Announcements

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The Byzantine Studies Lectures of the Institute of Historical Research (National HellenicResearch Foundation) continue on May 30 with a hybrid lecture on:

 Pious service groups (diakoniai) in Byzantium: Searching for the evidence

 Claudia Rapp, University of Vienna

18:00 EET, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48, V. Constantinou Av. 11635, Athens.

To join via Zoom please follow the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NpxZ4z71Saaz8UUFFS1p2Q

For more information, see the National Hellenic Research Foundation website.

Warburg Institute CFP: Space in Time: From the Heavens to Outer Space

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SPACE IN TIME: FROM THE HEAVENS TO OUTER SPACE

The Warburg Institute

12–13 October 2023

 

CALL FOR PAPERS

Space in Time is a forum for new work in the long and global cultural history of the space beyond Earth, from the ancient heavens to modern outer space. While space history is a vibrant field of study, extending across the humanities and social sciences, it often breaks down along familiar geographical, disciplinary, and period-based boundaries. In particular, the field’s predominant interest remains in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, especially following what is now increasingly referred to as the First Space Age. However, while outer space undeniably gains in interest in this period, this interest is preceded and underwritten by a cross-cultural history stretching as far back as the human imagination itself, much of it yet to be written.

Space in Time invites work sparking new cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and cross-period conversations in this field, encompassing, but not limited to, perspectives in the histories of art, astronomy, cosmology, geography, literature, philosophy, religion, science and technology, and intellectual and cultural history at large. Contributions challenging traditional approaches to outer space are particularly welcome, as well as those working across one or more established domains of inquiry, and especially across the premodern/modern divide. The event is open to researchers of any disciplinary background, of any career stage, working in any regional or cultural tradition, from the ancient world to the present day.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Shifting depictions, descriptions, and understandings of spaces(s) above and around the earth, its domains and inhabitants, in different periods and contexts: e.g. the heavenly spheres, astrological houses, the apeiron, the sensorium of God, a sphere whose circumference is nowhere, outer space, deep space, etc. What cosmological, ontological, epistemological, theological, metaphysical, aesthetic, ethical concerns have shaped representations of superlunary space?
  • New directions in space history. Is it possible to write a history of outer space beyond ‘official’ histories of science? How have different senses and media informed perceptions and imaginations of outer space? How have terrestrial geopolitics, intercultural relations, and geographical imaginations shaped extra-terrestrial imaginations?
  • Contrasting and complementary perspectives on outer space or the superlunary regions—e.g. ‘enchanted’ / ‘disenchanted’, local / global, popular / elite, timeless / historical.
  • The Second / Third Space Age in historical perspective. How does a long cultural history of space inform the recent resurgence of public and private space programmes, controversial developments in space industry, space junk, and space tourism, and their complex political and cultural dynamics?
  • Sounds of and from outer space, from the celestial music of the heavenly spheres to the signals of early satellites’ radio beacons, radiotelescopy, and the first sound recordings from Mars.
  • Space, citizen science, and amateur initiatives: e.g. IGY Moonwatchers, radio amateurs, amateur astronomy, rocketry, SETI, diverse social and historical contexts of astrology, etc.
  • Long history of science fiction and speculative voyages beyond Earth.
  • Space in classical tradition / classical tradition in space.

We stress that these topics are meant as indicative only. If you are unsure about whether your topic fits the event’s remit, please do not hesitate to be in touch with a preliminary inquiry.

Space in Time will be a ‘hybrid’ event, combining in-person and online participation. Limited financial support may be available for early-career presenters attending in person.

The event will feature a keynote lecture by Frédérique Aït-Touati (History of Science, CNRS) as well as invited presentations by Oliver Dunnett (Geography, QUB), Andrew Gregory (History and Philosophy of Science, UCL), and others TBC.

Please send an abstract (up to 500 words) and abbreviated CV (2 pages) to spaceintime.conference@gmail.com by 31 May 2023, with an indication of whether you wish to attend in person or online. Please direct any inquiries, including about financial support, to the same address.

Organizers: Vladimir Brljak (English, Warburg/Durham), Veronica della Dora (Geography, Royal Holloway), Stamatina Mastorakou (History of Science, MPIWG), and John Tresch (History of Art, Science, and Folk Practice, Warburg).

Event homepage: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/events/CFP-space-in-time.

