The Byzness, 22nd February 2026
Oxford University Byzantine Society
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THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 22nd February 2026
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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
Dear all,
It’s hard to believe, but this week, on February 28th and March 1st (Saturday and Sunday), we’ll be hosting the OUBS 28th International Graduate Conference, Decline and Flourish, in Oxford, at St. Peter’s College, and online.
The committee has been working hard to ensure this conference goes off as smoothly and successfully as possible, and I could not be more grateful to Nidanu O’Shea, Secretary, and Michael Hughes, Treasurer, for their invaluable assistance thus far.
We are very excited to welcome our speakers and attendees to the Conference, and we hope that if you’re unable to attend, you’ll follow us on social media to keep up with all the happenings.
Instagram: @ox_byz
Bluesky: @oxunibyzantinesoc.bsky.social
X/Twitter: @oxbyz (if you do follow us on X, we are transitioning over to Bluesky, so please do follow us there in the first instance)
All my very best,
Madeleine.
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 listing brief and include all relevant information in the body of the notice. Outside of exceptional circumstances, we only share events once.
2026 Mediterranean Seminar Summer Skills Seminars
This year the Mediterranean Seminar in conjuction with the CU Mediterranean Studies Group is offering thirteen Summer Skills Seminars – intensive four-day boot-camps for scholars, researchers, graduate and advanced undergraduate students, librarians, teachers, professionals and afficionados. Led by leading authorities and emerging scholars in their respective fields, the Summer Skill Seminars provide either a foundation or an intensive focus on different aspects of Mediterranean Studies. Acquire new skills to augment your research profile and open new areas of specialization, explore a new subject area or theme to enrich your teaching or simply expand your field of knowledge in these small-group hands-on four-day synchronous remote workshops.
This year’s Summer Skills Seminars include:
May 18-21 - Reading Archival Latin
May 18-21 - Reading Medieval Greek Manuscripts
June 15-18 - Reading Ottoman Turkish
June 15-18 - The Archivo General de Indias: A Global Archive (NEW)
June 22-25 - Medieval & Early Modern Cartography
June 22-25 - Medieval Mediterranean Coinage: An Introduction
June 29 - July 2 - Mediterranean Magic: An Introduction
June 2 9 - July 2 - Reading Armenian Manuscripts (NEW)
July 6-9 - Sephardic Culture: An Introduction
July 13-16 - The Archivo General de Simancas: An Introduction
August 3-6 - Reading Medieval Catalan
See below & individual announcements for details.
Regular registration is open until 26 April 2026. Numbers are limited so please register early to guarantee a place.
Information
For general information regarding fees, enrollment, and administrative matters, contact the Mediterranean Seminar; for questions regarding seminar content and materials, contact the individual instructor directly.
May 18-21 2026 - Reading Archival Latin
Focusing on the documents in Latin held at the Archive of the Crown of Aragon in Barcelona, this seminar presents an introduction to Latin diplomatics and the reading of unedited archival documents through the incredible rich collection of Barcelona’s ACA. The seminar combines hands-on reading practice with units on different genres of documents, abbreviations, research techniques, dating systems, and other relevant information.
Instructor: Brian A. Catlos
Prerequisites: Intermediate reading knowledge of Latin is required, but no previous experience in paleography or diplomatics.
May 18-21 2026 - Reading Medieval Greek Manuscripts
Participants will explore Greek manuscript culture through an introduction to paleography with a historical background on the evolution of Greek script. The course emphasizes the major hands and writing styles from antiquity through the Byzantine period, including majuscule and minuscule scripts as well as humanistic and Renaissance scripts. Techniques for deciphering common manuscript abbreviations, ligatures, and symbols, which are essential for understanding Greek manuscripts, will be covered in depth. Participants will also receive guidance on navigating digital repositories and databases for Greek manuscripts, along with tools for accessing online reproductions and secondary literature.
Instructor: Manolis Ulbricht
Prerequisites: Participants need to have reading knowledge of Greek (whether ancient, medieval or modern). The language of instruction is English.
