarize students who have a sound foundation in Classical Greek with Medieval Greek language and philology by exposing them to primary sources, different kinds of literary genres, paleography and epigraphy, drawing on the resources of the Gennadius Library. The two Professors leading the session are Professor Alexander Alexakis, University of Ioannina, and Professor Stratis Papaioannou, University of Crete.
Format: The month-long full-time program will include daily translation of Byzantine texts; introduction to Greek paleography and Byzantine book culture; use of the collections of the Gennadius Library; visits to area museums and libraries including the Byzantine and Christian, Benaki, and Epigraphical Museums; and visits outside Athens including Corinth, Mistra, Thessaloniki, and Hosios Loukas. Individual tutorials and assignments for each student will be determined by specific needs and field of study. The language of instruction is English. Participants should plan to arrive on June 30, instruction begins on July 1, and participants should plan to depart any time on July 30, 2025.
Eligibility: The program is offered at the intermediate to advanced level for up to twelve graduate students in any field of late antique, post-antique, Byzantine or medieval studies at universities worldwide; preference may be given to students who have limited access to instruction in Byzantine Greek at their home institutions. A minimum of two years of college-level or post-doctoral Classical Greek (or the equivalent) is required. If there are available slots, post-doctoral scholars affiliated with any university worldwide may also be considered.
Academic Credit: The American School is not a degree-granting institution. No grades are given for its programs, nor are transcripts provided. Upon request, an optional final exam at the end of the program may be provided and the directors will write a letter to the participant's home institution, recommending that credit be granted, provided that the student has satisfactorily participated in the program and passed the final exam.
Costs and Scholarships: Up to twelve scholarships cover the costs of tuition, School fees, housing, required travel within Greece, and museum and site fees. International airfare to and from Greece, meals, and incidental expenses are the participant's responsibility.
Applications: Submit online application, curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation (one from the academic advisor and one from a Greek language teacher), and scans of academic transcripts. More information and the online application form are available on our website here.
Questions? Contact: appli...@ascsa.org
19th International ANAMED Annual Symposium
5-6 December 2024 - ANAMED Auditorium, -2. Floor
The 19th International ANAMED Annual Symposium, "Nurturing Byzantium: Growth, Change, and Vibrance in Byzantine Studies, A Symposium Dedicated to the Memory of Robert G. Ousterhout (1950-2023)" will take place at ANAMED on 5-6, convened by Suna Çağaptay, Tolga B. Uyar, and Engin Akyürek. Dedicated to the late Robert G. Ousterhout, a Byzantine art and architecture historian, the symposium will gather his students and colleagues, who will explore his wide influence in the field as a researcher and mentor in terms of growth, change, and vibrance. No registration is required for physical participation in the hybrid symposium, which is organized in collaboration with Dumbarton Oaks and American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT). The proceedings will be in English; Turkish simultaneous translation will be provided. For detailed information and Zoom registration, please visit the ANAMED website.
For the symposium program and to register via Zoom, please see here.
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
Shifting Fortunes in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages - Edinburgh's 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies
Edinburgh’s Centre for Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 6th International Graduate Conference in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies, to take place on 24th-25th April 2025, at the University of Edinburgh. We invite papers which approach the theme of ‘shifting fortunes’ in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, from a global perspective.
The fortunes of individuals, communities and states in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages were far from fixed certainties, and whilst any number of sudden crises and exigencies could bring fortunes crashing down, there was also ample opportunity for them to be built up, transformed, and consolidated. Therefore, securing one’s fortunes, be they political, economic or spiritual, was of paramount importance to all members of late antique and medieval societies. Whether in the imperial cities of Constantinople and Rome, the caliphal courts of Baghdad, Cordoba and Cairo, or in the courts of Paris and Léon, decisions were made, edicts and chrysobulls were issued, taxes were raised, theologies were disputed, and wars were waged, all in the name of securing the good fortune of ruling interests. Beyond the actions of caliphs, emperors and kings, one is greeted by an assortment of ways in which individuals and communities sought to enhance their own fortunes, be it through pious dedications, participation in religious ritual, production or patronage of literature, economic activities or acts of rebellion. On the other hand, a drop in fortunes could be heralded by environmental factors, such as plague, famine, drought, or through instances of external and internal conflict like invasion, civil war and fitnah.
This conference will focus on this theme of shifting fortunes and examine both the factors underpinning change, as well as the various processes and dynamics through which the creation, consolidation, and collapse of fortunes came to pass. For instance, how were fortunes negotiated and renegotiated across the period, and how far did this differ across the boundaries of social class, gender, religious identity and geography? Given the broad range of possible applications of ‘shifting fortunes’ as an avenue of historical inquiry, we encourage the submission of papers which broach a wide array of topics and adopt innovative methodological approaches in their case studies. Moreover, the scope of this conference shall go beyond Centre’s focus on Late Antiquity, Islamic and Byzantine Studies. As such, we shall also incorporate contributions from a global medieval perspective.
