Gennadius Library Medieval Greek Program

About

The Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens announces the summer session focused on the teaching of Medieval Greek. Founded in 1881, the American School is the most significant resource in Greece for American scholars in the fields of ancient and post-classical studies. One of the two major research libraries of the School, the Gennadius Library, which houses over 146,000 volumes and archives, is devoted to post-classical Hellenic civilization. The Library invites applications for a month-long Summer Session for Medieval Greek at the Intermediate to Advanced Level. The objective is to familiarize students who have a sound foundation in Classical Greek with Medieval Greek language and philology by exposing them to primary sources, different kinds of literary genres, paleography and epigraphy, drawing on the resources of the Gennadius Library. The two Professors leading the session are Professor Alexander Alexakis, University of Ioannina, and Professor Stratis Papaioannou, University of Crete.

FORMAT

The month-long full-time program will include daily translation of Byzantine texts; introduction to Greek paleography and Byzantine book culture; use of the collections of the Gennadius Library; visits to area museums and libraries including the Byzantine and Christian, Benaki, and Epigraphical Museums; and visits outside Athens including Corinth, Mistra, Thessaloniki, and Hosios Loukas. Individual tutorials and assignments for each student will be determined by specific needs and field of study. The language of instruction is English. Participants should plan to arrive on June 30, instruction begins on July 1, and participants should plan to depart any time on July 30, 2025

ELIGIBILITY

The program is offered at the intermediate to advanced level for up to twelve graduate students in any field of late antique, post-antique, Byzantine or medieval studies at universities worldwide; preference may be given to students who have limited access to instruction in Byzantine Greek at their home institutions. A minimum of two years of college-level or post-doctoral Classical Greek (or the equivalent) is required. If there are available slots, post-doctoral scholars affiliated with any university worldwide may also be considered.

ACADEMIC CREDIT

The American School is not a degree-granting institution. No grades are given for its programs, nor are transcripts provided. Upon request, an optional final exam at the end of the program may be provided and the directors will write a letter to the participant's home institution, recommending that credit be granted, provided that the student has satisfactorily participated in the program and passed the final exam.

COSTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Up to twelve scholarships cover the costs of tuition, School fees, housing, required travel within Greece, and museum and site fees. International airfare to and from Greece, meals, and incidental expenses are the participant's responsibility.

APPLICATION

Submit online application, curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation (one from the academic advisor and one from a Greek language teacher), and scans of academic transcripts (transcripts do not need to be in English).

Note about recommendations: Recommendations are due on the same date as the deadline for applications. Upon submission of the online application, recommenders will be sent an automated email with instructions about how to submit their letters of recommendation. Or, an applicant may choose to send the request at any time by clicking the "Send Request Now" button on the online application form. It is preferable for recommendations to be submitted in English. 

Direck link to online application form: https://ascsa.submittable.com/submit/305309/medieval-greek-summer-session.

The selection results will be announced March 15, 2025.

Ready to apply?

Deadline: January 15, 2025

For more information contact:

application@ascsa.org