Βυζάντιο explained Newsletter - Απρίλιος | April 2024
Περιεχόμενα - Contents
Events & Call for Papers (#CFP)
Νέες Εκδόσεις - New Publications
Υποτροφίες & Ευκαιρίες - Scholarships & Opportunities
Βυζαντινά Νέα - Byzantine News
1. Events & Call for Papers (#CFP)
CBOMGS’ Seminars 2023-24: Speech Difference and Disability Gain in Byzantium, c. 1000-1200
Wednesday 24 April 2024 (13:00-14:00)
Speaker: Maroula Perisanidi (Leeds)
The Byzantine Portrait: Personhood and Representation
Spring Byzantine Studies Symposium
Dumbarton Oaks, April 19–20, 2024
In recent years, questions of identity, individuality, and subject formation have been at the forefront of Byzantine studies. Scholarship on autobiographical writings, for instance, has demonstrated that the adoption of exemplary voices and roles can enable self-expression, and therefore that the individual and the normative are not necessarily opposite. Similarly, students of Byzantine theology have drawn attention to the discourse on personhood that developed in the course of the trinitarian and iconoclastic controversies, and allowed Byzantine thinkers to conceive of the human subject both in its autonomy and in its relation to others. The cumulative effect of these studies is to undermine the strict dichotomy between individual and type. Subject formation in Byzantium is no longer negatively defined by the absence of Renaissance individualism. It is understood instead as a process of self-definition through engagement with multiple, sometimes widely varying, models.
These advances urge a reconsideration of the category of portraiture in Byzantine culture. How did individual and type play out in the visual realm? What was the human face ontologically and epistemologically, and how did it disclose identity? How did various conceptual frameworks and contexts of use—theological, legal, or ritual—enable portraits to stand in for, rather than merely represent, their human referents? And how did other media of representation, including inscriptions, monograms, and seals, relate to physiognomic likenesses? In pursuing these questions, we hope to formulate a new model of the Byzantine portrait. Such a model will necessarily be dynamic, changing over time as artistic media and conceptions of the self change. By bringing together art historians and scholars of Byzantine literature and theology, we seek to foster dialogue across disciplinary boundaries. Furthermore, we hope to place Byzantine images and texts in relation to recent historical and theoretical work on portraiture, personhood, and representation in the wider premodern world.
Advance registration required.
Histoire de la Période Paléologue (1261-1453): Byzance, Orient Latin, Mondes Slave et Turc
Séminaire organisé par Marie-Hélène Blanchet (UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée,
Monde byzantin) et Raúl Estangüi Gómez (CCHS-CSIC, Madrid)
Programme 2023-2024
en ligne et en Sorbonne
accès par le 17 rue de la Sorbonne, 75005 Paris
IRBIMMA Esc. B, 4e étage salle H305
Jeudi 25 avril 2024, 17h-19h
Antonio RIGO (Université Ca’ Foscari, Venise), « Les étapes de la rédaction et les sources
utilisées par Philothée Kokkinos pour son Éloge de Grégoire Palamas »
Jeudi 6 juin 2024, 17h-19h
Lilyana YORDANOVA (Musée du Louvre, Paris), « Phénomènes sociaux et approches
pluridisciplinaires : autour du livre “À la gloire de Dieu ! Commande et donation pieuses en
Bulgarie médiévale” »
Lecture Series (hybrid) Byzantine Studies Lectures of the Institute of Historical Research
National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
Spring Semester, 2024 (until 17 June 2024) 18:00 (EET = GMT+2)
National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48, Vassileos Constantinou Ave, 11635, Athens, Greece and online via Zoom.
For a Full Program of Lectures, please click:.
http://www.eie.gr/nhrf/institutes/ihr/news/2024/BSL_2024.pdf
#CFP ‘I Do Solemnly Swear’: Oaths in Long Late Antiquity
International Conference, 21–22 October 2024
Hamburg–Groningen Research Project ‘Loyalty Oaths in the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamicate Legal Spheres’ (LORILS)
University of Hamburg and Online via Zoom
Themes: Oaths, covenants, pacts, agreements and loyalty in political and legal culture.
