Greek Palaeography Course

Course Description

This new course is an introduction to post-classical Greek book culture (4^th – 16^th c. CE), the study of Greek literary scripts from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance, the transmission history of Greek texts, and the theories and techniques of textual criticism. Students become acquainted with the history of books, the contexts and agents of their production, the history of libraries, manuscript collections, and early printed books, and the transmission of Greek classical literature as well as post-classical, patristic, and Byzantine literature. Unlike the Gennadius Medieval Greek Summer Session which includes some rudimentary introduction to Greek scripts, this seminar provides in-depth training in reading and dating different scripts, as well as in studying textual transmission, and in editing ancient, medieval, and early modern Greek texts.

There is no need to have taken the Gennadius Medieval Greek Summer Session to apply for this course. A minimum of four semesters of Ancient Greek (or equivalent) is required.

Format

The course will be taught by Dr. Stratis Papaioannou (Director of Research at the National Hellenic Research Foundation; Senior Fellow, Dumbarton Oaks) and will be open to eight graduate and recent Ph.D. holders (Ph.D. earned within the last five years) specializing on any relevant subject (Classics, History, Art History, Archaeology, Religious Studies, Biblical Studies, Renaissance Studies, Comparative Literature, etc.) and studying in universities in the US and around the globe. A maximum of 10 program participants will be accepted.

The course will be non-credit, although a certificate of successful completion shall be provided. It shall be conducted in eleven 2-hour and two 3-hour sessions scheduled in the Winter term of 2025 (November 2025 through January 2026). The first eight of these will be run weekly online through the Winter term (starting in November 2025), for the weeks leading up to the end of December. The remaining five sessions will take place in Greece, during one week in January 2026, and will be conducted at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, in the Gennadius Library. Alongside its spectacular collections in subjects related to the history of Greece from antiquity to the present day, the Gennadius houses one of the best collections of early printed books in Greek as well as a notable collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine manuscripts, collections which the students will be able to consult.

The week in Greece will also include an overnight trip to the Meteora Monasteries, where the students will have the opportunity to again examine a large number of Greek manuscripts hands-on. The library of the Great Meteoron, with more than 700 holdings, contains some rare books, including, for example, the second earliest dated manuscript in minuscule.

Requirements for successful participation

Completion of weekly assigned manuscript readings and class attendance. A 20-minute presentation of the textual transmission of a Greek author/text from the Roman or Byzantine period (ca. 100 CE – ca. 1500 CE), with a focus on the history and contents of one medieval manuscript. A final take-home exam on script/text identification, transcription, and text-edition.

Eligibility

Graduate students and recent Ph.D. holders (Ph.D. earned within the last five years) specializing on any relevant subject (Classics, History, Art History, Archaeology, Religious Studies, Biblical Studies, Renaissance Studies, Comparative Literature, etc.) and studying in universities in the US and around the globe. Open to all nationalities. 

Costs and Scholarships

There is no tuition fee for the program, as all admitted participants will be provided scholarships with the generous support of Dumbarton Oaks. 

Admitted participants with scholarships will be provided funds that shall cover travel expenses and accommodations during their week in Greece. Lunches will be provided for all participants (free of charge) in Loring Hall. Scholarships shall also cover travel expenses related to the trip to Meteora (bus, and overnight hotel stay). Participants will need to pay for food while outside of Athens.

Funding from the ‘The Diocesan Academy of Theological and Historical Studies of the Holy Meteora’ covers expenses related to the trip to Meteora.

Academic Credit

The American School is not a degree-granting institution. No grades are given for its programs, nor are transcripts provided. The course will be non-credit, although a certificate of successful completion shall be provided.

Application

Submit online application, by the deadline, complete with the following material: 

• Curriculum vitae
• State briefly your present attainments in the following subjects: Classical and/or Medieval Greek, Byzantine history and literature, Byzantine archaeology, history of art, and Paleography.
• State briefly your future plans. How does participation in the program fit into these plans?
• List/indicate your reading ability in modern foreign languages.
• Student applicants are required to submit graduate transcripts, scanned from the originals issued to the candidate in legible format, as part of the online application. Undergraduate transcripts are not required. Transcripts can be submitted in their original language and do not need to be translated to English if not originally issued in English. 
• Please provide the email addresses of two people (one of whom should be your academic advisor) who are familiar with your academic work and attainments and who are willing to write supporting letters for you.

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. 

Application deadline: April 15, 2025

Sponsor Acknowledgment

This course is made possible through the generous support of Dumbarton Oaks, whose commitment to advancing research and education has been instrumental in bringing this program to fruition. 

For more information contact:

application@ascsa.org