June 15-18 2026 - Reading Ottoman Turkish
This course offers an introduction to Ottoman Turkish, providing an intro level course to the language and a brief overview of Ottoman paleography. By the end of the course, the student will be able to read basic texts in print, recognize different paleographic styles, types of documents, as well as understand how and what dictionary to use for different types of texts. The course is perfect for students with knowledge of Turkish and/or Persian and Arabic, with an interest but no prior knowledge of Ottoman Turkish.
Instructor: Oscar Aguirre Mandujano
Prerequisites: Reading of Turkish and/or Persian and Arabic; no prior knowledge of Ottoman Turkish necessary. The language of instruction is English.
June 15-18 2026 - Introduction to the Archivo General de Indias: A Global Archive (NEW)
This course offers an in-depth introduction to the Archive of the Indies (Archivo General de Indias) in Seville, one of the world’s most important repositories for the study of the Spanish Empire and the early modern Atlantic world. Founded in 1785, the archive houses millions of documents produced by Spanish colonial institutions governing the Americas and the Philippines from the 15th to the 20th centuries, featuring the five continents and numerous different languages. The course is open to anyone -undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, librarians, archivists and general public- interested in early modern, Atlantic, and global history, even with little or no research experience.
Instructor: Jorge Díaz Ceballos
Prerequisites: Applicants should have at least an intermediate level of reading Spanish. The language of instruction is English.
June 22-25 2026 - Medieval & Early Modern Cartography: An Introduction
This Summer Skills Seminar provides participants with an overview of key concepts and methodologies in the study of Mediterranean and Early Modern cartography and the interpretation of maps. The course will address the themes of mobility, connectivity, and encounter in relation to the visual culture of peoples and territories across the sea. Participants will acquire an art historical tool kit to assist them in conducting their own research on the visual culture and artistic production of the medieval Mediterranean.
Instructor: Karen Mathews
Prerequisites: Recommended: AP Art History courses or introductory surveys. Some upper division or graduate art history coursework is ideal but not required
June 22-25 2026 - Medieval Mediterranean Coinage: An Introduction
This Summer Skills Seminar will introduce participants to the dynamic interactions of Roman and Sasanian coinages in the Late Antique period, which gave way to the tripartite division of Latin, Byzantine, and Islamic coinages of the succeeding centuries. We will examine how these three coinages developed and interacted through the later medieval centuries, laying the groundwork for the modern monetary systems.
Instructor: Alan Stahl
Prerequisites: None.
June 29 - July 2 2026 - Mediterranean Magic: An Introduction
This four-day intensive skills seminar will not only provide participants with an overview of magic’s history (broadly defined) throughout the premodern period but also introduce them to recurring patterns in magical practice and representation, significant symbols, and even tools for bringing similar material into their classrooms or personal reflections. As much as possible the content will be catered to participants interests and needs. Medievalists of all disciplines and ranks, graduate students, qualified undergraduate students, library and archival professionals, independent scholars, and modern magic practitioners or enthusiasts are encouraged to apply.
Instructor: Veronica Menaldi
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites apart from an interest in magic, astrology, and occult science in both culture and literature.
June 29 - July 2 2026 - Reading Armenian Manuscripts (NEW)
From the fifth century CE onward, Armenian writing has spanned an incredible geographic and cultural scope. This intensive and introductory course guides participants to decipher medieval and early modern Armenian manuscripts, running a textual gamut from the work of professional scribes at the Cilician chancellery to the marginal notes of monastic readers, hard pressed for candles (and eyesight); from the personal correspondence of travelers, far from home, to equally well-traveled romances in the worldly vernacular. Through a combination of small-pair and group work, participants will acquire the paleographic skills to accurately read and describe handwritten texts in the Armenian script -- a massive corpus that includes works not only in Classical, Middle, dialectal, and modern Armenian, but other languages as well, such as Turkish (Armeno-Turkish) and Persian (Armeno-Persian).
Instructor: Michael Pifer
Prerequisites: Basic reading knowledge of Armenian (Classical or modern) is required.