Approaches: Legal History, Social and Cultural History, Language and Literature.
Scope: Roman Empire, Sasanian Empire, Byzantium, Islam, Judaism, Eastern Christianity, Latin Europe.
Format: 20-minute papers plus Q&A. Language: English.
Costs: Hamburg and Groningen staff: free. Third-party affiliates to meet own expenses if participating in person. Online participation: free to all. Email organisers for further details.
Requirements: Abstract (200 words) plus biography (100 words), emailed to alasdair.grant@uni-hamburg.de and d.penna@rug.nl by Friday 26 April 2024. Applicants informed of decision by Friday 10 May 2024.
LORILS is a collaboration between:
Dr Alasdair Grant, Social Contexts of Rebellion in the Early Islamic Period team, University of Hamburg;
Dr Daphne Penna, Legal History Department, University of Groningen.
Byzantine Manuscripts. New Insights into the Study of Byzantine Manuscripts: Text, Image, and Liturgy
II MABILUS International Seminar, Dir. Manuel Castiñeiras
A one-day International Seminar on Byzantine Manuscripts will be held at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), on May 17th, 2024.
The study of Byzantine manuscripts has undergone a deep transformation in recent years. Digitization, laboratory analysis techniques and interdisciplinary projects have allowed a better knowledge of a very valuable written and illuminated heritage which, in the case of Spain, is very well represented in the collection of the National Library of Madrid and the Library of the Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. On the occasion of this international seminar, a series of experiences in the field of Byzantinology will be presented. They are helping to enhance and disseminate the Byzantine legacy from a wide range of perspectives. These talks will be complemented by the presentation of the book, The Akathistos Hymnos and Intermedial Compositional Processes in Later Byzantium-Sung, Written, Painted, edited by Jon C. Cubas (Palgrave, Cham, 2024).
Free entrance.
For further information, please contact: info@mabilus.com
THE SKYLITZES MATRITENSIS, BYZANTIUM AND NORMAN SICILY: New and Old Issues on an Exceptional Greek Manuscript
A one-day international symposium on the Skylitzes Matritensis will be held at the National Library of Spain, Madrid, on June 13th, 2024.
The aim of this international symposium on the Sykilitzes Matritensis (BNE, Vitr. 26-2) is to delve into one of the most precious manuscripts of the National Library of Spain, which still poses many issues to scholars today.
It is the oldest and most extensive surviving copy of an illustrated Byzantine chronicle, the Synopsis Historiarum by John Skylitzes, containing 574 miniatures. The manuscript was produced in the mid-12th century in Sicily, during the Norman period, and its creation involved two scribes and seven miniaturists with very different artistic backgrounds. This reveals the multicultural environment of the island, where Latin, Greek, and Muslim cultures coexisted. Scholars will approach various aspects of the manuscript from a multidisciplinary perspective -paleographic, codicological, philological, and historical-artistic -, and address some issues related to its commissioning, place of production and creative process, from the materials used by the miniaturists to their working methods. It will be an outstanding occasion to rediscover Byzantium, the fascination for Constantinople, as well as some aspects of the12th-century Sicilian culture.
Free entrance.
For further information, please contact: info@mabilus.com
Live streaming on the BNE YouTube channel.
#CFP Interested in submitting your article to Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies?
Click here for more information: https://cup.org/3JdBtDE
#CFP 20th SPANISH CONFERENCE ON BYZANTINE STUDIES
Universitat de València,
4th-7th June 2025
The Spanish Society of Byzantine Studies (SEB in its Spanish acronym) announces the 20th Spanish Conference on Byzantine Studies, which will take place at the University of Valencia from June 4th to 7th, 2025. As on previous occasions, the Conference will cover the following main research areas:
1) History
2) Literature and Linguistics
3) Theology and Philosophy
4) Cultures in contact
5) Archaeology
6) Art History
7) Sciences
8) Hagiography
Communications should be ascribed to one of these main sections. After receipt, the organizers will group them into meaningful sessions according to their concordance.