(Post-)Byzantine Akathistos Cycles and the Natural World

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(Post-)Byzantine Akathistos Cycles and the Natural World: An Ecocritical (Re)Interpretation

Nazar Kozak, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 5:30-7:00 pm (Central European Summer Time, UTC+2),

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Englerstraße 7, Geb. 20.40 Architektur, Hörsaal 9 (HS9)

Zoom link:
Abstract:
The Akathistos cycles are a series of pictorial scenes illustrating the Akathistos hymn for the Virgin. Emerging around 1300 CE, they became one of the most important subjects in late and post-Byzantine art. In his book Nectar and Illusion, Henry Maguire was the first scholar to discuss the Akathistos cycles in the context of the Byzantine discourse on nature. However, he characterized their place in this discourse as negative. My lecture aims to expand on Maguire’s work by critically assessing the ecological significance of the Akathistos cycles. Contrary to Maguire’s view, the Akathistos cycles, I argue, celebrated the natural world as a domain of divine presence rather than alienating viewers from it. I support this claim by detailing the following reasons. The cycles visually depicted nature-derived metaphors from the hymn’s text. They enabled viewers to recall these metaphors even without direct representations. The cycles emerged as a supplication for divine protection during a major ecological crisis.

Procopius and his Justinianic World Workshop

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Procopius and his Justinianic World workshop (hybrid event, timings are local to Barcelona) 

Tuesday 30th to Wednesday 31st May 2023 

University of Barcelona 

Tuesday 30th May 

9.30 Opening session 

10-10.40 Keynote speaker: Juan Signes Codoñer (U. Complutense Madrid)
Invective and panegyric in historiography? The case of Procopius  

10.45-11.15 Break 

11.15-12 David Kennedy (U. Exeter)
Procopius’ use of Coded Invective at the Start of Book II of Wars  

12-12.40 Oriol Febrer (U. Leiden)
Parodies of Imperial Discourse in Sixth-Century AD Greek Epigrams  

12.40-13.20 Sergi Grau (U. Barcelona / Institut Català d’Arqueologia Clàssica)
Theodora, a (not so) holy harlot: Procopius’ Secret History and the hagiographical narrative  13.30-15 Break 

15-15.40 David Parnell (U. Indiana) (online)
Procopius and Antonina: Competitors for Influence with Belisarius?  

15.45-16.30 Christopher Ian Lillington-Martin (U. Barcelona / U. Coventry)
Procopius’ Portrayal of Place  16.30-16.45 Break 

16.45-17.30 Marco Cristini, (Istituto Italiano di Storia Antica) (online)
The End of the Gothic War in Procopius and Agathias

Wednesday 31st May 

9.30-10.10 Larisa Ficulle Santini (U. St Andrews / U. Sapienza)
After and beyond Procopius: Agathias and the Cave of the Sibyl

10.15-11 Marlena Whiting (U. Oxford) 
Expressed by the Mosaics: The Ekphrasis of The Chalke Dome Mosaic in Light of Iconographic Parallels  

11-11.30     Break 

11.30-12.15 Conor Whately (U. Winnipeg)
Procopius on Arabia and Palestine in the Sixth Century  12.15-13 Montserrat Camps-Gaset (UB) Procopius and Romanos the Melodist: Christian cult innovations in Constantinople  

13-13.45          Final discussion and closing session   

*If you would like a link to follow the sessions online (or wish to attend), please contact:  clillington-martin@ub.edu / mcamps@ub.edu 

Facultat de Filologia i Comunicació 

(Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 585, 08007 Barcelona) 

Sala de Professors: Edifici Josep Carner 

Organized by:  

  • Departament de Filologia Clàssica, Romànica i Semítica 
  • Màster de Cultures i Llengües de l’Antiguitat

 

 

 

 

 

Start Planning for Vienna Congress

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The call for proposals for Round Tables for the 25th International Congress of Byzantine Studies, to be held in Vienna on August 24-29, 2026, went out during the busy season of the spring semester.  In case you missed it, I am re-circulating the call.  Please spend some time this summer thinking and discussing potential topics for round tables and colleagues for proposals.

The US National Committee is able to submit 10 proposals to the Congress Program Committee at the end of 2023.  The US Committee requests that you send us your proposals by NOVEMBER 3.  If we receive more than 10 proposals, we will suggest that some proposals go through different national committees.