July 6-9 2026 - Sephardic Culture: An Introduction
This Summer Skills Seminar provides participants with the an overview of main currents in Sephardic Studies including historial and cultural trends, texts, sources for the period 900-1700 CE, and attending to the potential of this field to enhance your own research and teaching. It is designed with academics in mind, particularly graduate students, postdocs, and professors working in disciplines such as history, literature, religious studies, but all interested parties are welcome to apply. Participants will receive a completion certificate which may be listed on your CV and other documents such as grant/fellowship applications. The seminar is held via zoom over four days, with two two-hour sessions each day. Participants are expected to prepare readings in advance of the sessions, which will be a blend of lecture, pair and group discussion, group close readings, and in-class activities.
Instructor: David A. Wacks
Prerequisites: None.
July 13-16 2026 - The Archivo General de Simancas: An Introduction
This seminar offers an introduction early Modern Spanish paleography and the organization of the General Archive of Simancas and an insight into the rich sources of the Spanish monarchy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Using a hands-on approach, students will learn to analyze original documents and to read and transcribe sources in early modern Spanish and in other languages, enabling students to read documents at the AGS and from across the global empire of Early Modern Spain.
Instructor: Prof. Rubén González Cuerva
Prerequisites: Applicants should have a good reading knowledge of modern Spanish. The language of instruction is English.
August 3-6 2026 - Reading Medieval Catalan
The vast and rich corpus of medieval Catalan literature has yet to be given its full due in our overall understanding of medieval European literature and culture. This is the result, in large part, of the fact that medieval Catalan, unlike Old French or Old Spanish, has not evolved to become the major language of a modern European nation state. For similar reasons, there have been few opportunities, outside a few centers, to study this corpus or to learn to read it in its original medieval language. The present course seeks to begin to fill this gap in the knowledge of medieval European vernacular literatures by offering the basic skills necessary to read medieval Catalan through study of key texts in the development of 13th through 15th century Catalan letters.
Instructor: John Dagenais
Prerequisites: Applicants should have at least a good reading knowledge of modern Spanish, French, Italian and/or Portuguese or some knowledge of Catalan. The language of instruction is English.
Call for applications: International Training School on Byzantine Sigillography “Unsealing Byzantium”
An International Training School on Byzantine Sigillography entitled “Unsealing Byzantium” is launched in the framework of the ERC-funded research project Byz-GOVAG “Agents of Cohesion in the Governance of an Empire: The Anthropo-Geography of Byzantium, 7th to 12th Centuries”, hosted at the Academy of Athens (2026–2031). The School will take place in Athens (25 May to 5 June 2026) and is organised by Olga Karagiorgou (Academy of Athens, Director of Research / PI of the Byz-GOVAG project) and Christos Malatras (Hellenic National Research Foundation, Institute of Historical Research, Associate Researcher) in collaboration with the Numismatic Museum. It is open to students of Classics, Byzantine and Medieval Studies, willing to engage in a two-week crash seminar on Byzantine seals. Accommodation and a small daily allowance will be provided by the Byz-GOVAG Project. Contact email: Byz-...@academyofathens.gr Application deadline: 15 March 2026. See more at https://www.eie.gr/enimerosi/nea/diethnes-scholeio-vyzantinis-sigillografias-unsealing-byzantium/ .
Byzantine seals have recently gained recognition as a crucial source for the study of Byzantium. Nevertheless, the rigorous interpretation of sigillographic evidence and the critical appraisal of existing scholarship necessitate specialised training and expertise that is rarely incorporated into standard academic curricula. To address this need, an international training school is planned to introduce students and scholars of Byzantium to the discipline of Byzantine sigillography. The school is being organised by Olga Karagiorgou (Academy of Athens, Director of Research / Principal Investigator of the Byz-GOVAG project) and Christos Malatras (National Hellenic Research Foundation, Institute of Historical Research, Associate Researcher) in collaboration with the Numismatic Museum.
The school is launched in the framework of the project Byz-GOVAG: Agents of \ Cohesion in the Governance of an Empire: The Anthropo-Geography of Byzantium, 7th to 12th Centuries, hosted at the Academy of Athens (2026–2031) and funded by the European Research Council (Grant agreement no. 101200199).
Content
• Byzantine sigillography: collections and archaeological finds, reading, dating and
editing seals.
• The contribution of seals to prosopography, political history, administration and
institutions, social history, and the history of art of Byzantium.
• Training in digital databases of seals.
Structure
• In-person instruction conducted in English over a two‐week period.
