INSULAE CONGRESS IN BARCELONA

This week we would like to let you know about a congress on insularity, identity and epigraphy which will be held on November 5-6^th 2015 in Barcelona. Please read the full announcement by Prof. Javier Velaza Frías below:

“Dear colleagues,

We are very pleased to announce that our research team LITTERA will be hosting an international congress on November 5-6^th 2015 in Barcelona. It will be entitled “INSVLAE: insularity, identity and epigraphy in the Roman Mediterranean” and will be devoted to the particularities of the island territories during the Roman Age.

Several plenary lectures will be held during the congress, run by some scholars who are recognised to be among the most expert ones in their academic field. Along with those, participants are welcome to submit their papers to be presented in the congress. Any topics related to the Mediterranean islands under the Roman Empire, mainly in epigraphy, but also in literature, linguistics, anthropology or archeology are suitable for submission. Apply at insulae2015@gmail.com  

Please notice that deadline for paper submission is September 30^th 2015.

We are addressing you to inform you about this upcoming congress and also to kindly ask you to transmit this information and make it known to your departments, schools and associations. Find attached our brochure and poster.

Further information at insulae

We hope this information was of your best interest.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Javier Velaza Frías”

OXFORD UNIVERSITY, GREEK INSTRUCTOR VACANCY

Please take note of following job offer published by Alison Broadby, the Head of Administration of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford:

The Faculty of Theology and Religion is currently advertising for a grade 6 Instructor in New Testament Greek. The post is fixed term until 30^th September 2018.

The Instructor will be expected to give on average between 10 and 12 hours of instruction in every week of the University’s full term (there are three terms, and the ‘full term’ period within each term is eight weeks) and to undertake administration, course development and examining when required.

The successful candidate will have gained at least a Master’s degree relevant to the teaching of New Testament Greek, have excellent command of Biblical and Koine Greek, be fluent in English and be able to demonstrate a commitment to dynamic and effective language teaching.

The post is available from 1^st October 2015.

For more information and to apply, please visit the University website here:

https://www.recruit.ox.ac.uk/pls/hrisliverecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.jobspec?p_id=118741

OPEN LETTER TO THE FRENCH EDUCATION SECRETARY BY THE GERMAN MOMMSEN-ASSOCIATION

The Mommsen-Association, representing germanophone researchers in the field of Greek and Roman Antiquity, has addressed an open letter to the French Education Secretary. It concerns the possible reforms in the French educational system of which we have previously informed you (http://fiecnet.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/open-letter-to-french-education.html).

Read the full letter below:

Mommsen-Gesellschaft e.V. Verband der deutschsprachigen Forscherinnen und Forscher auf dem Gebiete des Griechisch-Römischen Altertums

Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Lehrstuhl für Alte Geschichte, Universitätsplatz 12, 06108

Der Erste Vorsitzende Prof. Dr. Stefan Pfeiffer

Telefon +49 (0)345 – 5524021

(Sekretariat) +49 (0)345 - 5524014

Fax +49 (0)345 – 5527069

stefan.pfeiffer@altertum.uni-halle.de

Ministère de l'Éducation nationale de la France              

110, rue de Grenelle,

 75357 Paris SP 07

Fra nkreich

Halle, 05.06.2015

Madame la Ministre,

C'est avec inquiétude que nous, chercheurs et enseignants-chercheurs spécialistes germanophones de l'antiquité, avons entendu parler de votre projet de réforme du Collège et de l'importante réduction du nombre des heures qui seront consacrées à l'enseignement du grec et du latin qu'elle induit, qui a terme conduira à la suppression de cet enseignement des programmes des études secondaires.

La Société Mommsen, fondée en 1950, est la plus importante union de chercheurs germanophones spécialistes des sciences de l'antiquité. Elle sert à l'encouragement de la recherche scientifique dans les domaines des sciences de l'antiquité, au développement de la collaboration et des échanges inter-disciplinaires, à la promotion à l'université des études scientifiques dans ces domaines, et à la re-présentation des intérêts des chercheurs et des disciplines spécialisées vis-à-vis du grand public.

