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Appel à contribution – Byzantine Studies Alive, Radboud University

Appel à contribution

Byzantine Studies Alive

Radboud University – Nijmegen, the Netherlands
June 16-17, 2016

 

In recent decades many new studies on the Byzantine world have appeared that have offered us new perspectives on existing views of the Byzantine Empire. For instance, Judith Herrin in Byzantium. The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire (2009) and Margins and Metropolis (2013) made an appeal for Byzantium to be saved from its negative stereotype of an autocratic, completely ritualized and almost fossilized empire. Averil Cameron has demonstrated in her recent Byzantine Matters (2014) that – although we have made progress in the past few decades – Byzantine Studies is still left with many questions on issues such as Byzantine identity, the Hellenistic influence or our understanding of religious practices and orthodoxy in the Byzantine world.
However, whereas both Herrin and Cameron encourage Byzantine scholars to continue to deal with these issues, to take up new avenues and to unite the various disciplines that work on the Byzantine field, Norman Davies in his Vanished Kingdoms (2011) has been more pessimistic. In his discussion of the rise and fall of various kingdoms in Europe he offered his readers a gloomy view on our possibilities of understanding Byzantium. In fact, in the chapter on Byzantium he concluded that “describing or summarizing Europe’s greatest ‘vanished kingdom’ is almost too much to contemplate. The story is too long, too rich and too complex” (p. 322).
This rather negative point of view of being overwhelmed by Byzantium’s complexities almost seems to suggest that we should refrain ourselves from attempting to analyze Byzantium and its history. Our conference likes to object to this suggestion as it will take up the challenge of demonstrating that Byzantine Studies is far from dead. We want to show how the diversities and complexities have made Byzantium into a fascinating world worth of our attention, encouraged by the studies of Herrin and Cameron. We are very pleased to announce that Averil Cameron will give the key note lecture of the conference.
We would like to bring together both junior and senior scholars from various disciplines such as Byzantine history, art history, literature and archaeology in our attempt to unlock the importance of the Byzantine world for our current generations.                     

We welcome proposals for papers on the following two themes:  

1) Byzantium as a key player in the relationship between East and West, A.D. 330 -1453

Byzantium can be seen as a leading catalyst in the political, cultural, economic and religious exchange between East and West, to be detected in the relationship both between Byzantium and Latin Western Europe and Byzantium and the Islamic world.

Keywords: contacts, interchange, imitation, competition, confrontations

We especially welcome the papers on this theme to include analyses on
(a) Agents of exchange such as rulers, bishops, popes, diplomats, pilgrims, writers  or artists
(b) Objects of transcultural encounter and transfer such as, (religious) monuments, texts (hagiography, historiography, liturgical texts, travel accounts)  decorations, liturgical objects, relics or diplomatic gifts.

These agents and objects can be regarded as part of the larger historical context within which Europe took shape in the Middle Ages and beyond.

2) The position of Byzantine heritage, 7th Century – present day

The definite end of the Byzantine Empire is marked by the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453. Through its history, however, the dimension and identity of the Empire was not one identical continuum. In different phases of development (Arab conquests, iconoclasm, Crusaders period) Byzantine monuments and artefacts were appropriated or under threat, a phenomenon that continued after the Ottoman conquest.

Keywords: appropriation, transformation, identity, continuity, rupture.

We especially welcome the papers on this theme to include analyses on:
(a) Appropriation and transformation of Byzantine heritage (objects, monuments, cities)
(b) Display of Byzantine heritage in Museum Collections
(c) Preservation and restoration of Byzantine heritage
(d) Byzantine heritage under threat

 Abstracts, no more than 400 words, can be submitted d.slootjes@let.ru.nl  and m.verhoeven@let.ru.nl  before the 1st of December, 2015.

Organizers:
Daniëlle Slootjes                           (Department of History, Radboud University Nijmegen)
Mariëtte Verhoeven                     (Department of Art History, Radboud University Nijmegen)

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Appel à contribution – “Works in Progress: New Approaches”, Princeton University

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies

 International Graduate Student Conference in Modern Greek Studies
“Works in Progress: New Approaches”
Friday, May 6, 2016

 CALL FOR PAPERS

The Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies at Princeton University announces our eighth annual International Graduate Student Conference in Modern Greek Studies. 