• Teaching sessions (4–6 hours) followed by sessions dedicated to individual study,
advanced training, and mentoring (2–4 hours), scheduled Monday through Friday.
• On-site examination of Byzantine seals at the Numismatic Museum, Athens.
• Each participant will undertake, with the guidance of the instructors, an
individual project in Byzantine sigillography, tailored to their research interests,
which will be presented in an online workshop (30 June–2 July 2026).
Instructors
Olga Karagiorgou (Academy of Athens)
Christos Malatras (IHR, National Hellenic Research Foundation)
Visiting lecturers
Maria Campagnolo-Pothitou (Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva)
Pantelis Charalampakis (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia)
Pagona Papadopoulou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
Teaching Unit Hours
Introduction to Byzantine sigillography 4
Methodology and usage of seals 8
Reading Byzantine seals 14
Dating Byzantine seals 6
Research tools and digital databases 4
Eligibility and Application Requirements
The Training School is open to Master students and doctoral candidates, as well as postdoctoral researchers in Byzantine Studies and related fields (such as Classics or Medieval Studies). Priority will be given to applicants whose work relies on, or is directly relevant to, Byzantine Sigillography. Graduates of related disciplines who intend to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree with a dissertation on Byzantine Sigillography are also encouraged to apply. Participation is limited to 10–12 individuals and in-person attendance is mandatory. A solid command of English and of Ancient or Medieval Greek beyond the elementary level is required.
The application form is online and should include among others the contact details of two scholars willing to provide a reference letter, a CV, and statements outlining the applicant’s profile, motivation and research interests. https://forms.gle/YNUniqWFVFJoNVtt7
Contact email: Byz-...@academyofathens.gr
Deadline: 15 March 2026
Provisions for Participants
Accommodation will be provided by the organisers in self-catered shared apartments with private bedrooms, located in the center of Athens. A modest daily lunch subsidy will also be offered. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel.
Participants will have access to the Library of the Research Centre for Byzantine and Post-byzantine Art of the Academy of Athens, which holds extensive resources in Byzantine sigillography. In addition, a range of digital resources will be made freely available.
The essays produced by the participants will be published online on the Byz-GOVAG website under the name of each contributor.
Workshop On the Trail of the Bible of Niketas, 30-31 March 2026 (Brussels/Leuven)
The international workshop On the Trail of the Bible of Niketas: A Transverse Approach to Catenae will take place at Brussels and KU Leuven, on March 30-31, 2026.
The event will comprise two sessions:
• 30 March (Royal Library of Belgium KBR, Brussels): an introductory seminar on Greek palaeography and exegetical catenae;
• 31 March (KU Leuven): a research day bringing together international specialists to present recent work on the catenae of the Bible of Niketas, examining their editorial logic, sources, and intellectual context from a transverse perspective.
More information and full programme: https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/grieks/nieuws/niketas
Call for Applications Accessing Byzantine Seals with New Digital Methods Antalya, 8–17 October 2026
Digital methods are profoundly transforming the ways in which historical objects and museum collections can be accessed, analysed, and presented. Using museum holdings from the region of Antalya, this Autumn School introduces participants to the study of Byzantine seals, a key source group for prosopography, administrative history, historical geography, and the social history of the Byzantine Empire.
The programme combines lectures with intensive hands-on training. Participants will be introduced to the traditional methods of Byzantine sigillography, including reading, dating, contextualising, and editing seals, alongside digital approaches. These include Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) and digital encoding using the SigiDoc standard.
Practical sessions will involve on-site work in museum collections, small-group projects focused on a selected corpus of seals, and the preparation of material for digital edition. The Autumn School will conclude with short final presentations by the participants. The academic programme is complemented by guided excursions to archaeological sites in the region. Teaching will be provided by an international team of specialists from Turkey, Germany, and France.
The Autumn School is aimed at:
- advanced MA students
- • PhD candidates
- • early career researchers
Applicants should have an interest in Byzantine studies, medieval history, archaeology, philology, digital humanities, or closely related fields.
Applications must include a letter of motivation and a short academic CV, and should be sent by March 31st to Martina Filosa (martina...@uni-koeln.de). Five scholarships of € 500 each, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, will be awarded to outstanding applicants. Applicants will be notified by the end of April.