The deadline for submitting communications is 30th September 2024. Anyone interested must write to SEB’s email (estudiosbizantinos@gmail.com) and include the following information:
1) Name, address, contact email and, if applicable, institution
2) Brief Curriculum Vitae (and, in the case of junior researchers, a letter of introduction)
3) Title of the contribution and a short summary up to 600 words with bibliography
4) Section in which the contribution is to be framed
Before the end of October 2024, the organizing committee will reply to applicants to communicate their acceptance or not. We hope to be able to close the program by the end of the winter. At that time, we will communicate the exact place of the venue and planned activities. Depending on the number of applications, we may be able to extend the duration of the papers and, if possible, avoid parallel sessions.
All updated information in
https://bizantinistica.blogspot.com/p/20th-spanish-conference-on-byzantine.html
If you wish to support us with a donation through Revolut please feel free to get in touch.
2. Νέες Εκδόσεις - New Publications
The Routledge Handbook of Byzantine Visual Culture in the Danube Regions, 1300-1600. Routledge, 2024.
Edited by Maria Alessia Rossi and Alice Isabella Sullivan
A Companion to the Environmental History of Byzantium. Brill's Companions to the Byzantine World, volume 13. Brill, 2024.
Volume Editors: Adam Izdebski and Johannes Preiser-Kapeller
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Volume 48 – Issue 1 – April 2024
The latest issue of the Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies journal, of the Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Birmingham is here! The editors of the BMGS journal have dedicated the 48th volume to Leslie Brubaker!
3. Υποτροφίες & Ευκαιρίες - Scholarships & Opportunities
Second Edition of the History of Science in the Medieval World Summer School (HSMW)
15-19 July 2024, Veliko Tarnovo
The History of Science in the Medieval World (HSMW) summer school, organized by St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, with Academic Theatre Ikaros, in cooperation with the International Summer Seminar in Bulgarian Language and Culture (University of Veliko Tarnovo), with the support of the Faculty of Slavic Studies, Sofia University is happy to announce its Second 2024 edition which will take place from 15 to 19 July 2024 in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria.
In its pilot 2022 edition, HSMW Summer School introduced the participants to the medieval epistemic fields (sciences) which study the natural world (the kosmos) as a space, namely geography, cosmography, and astronomy. In 2024, we shift the focus to the history of knowledge and the practitioners and their practices: from the geographers and the astronomers, the map and instrument makers, to the users of medieval herbals and the artisans preparing sgraffito pottery and enamel.
The participants will acquire fundamental knowledge concerning the place and role of the sciences in the intellectual world of the Middle Ages. They will also develop an understanding of premodern science as a spectrum of disciplines wider than the late antique framework of the four mathematical sciences (arithmetic, music, geometry, and astronomy) and inclusive of all epistemic domains dedicated to the creation, preservation, and transfer of knowledge. The School relies on a discussion-based and experiential / experimental format. That is, the School includes workshops, which will guide the participants into the use of medieval scientific manuscripts, texts, and instruments, and will introduce them to tradition and modern practice of sgraffito ware production in the city of Veliko Tarnovo. The lectures will be conducted in a hybrid way, whereas the workshops will be in person.
Application Deadline: 29 April 2024
In order to apply, please send a short bio and description of what motivates your application (maximum one page altogether). There is no need to submit your extended CV. Please address your application materials and your informal inquiries to Dr Divna Manolova at manolova.divna@gmail.com. Please indicate in your application whether you would like to attend the Summer School in person or online.
Available places: The School offers ten places for in-person participants wishing to attend both the lecture and workshop sessions. There is no limit for the number of online participants, but their registration is restricted solely to the lecture sessions. During the selection process, preference will be given to MA and PhD students, but researchers, writers, artists, and non-academic professionals with an interest in the Middle Ages and / or History of Science are also welcome to apply.
We cannot offer any financial support to cover travel and accommodation expenses. There is no participation fee.
The common discussion language of the School will be English. If the participants know a medieval scholarly language (for this edition: Latin, Greek and/or Old Church Slavonic), this would be an advantage, but it is not an essential requirement for participation.