Nous sommes très étroitement liés à nos collègues français et partageons leur crainte que les ré-formes projetées ne portent un coup très dur au prestige de la France, laquelle constitue l'une des nations les plus importantes dans le domaine de l'enseignement et de la recherche en sciences de l'antiquité classique. En effet, c'est grâce à un important enseignement des humanités classiques, dès le collège et le lycée, que les universités françaises occupent une place considérable, et cet ensei-gnement se fonde principalement sur l'apprentissage des deux langues fondamentales européennes, le latin et le grec.

Au nom de la Société Mommsen, et à titre personnel, je voudrais, Madame la Ministre, que vous puissiez reconsidérer la situation de la réforme du collège et de ses conséquences négatives sur l'enseignement des humanités classiques. J'espère beaucoup qu'il sera possible de trouver une solu-tion permettant de concilier les avancées sociales que vous liez à la réforme du collège et la préserva-tion de l'enseignement des langues anciennes. De manière commune en Autriche, en Suisse et en Allemagne, où malgré des interventions structurales considérables, le latin et le grec ont su trouver une place dans les programmes des études secondaires, c'est aussi notre héritage culturel commun que nous devrions transmettre, dans un monde globalisé, aux générations futures, pour renforcer l'identité européenne dans un monde tout à la fois multipolaire et centrifuge.

Au nom de la Société Mommsen, je vous prie, Madame la Ministre de recevoir l'expression de ma dé-férente considération.

Veuillez recevoir mes plus cordiales salutations

Stefan Pfeiffer

POSTDOCTORAL POSITION: MATERIAL TEXTUAL CULTURES, UNIVERSITY OF HEIDELBERG

Please have a look at the following job offer by the University of Heidelberg, Germany. The deadline for applications is the 19^th of June:

Postdoctoral Position in Ancient Studies within the University of Heidelberg's Collaborative Research Center 933 "Materiale Textkulturen". 

Start date:  July 2015 (or as soon as possible thereafter)

Assignments: The position is embedded in the research project “Writing on Ostraca in the Inner and Outer Mediterranean”. The aim of the project is to produce a synthetic study of the practice of inscribing texts on ceramic sherds (ostraca) across different ancient cultures of the Mediterranean or connected areas. To this end, the project aims to study ostraca not simply as texts that just happen to be preserved on sherds, but as artifacts produced, used, and reused within a specific socio-cultural milieu and subject to a particular life cycle. Such issues as the choice of the writing medium, the ceramological composition of the material, peculiarities of circulation, and the relation of ostraca to other modes of writing and transmission of information are among topics that could be addressed both diachronically and synchronically.

Results of the research are to be published in a monograph.

Requirements: Candidates should have a PhD in Ancient History, Classics, Egyptology, or Archeology with some experience in documentary papyrology and/or epigraphy and museum studies and/or fieldwork. Applicants should also show willingness to engage in intensive interdisciplinary cooperation within the Collaborative Research Center. Basic knowledge of German is recommended but not required.

The successful candidate will be employed full-time within the Collaborative Research Center at the University of Heidelberg and will work closely with members of the Center for Ancient Studies (http://www.zaw.uni-hd.de/). Applications should be sent not later than June 19, 2015 by email to Dr. Julia Lougovaya: lougovaya@uni-heidelberg.de. Applicants should submit a CV, a publication list, a short letter of intent describing their interest in the project and qualification, and addresses of three potential referees. 

The salary is in accordance with TV-L, and the position will run until 30 June 2019.

Additional information can be found at www.materiale-textkulturen.de.

WALTER BURKERT OBITUARY

We would like to let you know that an obituary of Walter Burkert by Robert Parker has been published in The Independent. Burkert, who died on the 11^th of March in Zurich, is described as a “Classical scholar whose fascinating books on Greek mythology and religion were packed with fresh insight” and who “combined awesome learning with a passionate intellectual curiosity”. Please follow the link to read the full obituary.