The Autumn School is organised by the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Cologne in cooperation with Anadolu University and the Koç University Suna and İnan Kıraç Research Center for Mediterranean Civilizations (AKMED). It takes place within the framework of the Cologne Summer Schools Programme of the University of Cologne and is jointly funded by the Kölner Universitätsstiftung and Santander
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
Call for Abstract– International Doctoral Conference (University of Rome Tor Vergata)
The PhD candidates of the Doctoral Program in Classical Antiquity and Its Reception: Archaeology, Philology, History at the University of Rome Tor Vergata are pleased to announce the second edition of the International Doctoral Conference.
The theme of the conference is “Anthologies, Canons, Catalogues: Preserving and Ordering the Ancient World.”
General information
PhD candidates, postgraduate specialization students, and early-career researchers who have obtained their degree no more than two years ago are invited to submit an original abstract for either an oral presentation or a poster (maximum 400 words in both cases, excluding title and bibliography), specifying the preferred format.
Submissions, accompanied by a short academic profile (maximum 100 words), must be sent by 28 February 2026 to the email address: conv.antcla...@gmail.com, indicating in the subject line “Doctoral Conference Proposal” and specifying the relevant section (Archaeology; Philology; Epigraphy and History).
The body of the email should include the title of the contribution, the name(s) of the candidate(s) - if it is a group proposal- , the institutional affiliation(s), and an email address for correspondence.
Submissions may be in Italian or English and should be provided in both anonymized .doc(x) and .pdf formats.
The outcome of the evaluation will be communicated by 31 March 2026.
Each presentation will have a maximum duration of 20 minutes, while posters will be displayed in a dedicated session. Selected speakers are invited to present their contributions in person. Individual panels, featuring keynote speakers, will be organised according to the relevant section and thematic or methodological affinity. The Conference Proceedings will be published under the supervision of the Scientific Committee.
The Conference will take place on 10-11 June 2026 at the Department of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Columbia 1, 00133 Rome, Italy. There is no registration fee. Information regarding registration, the conference venue, accepted proposals, and the detailed programme will be communicated via email. For further information, please contact: conv.antcla...@gmail.com.
Below are outlined possible – though not exclusive – approaches to the theme, divided according to the three disciplinary areas of the doctoral program
Archaeology
In the field of archaeology, the collection, cataloguing, and classification of data play a fundamental role in the study of contexts and artefacts, forming the basis of any research hypothesis and reconstructive proposal. In recent years, this topic has been at the centre of archaeological debate, as new methods of data management and cataloguing have brought about a significant methodological shift. The conference theme may therefore be approached in a variety of ways, including the following:
I. Methodology. Methodological reflections may be proposed on the study of ceramic, numismatic, stone, wooden, organic, and/or epigraphic materials, based on one or more case studies. Contributions may also illustrate the use of new technological tools and supports, highlighting how such technologies (software, databases, and digital ontologies) reshape the analytical possibilities of the data. This topic may furthermore be applied to the study of archaeological contexts and stratigraphies, by describing methods of collecting excavation data and related documentation, and by examining the potential for a critical re-reading of contexts made possible precisely by these digital tools.
II. Catalogues. Contributions are welcome that explore the catalogue both as a starting point for organising and studying a dataset related to an archaeological context—as is often the case in academic training and fieldwork—and as a final product of an exhibition, aimed at ensuring the preservation and dissemination of knowledge about the objects it presents.
III Collections. Analyses of the phenomenon of art and archaeological collecting are encouraged. These two fields have often intersected within the residences of collectors and explorers, who in many cases removed valuable data from the scientific record—data that were often lost forever, but in some instances can be recovered (or are still recoverable) through archival research, field investigation, and the study of the materials that ultimately entered such private collections.
IV Museums: museum collections also fall within the scope of these study days. The histories of their acquisition, the evolving concept of the museum as a place of preservation, and museum displays themselves—which have undergone numerous transformations over time, reflecting the needs and perspectives of different historical periods—offer a wide range of stimulating avenues for reflection.