Keynote Speaker: Dr Krystina Kubina (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
We particularly encourage contributions on the suggested topics below, however, papers which approach the theme of ‘shifting fortunes’ from other angles will also be considered:
Political perspectives – Administrative, legislative and judicial changes and policies brought about to bolster fortunes or as a response to a regression in fortunes. Political actions taken in the name of fortune, be they usurpations, rebellions, ceremonies and rituals, the production of propaganda, or political strategy and intrigue.
Economic perspectives – The extent to which fortunes were determined by economic, monetary and fiscal changes enacted by ruling systems. The influence of overland and maritime trade networks on the fortunes of states, communities and individuals. Economic actions of non-ruling classes.
Ecological perspectives – How did ecological changes, be they fortuitous or catastrophic, influence the fortunes of those affected, and how did individuals, communities and states respond to, negotiate, and mitigate these changes?
Resistance and upheaval – The reaction of communities to changes in their political and economic fortunes, their strategies of resistance (e.g. refusal to pay taxes, rebellion), and the ideological underpinnings of resistance.
Ideological perspectives – What role did ideologies fulfil in shaping the fortunes of its adherents, or of those subjected to the whims of its adherents? How did ‘official’ ideologies shape the socio-political landscape, and to what extent did ideological trends underpin complex processes of decision making, the pursuit of justice and the use of propaganda?
Religious perspectives – The actions taken by states, communities and individuals to either consolidate and build upon their fortunes, be that through the consolidation of their religious identity, or as a response to challenges against it. The processes of negotiation and mediation through which individuals and communities secured their spiritual fortunes, be it dedications, donations or participation in ritual. Inter-faith and cross-confessional dialogues and interactions, divergences from orthodox religious praxis, and the interrelationships of religious hierarchy.
A view from below – What of those individuals and communities traditionally left in the dark by the aristocratic orientation of our literary sources? How far can ‘low register’ vernacular literature, archives, papyri, tax records and inquisition registers inform us of the fortunes and misfortunes of these groups, and the strategies of change available to them?
Aspects of patronage – Acts of patronage, in all their myriad forms, are attested across the breadth of Late Antique and medieval societies, regardless of the boundaries of gender and religious identity, social class or ethnic identity. What did patrons seek to gain through these financial investments, and how does this relate to personal and communal fortunes?
Literary perspectives – The production of literature represented a significant investment of resources, in terms of both the time and effort demanded by the writing of an original composition, as well as the financial investment of creating the physical text in manuscript form. Understanding the motivations behind such investments leaves us well-positioned to determine what truly mattered to these individuals. What, therefore, was to be gained from literary production? The bolstering of one’s economic, political or spiritual fortunes? The accruement of social legitimacy? The curation of one’s programme of self-representation?
The deadline for abstracts is the 21st February and notification of acceptance will be confirmed by 7th
March. Please submit your abstract of no more than 300 words, and a 100-word professional biography to edib...@ed.ac.uk. We kindly welcome submissions from individuals or groups. Lunch will be provided on both days, and there will be a small registration fee of £20 for attendees. For speakers, we hope to waive this registration fee, but further information will be provided at a later date.
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sonia Hawkes Scholarship in European Medieval Archaeology – St. Cross College, Oxford
St Cross College is pleased to offer the Sonia Hawkes Scholarship in Medieval Archaeology in partnership with the School of Archaeology to research students who will begin studying for a DPhil in Archaeology at the University of Oxford in October 2025 and whose research concerns the archaeology of medieval Europe, c. AD 400-1500. This may include research topics dealing with long-distance interactions between Europe and other parts of the globe. The Scholarship covers the course fee and an annual grant towards living costs equivalent to the published UKRI rates (currently £19,237 for 2024-2025) for the three years of full fee liability.
Application criteria
All applicants who have submitted their DPhil course application by 12 pm (UK time) on 28 January 2025 will be considered automatically.
The Scholarship is only tenable at St Cross College. All eligible applicants will be considered for this Scholarship regardless of which college (if any) you state as your preference on the graduate application form. However, successful applicants will be transferred to St Cross College in order to take up the Scholarship.
The Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit.
Soutien financier MFO pour l'Oxford Medieval Graduate Conference 2025
La Maison Française d'Oxford offre l'opportunité à une doctorante ou un doctorant d'une université française, travaillant en histoire médiévale, de recevoir un soutien financier couvrant le logement à Oxford, pour participer à l'Oxford Medieval Graduate Conference 2025, qui se déroulera les 24 et 25 mai à la MFO.
Le thème de cette année est « Rituals and Ceremonies ».
Les propositions de communication (250 mots, en anglais) doivent parvenir au comité d'organisation (oxgra...@gmail.com) avant le 6 décembre 2024.
Veuillez noter que la MFO ne participe pas au processus de sélection des propositions de communication, qui relève de l'Oxford Medieval Graduate Conference Committee.
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Alexander Johnston
MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com