We invite submissions from doctoral candidates at the final stages of their dissertation work.  We seek proposals for papers that draw on research relevant to the study of any aspect of modern Greece and the Hellenic world, broadly defined, 15th century AD to the present. We welcome submissions from any discipline in the humanities and social sciences. Comparative and/or interdisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged. Papers should be in English and presentations must not exceed 30 minutes.

The conference will bring together six to eight outstanding doctoral students, for an intensive day of presentations and intellectual exchange. Each presentation will be followed by a short response and in-depth discussion of the paper. In addition to their participation at the conference, speakers will have the opportunity to meet with Princeton faculty, graduate students and visiting scholars, to access the Princeton modern Greek collections, and to take part in a range of activities over the course of their four-day stay in Princeton.

Please submit abstracts of no more than 500 words by Friday, February 5, 2016. Abstracts should include reference to the theoretical and/or methodological approach(es) employed . All Greek (or other foreign) words should be transliterated. Each abstract should be accompanied by (i) a cover letter (one page, maximum) reflecting on how the proposed paper relates to the dissertation-in-progress, and situating the applicant’s research within his/her academic field(s); (ii) a curriculum vitae; (iii) the applicant’s contact information (name, current affiliation, postal and e-mail addresses,  tel. nos.); (iv) the names and e-mail addresses of two academic referees, including the dissertation supervisor and one other person familiar with the candidate’s current research.

Receipt of all submissions will be acknowledged. Applicants will be notified by Monday, March 7, 2016 regarding acceptance. Participants will be expected to submit the full text of their papers by Friday, April 15, 2016. Papers will be pre-circulated among speakers, chairs, and respondents.

The Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies will cover participants’ travel expenses to Princeton, at the lowest available rates. Speakers will be offered shared (double-occupancy) accommodation (for up to four nights), as well as some meals during their stay in Princeton.

Submissions should be e-mailed to: hellenic@princeton.edu and jglynias@princeton.edu

Submissions by fax or hard copy will not be accepted.

Deadline: Friday, February 5, 2016

Program Committee:
Luisa Andriollo, Hellenic Studies
Vladimir Boskovic, Hellenic Studies
Kathleen Crown, Humanities
Lisa Davis, Anthropology
Karen Emmerich, Comparative Literature
Dimitri Gondicas, Classics and Hellenic Studies
Molly Greene, History and Hellenic Studies
Effie Rentzou, French and Italian
Jamie Reuland Greenberg, Music
Carlotta Santini, Hellenic Studies
Teresa Shawcross, History and Hellenic Studies
Anna Tsiftsoglou, Hellenic Studies
Margarita Voulgaropoulou, Hellenic Studies

Secretary to the Committee:  Joe Glynias, History

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Colloque – Individus, piraterie, représailles et contrebande en Méditerranée orientale et en Adriatique (XIIe-XVe siècle)

Colloque

Individus, piraterie, représailles et contrebande en Méditerranée orientale et en Adriatique (XIIe-XVe siècle) : les acteurs des échanges face aux abus et aux violences

29 – 30 octobre 2015, Logis du Roy – Square Jules Bocquet – Amiens

À travers le cas de la Méditerranée orientale et de son annexe adriatique au bas Moyen Âge, zone d’interaction des espaces latin, byzantin et musulman, la rencontre s’intéresse au comportement des acteurs dans toutes les formes de prédation qui s’exercent sur les échanges. La piraterie est une manifestation particulièrement bien connue de ce prélèvement violent, mais on se penchera aussi sur les mécanismes des représailles, la contrebande ainsi que les abus des agents publics à l’égard des acteurs privés des échanges. Bien que ces derniers abus puissent être coutumiers et impliquer alors une forme de consentement des victimes, ce consentement n’est jamais complètement acquis et ces types de prélèvement restent perçus comme essentiellement inéquitables et à ce titre susceptibles de recours auprès des autorités de l’une ou l’autre partie. La contrebande constitue quant à elle une réponse des acteurs à un prélèvement que les autorités considèrent comme pleinement légitime mais qui n’en est pas moins jugé lui aussi excessif par ceux à qui il est imposé. Tous ces phénomènes sont générateurs d’information documentaire sur les individus, mais ils contribuent aussi directement au processus même d’individuation : le pirate comme ses victimes, l’agent douanier comme ses proies ont besoin de définir l’identité de l’autre et son allégeance politique, que ce soit pour justifier le prélèvement forcé ou pour en réclamer compensation. Les autorités étatiques doivent aussi répertorier, nommer et classer les acteurs individuels, que ce soit pour les protéger des abus ou les en indemniser, ou au contraire pour justifier ceux qu’ils ont commis à leur égard. Dans le mécanisme des représailles, la définition de la chaîne des allégeances est essentielle, car elle établit celle des responsabilités partagées. Au-delà de leur saveur pittoresque et des techniques de leur mise en récits documentaire, tous ces phénomènes sont donc singulièrement éclairants du point de vue de l’histoire des individus.