Philology
Compilatory literature represents one of the principal instruments for the preservation, organisation, and reworking of the Greco-Roman literary tradition. It already existed in antiquity and late antiquity, when excerptio formed an integral part of the compilatory routine of authors engaged not only in the creation of original works, but also in the production of breviaries, epitomes, excerpts, centos, commentaries, and similar works derived from earlier authors. The earliest extant multi-author anthologies date back to the epigrammatic florilegia on papyrus from the early Hellenistic period; from these beginnings, the genre survived and evolved into the florilegia, catalogues, syllogae, and lexica of the medieval period—containers capable of conferring new meaning upon their contents. The act of selecting and (re)combining texts entails implications on multiple levels: literary, in terms of the choice of anthologised texts and their resemanticisation within a new context; philological, with regard to the transmission of texts, sometimes from otherwise lost branches of the tradition; and historical-cultural, concerning the motivations underlying the preservation of certain compositions and the loss of others. The collected texts bear witness to the personal taste of the anthologist-compiler, ultimately becoming a material trace of the cultural climate of their time. Nevertheless, compilatory literature is sometimes treated as an uncritical handbook or as a neutral vehicle for quotations from classical authors. Yet, as Jens Gerlach has observed, the anthologist possesses a distinctive Konzeptionalität and is the creator of an entirely new work, in which deliberate manipulations may be enacted, extending even to extreme cases of censorship of the sources. When studied in conjunction with the collecting medium that has transmitted them over the centuries, classical texts can thus acquire new meanings and even new forms. We encourage the submission of papers addressing the following areas of research:
I. Methodology and Terminology. This line of enquiry focuses on what “compilatory literature” is, and on when it is legitimate to define it as such: which features characterise it, in which cases the label can be applied, and where its limits should instead be drawn. From this perspective, a reassessment of terminology becomes central, starting from lexicographical and encyclopaedic tools, and distinguishing between different types of products: from anthologies of anthologies (minor compilations derived from now-lost collections), to anthologies appended to anthologies (additions to compilations perceived as incomplete), up to the broader forms of compilatory literature in antiquity. The framework includes, on the one 6 hand, Greek terminology (συλλογή, συναγωγή, ἐκλογή, etc.) and, on the other, Latin terminology (breviarium, excerptio, cento, commentarius, epitome, flos, speculum, etc.), raising questions of continuity, difference, and conceptual overlap.
II. The Anthologist. A second axis concerns the figure of the individual who selects and organises the material: the compilatory techniques employed and the editorial criteria guiding the construction of a collection. In parallel, attention is given to the role of the anthologist as a potential “censor”, examining how concerns for pudicitia may be translated into identifiable editorial choices and specific textual outcomes.
III Anthologies. Attention shifts to anthologies as a cultural phenomenon and as material objects of transmission, investigating processes of selection in Greek and Latin literature and the principles governing the formation of corpora. This area also includes the study of catalogues, lists, and book inventories, assessing their contribution both to the transmission of texts and to the reconstruction of literary history.
IV Anthologised Texts. This section proposes a reflection on the consequences of anthologisation for the texts themselves and for their transmission: errors, transformations, and, more broadly, the impact that these dynamics have on our perception of the “classical text”. Through case studies of variae lectiones typical of compilatory literature, contributors are invited to discuss whether certain variants should be attributed to accidents of transmission or to deliberate manipulation. Attention is also given to the effects of the container on the content: how a new context may resemanticise texts, and how practices of cutting, combining, or adding material affect the form and meaning of anthologised works.
Epigraphy and History
History and epigraphy are, by their very nature, practices of selection and memory: every historiographical and epigraphic document corresponds to a deliberate choice regarding what is made public or kept private, what is preserved, and what is transmitted. Epigraphic documentation from the Greek and Roman worlds, in particular, offers a privileged perspective on ancient processes of selection and organisation of memory, at times oscillating between the mere recording of data and the construction of a symbolic order of knowledge in public, private, or religious contexts. Alongside material evidence, historical memory and historiography likewise participate in the processes of constructing the past: they contribute to defining what the ancient world chose to remember, organise, and transmit. We therefore invite submissions that address how, in the Greek and Roman worlds, historical and epigraphic practices reflected processes of anthologisation, understood as the collection, selection, systematisation, and reworking of knowledge and memory. Proposals that investigate, among others, the following themes will be particularly welcome:
I. Modes of Organisation and Transmission of Knowledge. In the epigraphic domain, this theme examines how entire communities organised and transmitted their heritage through catalogues and documentary collections, ranging from the selection of decrees and laws to temple lists and civic or institutional catalogues. In the historiographical domain, it considers how ancient historians contributed to establishing hierarchies of events, defining periodisations, and ordering historical occurrences, making use of multiple and diverse forms of organising historical memory, such as compendia, excerpta, and epitomes.