Online Byzantine Greek Summer School
Boğaziçi University Online, August 5-16, 2024
The Byzantine Studies Research Center of Boğaziçi University is pleased to announce the organization of its seventh Byzantine Greek Summer School to be held online during 5-16 August 2024. Students will have the chance to participate in an intensive program in Medieval Greek with Prof. Niels Gaul. There is no fee for participation in the program, thanks to a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Application Deadline: 1 May 2024
The program is designed for upper intermediate level students, who have completed at least three semesters of college-level Classical Greek or its equivalent. Students are expected to have good knowledge of Greek grammar and be able to read moderately complex texts from ancient Greek or Byzantine literature. Daily classes are devoted to reading Byzantine texts of the learned register (e.g., Scriptores post Theophanem, Theophylaktos of Ohrid, Michael Choniates) with a (loose) focus on life in Constantinople. Classes will be held online, from Monday to Friday, and will last three hours per day (15 hours per week). The language of instruction is English. The exact schedule will be agreed with those admitted to the course; no activities will be scheduled on weekends. Students will receive a certificate of participation upon successful completion of the program.
Graduate students and advanced undergraduates, as well as individuals with an academic interest in or a career relevant to Byzantine studies can apply, granted that they meet the requirements mentioned above. Priority will be given to graduate students in the field of Byzantine studies.
Candidates should submit their application to the Boğaziçi University Byzantine Studies Research Center before 1 May 2024. The application file should be in English and include a statement of purpose, a detailed CV, and proof of having completed at least three semesters of college-level Classical Greek or its equivalent. Applicants should indicate in the statement of purpose their background in Classical or Byzantine Greek and the relevance of attending this summer program for their future studies or career development. Applicants currently enrolled as students in a higher education institution should also submit a transcript (as well as previous record of the study of Greek, if applicable) and two reference letters (one of which must be written by an instructor of Greek). The referees should send their letters directly to the Byzantine Studies Research Center. Applications and reference letters should be sent to: byzantinestudies@bogazici.edu.tr
There will be a diagnostic test after the initial selection.
Online Seminar - ABC of European Heritage. Archaeology of the Byzantine Commonwealth
The University of Rzeszów (Poland) and the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO Leipzig, Germany) will be offering an online seminar entitled: ABC of European Heritage. Archaeology of the Byzantine Commonwealth.
The aim of this project is to promote studies on Byzantium and its heritage in the countries of East-Central and Eastern Europe.
The seminar will be held on ZOOM, with access for logged-in participants/viewers only. Participation is free of charge.
The lectures (45 minutes) will be translated simultaneously into English, Polish and Ukrainian. Our seminar will be held in blocks: 13.-16.05.2024 // 10.-13.06.2024.
The programme of the seminar will be available on two websites:
1). Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Leipzig, Germany (leibniz-gwzo.de)
2). Institute of Archaeology University of Rzeszów, Poland
Instytut Archeologii - Uniwersytet Rzeszowski (ur.edu.pl)
but also the website of the Cherven Towns studies
3). Grody Czerwieńskie – Złote jabłko polskiej archeologii (grodyczerwienskie.pl)
For details, please contact Marcin Wołoszyn: marcinwoloszyn@gmail.com
Data Literacy for Byzantinists
This online workshop will offer Byzantinists an introduction to data and its management. Participants will explore the data lifecycle from creation and acquisition through analysis and visualization and learn best practices for data management. This material will be complemented by sessions touching on data analysis—particularly social network analysis—IIIF, linked open data (LOD) and the Semantic Web, the basics of Python and Jupyter Notebook, and spatial humanities and geodata. Participants will be introduced to an array of tools, such as Gephi, OpenRefine, Quarto, Recogitio, Tableau,and Voyant. Throughout the week, participants will learn the basics of GitHub, create accounts, and setup GitHub pages that will be used during the workshop. Participates will use their own data and prepared datasets to complete assigned exercises.
4. Βυζαντινά Νέα - Byzantine News
Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies-Cambridge University Press OPEN ACCESS!
The 55th Spring Symposium of the Society for the Promotion of #Byzantine Studies (13-15 Apr) is celebrated by #Cambridge with this free-access journal article collection.