Programme du colloque ici.

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Appel à contribution – Beyond Authority: Composition and Transmission in Late Antiquity

Beyond Authority: Composition and Transmission in Late Antiquity

Princeton University
20th-22nd of March, 2016

Beyond Authority will focus on the composition and transmission of texts and traditions in Late Antiquity. We intend to dismantle the regnant presumption that late antique authors and tradents compose and transmit texts for the sole purpose of asserting and maintaining authority.

Guiding questions for participant contributions include:

  • To what extent did late antique Jews, Christians, and Muslims understand transmission and composition as a process that occurs in the context of authority? How else were they understood?
  • How should we approach authoritative texts composed or transmitted in a non-authoritative manner, or vice-versa?
  • Beyond the preservation and dissemination of authorized material, what else is at stake in the transmission of texts, and how do we talk about these factors?
  • How is the validity of unimpeachably ‘authoritative’ documents negotiated with reference to charges of pseudepigraphy and coercion?
  • What are the communal ramifications for labeling certain processes of composition or transmission authoritative to the exclusion of others?

Scheduled Participants include: Maria Doerfler (Duke), Martha Himmelfarb (Princeton) , Hindy Najman (Oxford), Jeremy Schott (Indiana), Ishay Rozen-Zvi (Tel Aviv), and Moulie Vidas (Princeton). Participants will each have 45 minutes for presentation and discussion of pre-circulated papers, during which time we hope to foster collaborative, productive conversation that will inform selected contributions to a published volume.
The conference is generously supported by the Princeton University Department of Religion, the Program in Judaic Studies, the Center for the Study of Late Antiquity, the Council of the Humanities Stewart Fund in Religion, the Department of Classics, the Center for the Study of Religion, the Department of Comparative Literature, and the Center for Human Values.
Those interested should submit a 300-500 word abstract to mark.letteney@princeton.edu. Domestic travel and accommodations will be provided for those selected to participate.
Deadline for submissions is November 1, 2015.

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Conférence internationale – New Research on Late Byzantine Goldsmiths’ Works (13th-15th Centuries)

New Research on Late Byzantine Goldsmiths’ Works (13th-15th Centuries)

The international conference will take place on 29 and 30 October 2015 in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, Germany, and is organized by Dr Antje Bosselmann-Ruickbie, Johannes Gutenberg University, Institute for Art History and Musicology, Department for Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History (address: Georg Forster Building (Campus), Jakob-Welder-Weg 12, 55128 Mainz, Germany).

Research into late Byzantine goldsmiths‘ works is only at the beginning. This conference, the first of its kind on the subject, brings together acknowledged experts on the medieval art of the goldsmith. The period from the 13th to 15th centuries is especially rewarding for studying and discussing questions of cultural transfer and contact between Byzantium and its neighbours. Following the events of 1204, the influence of the Crusaders, among other things, becomes noticeable in Byzantine art. To mention but a few, the rise of the Seljuk Empire or the Christianization of the Balkans and Russia led to an extensive exchange and mutual influence in art, as well as trade. This was especially so in the 13th century, during which the Byzantine capital Constantinople was occupied by the so-called ‘Latins’ for about 60 years and is very revealing in this respect. For example, elements of Western heraldry in the shape of heraldic shields or lion rampants were taken up and elements of Islamic art were adapted. These complex processes have not been studied sufficiently and will be a focus of this conference. The papers will deal with questions of typology, style, ornaments, materials, techniques and functions, as well as dating and attribution of late Byzantine goldsmiths’ works, especially proposing new dating and interpretation.

Admission free, registration required. Please email bosselma@uni-mainz.de

Conference website:
http://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/byzantinischegoldschmiedekunst/new-research-on-late-byzantine-goldsmiths-works-13th-15th-centuries/