II. Canonisation and Shared Memory. In epigraphy, this involves the use of inscriptions to construct a civic canon, reinforcing collective identity through lists of victors, magistrates, benefactors, or priests. In historiography, it focuses on the selection and use of speeches, exempla, genealogies, and mythological narratives as instruments for creating a shared cultural canon.
III. Reorganisation and Resemanticisation of Historical and Epigraphic Knowledge, and Its Subsequent Transmission and Reception. This theme explores examples of how, in the Hellenistic and Imperial periods, practices of compilation, repurposing, and re-reading of documentary material shaped canons, repertoires, and forms of historical memory. It also considers how ancient inscriptions were copied, collected, and catalogued in Late Antique, Byzantine, or Humanistic contexts. Furthermore, it addresses the phenomenon—both ancient and modern—of antiquarian collecting and the production of forgeries, raising the question of what could be authentically recognised as “ancient.” All these operations profoundly influenced the transmission of the past and our perception of it.
IV. Epigraphy as a corpus in fieri. Methodological reflections on the modern construction of epigraphic corpora, extending to contemporary digital projects, considered as a continuation of the ancient logic of anthology and systematisation. This theme explores how practices of historical and material documentation can be reconfigured through interaction with modern technologies, giving humanistic knowledge and research a new profile in the digital age.
Scientific and Organising Commettee: Alessia Arcangeli, Alessia Borriello, Giorgia Angelica Chatzidakis, Simone Giorgi, Francesco Persia, Diletta Pompei, Ada Ioana Rabita.
Scientific Referents
Philology: Prof. Stefano Valente; Archeology: Prof.ssa Giulia Rocco; Epigraphy and History: Prof. Virgilio Costa
CfP ELTA-3: Third Meeting on Late Antique Literature (Salamanca, 7-8 May 2026)
LECTIO XV International Conference: 'The Transmission of Classical Authors from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period’
This conference will explore how classical texts were transmitted from Late Antiquity to the early modern period through manuscripts, printed editions, translations, quotations, and adaptations across different cultures and traditions. We will examine the roles of copyists, patrons, and intellectual networks, as well as the religious, cultural, and ideological factors shaping the preservation and transformation of ancient literature. We invite papers that look at the reception and transmission of pre-Christian and non-Christian literature in witnesses from Early Christianity to the Renaissance, both East and West, handwritten and printed, qualitative and quantitative.
Deadline for submissions: 1 March 2026
Read full call and submit your abstract
Call for proposals: 'Late Antique Encounters' 2027, organized by the Ghent Centre for Late Antiquity
Late Antique Encounters
International Conference organized by the Ghent Centre for Late Antiquity
3-5 February 2027 | Ghent University, Belgium
Once relegated to the shadows between "classical" and "medieval," Late Antiquity—roughly the third through eighth centuries CE—has emerged as one of the most vibrant fields in ancient studies. From art historians uncovering the visual revolution of early Christian mosaics to linguists mapping changes in idiom and the increasing variety of languages, from archaeologists mapping trade networks across three continents to literary scholars exploring the reinvention of classical genres and the rise of a new literary aesthetics, Late Antiquity attracts an ever-growing community of scholars whose diverse approaches continue to transform our understanding of this pivotal age.