Proposals should represent scholars from at least two different countries.  Ideally proposals would represent scholars at a range of career stages, including emerging scholars.

If you wish to share ideas about potential proposals with the US Committee ahead of the November deadline, we can help alert you to potential overlap and opportunities for collaboration with other scholars.  We want to help put forward the best possible slate of proposals for the Congress.

Please send plans and proposals to Leonora Neville at leonora.neville@wisc.edu.  She will share with the rest of the US National Committee, which consists of Leonora Neville, Cecily Hilsdale, Andrea Achi, and Benjamin Anderson.

For more information, see also The 25th International Congress of Byzantine Studies (2026) announcement.

Antioch: Memoirs of a City and its People

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Antioch: Memoirs of a City and its People
Friday 5- Saturday 6 May 2023, h. 17.00-19.00 (Istanbul Time)

In light of the recent devastating earthquake that struck ten cities in
Turkey on 6 February 2023, the workshop “Antioch: Memoirs of a City and
its People” aims to commemorate the city of Antioch across thousands of
years of its history and aspire to pay tribute to the city and its
people by remembering its past, grieving its present, and welcoming its
future.

The workshop stems from a collaborative effort by Bilkent University
(Departments of History and Archaeology, and CCI Program), Hacettepe
University (Sanat Tarihi Bölümü), IFEA-Istanbul, and Koç University.
It brings together young scholars and students alike to discover the
city, and its premodern history and encourage them to embrace future studies
concerning the city of Antioch.

The workshop is planned to be an online event on 5 and 6 May and has one
session per day to be held between 17 and 19 o’clock.
Each session is designed in a panel format and will host three or four
scholars discussing the city’s historical, architectural, or
intellectual aspects and its people. After their brief presentation (15
minutes maximum), a respondent will engage in a 15-minute dialogue.
Eventually, all speakers will be involved in the Q&A session (15-20
mins).

To join the event, please use the following link
https://zoom.us/j/7983865169?pwd=RktRcHRGc3FBcWNmcURTOXZOeUczdz09).

Speakers:

5. May, Friday
5:00 Welcoming speech, Sercan Yandım Aydın
5:10 Alessandra Ricci
5:25 Sinan Mimaroglu
5:40 Ayse Henry
5:50 Hayriye Bilici
6:05 Questions
Moderators: Elif K. Kayaalp and Anaïs Lamesa
6:30 End
6. May, Saturday
5:00 Scott Redford
5:15 Catherine Saliou
5:30 Mert Nezih Rifaioglu
5:45 Alexandre Roberts
6:00 Asa Eger and Andrea De Giorgi
6:15 Questions
Moderator: Nathan Leidholm
6:45 Closing Remarks, Luca Zavagno

 

 

Cataloging Librarian for the Gennadius Library in Athens

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CATALOGING LIBRARIAN FOR THE GENNADIUS LIBRARY IN ATHENS

(Position in Athens)

The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) invites applications for the position of Cataloging Librarian at the Gennadius Library in Athens. The American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) is one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions dedicated to the advanced study of all aspects of Greek culture, from antiquity to the present day. Founded in 1881 as a private non-profit organization, the ASCSA provides graduate students and scholars from over 180 affiliated North American colleges and universities a base for research and study in Greece. The ASCSA operates two major research libraries in Athens (the Blegen Library and the Gennadius Library), supports archaeological research and excavations in the Ancient Agora of Athens, in Corinth, and elsewhere in Greece, and disseminates information about its research through an active publications program.

Opened in 1926 with the 26,000-volume collection of diplomat and bibliophile Joannes Gennadius, the Gennadius Library houses today more than 145,000 titles of rare books and bindings, research materials, manuscripts, archives, and works of art that illuminate Hellenism, Greece, and neighboring civilizations from the end of antiquity to modern times. The 90,000 research titles are classified in the Library of Congress classification system, whereas the Rare Books and Special Collections retain the original local classification system. The library serves a large number of local scholars as well as international library users, including a constituency of North American students and scholars affiliated with the American School.