The Ghent Centre for Late Antiquity, itself a microcosm of this scholarly diversity, proudly presents the inaugural ‘Late Antique Encounters’ Conference—a forum designed to capture and celebrate the field's remarkable breadth and methodological richness. We envision Late Antiquity as a crossroads where multiple disciplines converge. Whether you approach the period through papyrology or prosopography, numismatics or narratology, linguistics or art history, this conference wants to offer space for dialogue across traditional boundaries. We seek to create an environment where a historian studying Coptic tax receipts might discover connections with a literary scholar analyzing Syriac poetry, where an archaeologist excavating a Gallic villa can engage with a theologian parsing conciliar debates or a linguist studying lexical phenomena. Moreover, this conference embraces interdisciplinarity not only through collaboration among diverse fields within late antique studies, but also by fostering dialogue between late antiquity and other historical periods, including its reception and enduring influence.
Beyond such unexpected encounters, the conference aims at originality by facilitating conversations that support our research needs, where scholars can present problems rather than solutions. In addition to individual presentations, we dedicate ample space for broader methodological discussions, digital innovations, and assessments of where the field is heading.
A key goal of the organizers is to foster intergenerational exchange. As Late Antiquity’s future lies in nurturing emerging voices while building on foundational insights, we particularly encourage participation from graduate students and early-career researchers alongside established scholars.
Rather than imposing thematic constraints, the conference adopts multiple formats to suit various academic purposes. Its program, flexible by design, will accommodate:
Round tables for collaborative reflection and with a focus on debate
Work-in-progress sessions for testing new ideas and methodologies, or for collaborative discussion of primary sources
Thematic panels for sustained exploration of specific topics
State-of-the-Art sessions and retrospective discussions on influential scholarship
Book launches and presentations of recently launched book series and research projects
Poster and/or video presentations, allowing the brief presentation of recently started research
The organizing committee invites two types of proposals:
- Complete session proposals (90 minutes): Session organizers determine the format (see list above, yet other formats are also welcome) and coordinate with their chosen participants. Proposals of this type ideally present a complete list of participants, though the organizing committee is open to receiving proposals from aspiring panel organizers with an innovative idea and looking to be paired with suitable participants. Proposals can also include double sessions (90 + 90 minutes).
- Proposals for individual contributions: These will be grouped thematically by the committee and must indicate which of the above formats they are envisaged for. Individual contributions may be either 20 minutes (thematic panels and state-of-the-art sessions), 10 minutes (round tables, work-in-progress sessions, and book/project presentations), or 5 minutes (poster/video presentations).
Confirmed keynote speakers: Jaś Elsner (University of Oxford), Corisande Fenwick (University College London), Adam Ledgeway (University of Bergamo), and Karin Schlapbach (Université de Fribourg)
Please submit proposals by 15 May 2026 to gc...@ugent.be. Proposals may be submitted in English, French, or German, must indicate the affiliation of the participant(s), and should not exceed 300 words (individual contributions) / 600 words (session proposals). All proposals will be submitted to peer review. Acceptance may be dependent on constraints of space and coherence or overlap with other proposals. Notifications about participation will be sent out by 15 July 2026.
For more information and questions, visit www.gcla.ugent.be/laec-2027, or contact us via gc...@ugent.be.
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Short-Term Visiting Fellowships at KU Leuven
The call for Visiting Fellowships at LECTIO – KU Leuven Institute for the Study of the Transmission of Texts, Ideas and Images in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance is open. We look forward to receiving applications from scholars who want to spend a short research stay in Leuven in 2026–2027. Candidates must hold a PhD at the time of application.
LECTIO is an interdisciplinary institute that brings together researchers interested in pre-modern intellectual history, with a core emphasis on the transmission of texts, ideas, and images. Our members come from four KU Leuven faculties, with 48 professors and more than 150 PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. Visiting Fellows are embedded in the faculty and research unit of their academic host, encounter colleagues from LECTIO, discuss their project and often set up new collaborations. They also give a lecture or seminar for the LECTIO community.
This year, LECTIO will fund five Visiting Fellowships.
The two Open Visiting Fellowships accept proposals on any topic as long as it fits our research program. In addition to these, three Joint Fellowships are available thanks to the collaboration with our partners:
- LECTIO & Brepols Publishers
- LECTIO & KU Leuven Bibliotheken (Special Collections)
- LECTIO & KU Leuven Digital Society Institute
Learn more and apply here: https://www.kuleuven.be/lectio/visiting-fellowship-program/application-procedure
Application deadline: 6 March 2026
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Madeleine Duperouzel
DPhil in History
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com