Key responsibilities of the Cataloging Librarian of the Gennadius Library are as follows:

  • Performs original descriptive and subject cataloging of scholarly monographs and online resources in a variety of languages, applying current international bibliographic standards
  • Performs or oversees the copy cataloging of materials for which bibliographic records are supplied by a vendor or utility
  • Works closely with colleagues in three libraries sharing a union catalog to maintain the database and to create and control authorities
  • Provides research assistance to members of the American School of Classical Studies and visiting researchers who are library users
  • Keeps abreast of developments and new technologies for resource discovery and makes recommendations as appropriate to the Senior Librarian

Position requirements:

  • MLS or equivalent; degree in the Humanities (classics, history, literature or archaeology) desirable
  • Expertise in one of the disciplines of the Gennadius’ collection (classics, Greek history, history of archaeology, arts of the book, history of art, literature)
  • Appropriate experience in an academic research library highly desirable
  • Familiarity with special collections Libraries and rare books
  • Fluency in English and Modern Greek and basic knowledge of Ancient Greek and Latin as well as the languages of scholarly research (German, French, Italian, etc.)
  • Familiarity with international bibliographic standards such as AACR2 and MARC21
  • Knowledge of Library of Congress classification system
  • Demonstrated skills and experience in relevant information technology, including its use and management, and a comprehensive understanding of the technology driven information environment; experience with the Ex Libris’ ALEPH integrated library system is highly desirable
  • Understanding of the unique needs of a graduate research library and familiarity with current issues in academic librarianship
  • Strong organizational and communication skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

The position is full-time. Salary commensurate with experience. Successful candidate will be expected to live and work in Athens, Greece.

Email a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference to glcataloguer@ascsa.edu.gr. Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. ASCSA is an EO/AA employer.

—
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
321 Wall Street
Princeton, NJ 08540-1515
Email: programs@ascsa.org
Website: https://www.ascsa.edu.gr

In memoriam: Robert G. Ousterhout

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It is with sorrow that we mark the passing of Robert G. Ousterhout (January 16, 1950–April 23, 2023).  Bob, as he was universally known, was an esteemed, prolific scholar, a generous mentor, an invaluable colleague, and a beloved friend.

Bob was a strong supporter of BSANA, serving multiple terms on the Governing Board, and was a constant presence at the annual conference, which he twice hosted. He had long associations with Dumbarton Oaks, where he was both a Junior and Senior Scholar, and was twice a symposiarch for the annual Symposium. He was also closely affiliated with ANAMED, serving on the first Advisory Board, and organizing the “Cappadocia in Context” summer program, where students learned in the field, from the master himself. He was an ally for imperiled monuments, serving as a consultant for many international entities, including UNESCO and the WMF.

Bob taught at the University of Oregon, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and the University of Pennsylvania until his retirement in 2017. He is the author, or co-author, of more than 20 books, as well as countless articles, reviews, op-eds, blog posts, and videos. His impact on the field of Byzantine Studies was recognized by the Medieval Academy of America in 2021, with the Haskins Medal.

Bob lived a big life. Whether (allegedly) organizing a water ballet in the Dumbarton Oaks pool while a Junior Fellow, hosting and feeding class after class of students at his home, organizing impromptu dance parties at conferences, or throwing baby showers, Bob celebrated life.  He was funny, insightful, and always generous with his time and influence. He will be missed.

We send our deepest condolences to his family.

For a complete listing of Bob’s publications, see his Emeritus Faculty page at the University of Pennsylvania.

For further remembrances:

ANAMED

Dumbarton Oaks

Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies

Penn History of Art

History of Philosophy Forum Summer 2023 Writing and Research Grants

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We’re excited to announce that the History of Philosophy Forum is partnering with ISSA to run a new summer grant program for visiting researchers! Projects in the history of philosophy (broadly construed), at any stage of development, are welcome. Successful applicants will receive free accommodation for a period of one month (between May 15 and August 15, 2023) in a furnished visiting faculty studio apartment next to the Notre Dame campus, as well as library access and a library workspace. Recipients are responsible for their own travel and any other expenses incurred.
More information about the program (as well as a link to the application) can be found on our website.
We are currently reviewing applications on a rolling basis, and we invite you to spread the word about this program to any contacts or collaborators who might like to take advantage of this opportunity!
With gratitude,
Claire Murphy (on behalf of the History of Philosophy Forum team)

 

University of Notre Dame

History of Philosophy Forum

100 Malloy Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556P. (574) 631-6471
F. (574) 631-0588
historyofphilosophy@nd.edu
https://historyofphilosophy.nd.edu

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