We are delighted to release a limited summer podcast series, during which a senior scholar will be discussing with a younger scholar of their choice, an article, or a book chapter from a field other than Byzantine studies that has had an impact on their work. We have asked our participants to choose any reading they wish, older or more recent, as well as invite an advanced graduate student or recent postdoc for a lively and productive dialogue. The discussions are meant to be informal but informative, stressing the value of the readings, but also highlighting differences brought about by time or varying angles in the diverse fields of study.
Episode 9: Emperor and Galilean with Drs. Brad Boswell, Matthew R. Crawford, and Anna Stavrakopoulou
For our October podcast, we were joined by Drs. Brad Boswell (Duke University), Matthew R. Crawford (Australian Catholic University), and Anna Stavrakopoulou (Dumbarton Oaks) for a discussion of Emperor and Galilean, an oversized 1873 historical play by Henrik Ibsen in two parts and ten acts, which has at its center the Byzantine emperor Julian, also known as Julian the Apostate, who reigned from 361 to 363 CE.
Episode 8: Antioch: A History with Professors Asa Eger, Andrea De Giorgi, and Reyhan Durmaz
For our July podcast, we were joined by Professors Asa Eger (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), Andrea De Giorgi (Florida State University), and Reyhan Durmaz (University of Pennsylvania) for a discussion of a new volume just published by Routledge, entitled Antioch: A History, coauthored by Asa Eger and Andrea De Giorgi, covering the history of the city from the 4th century BCE to the present.
Episode 7: Hymns by Kassianí by Cappella Romana with Dr. Thomas Arentzen and Prof. Alexander Lingas
For our April podcast, we were joined by Dr. Thomas Arentzen (Uppsala University) and Professor Alexander Lingas (City University of London), for a discussion of Hymns by Kassianí by Cappella Romana.
Episode 6: Baudolino with Prof. Alessandra Bucossi and Alberto Ravani
For our February podcast, we were joined by Professor Alessandra Bucossi (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) and Alberto Ravani (DPhil/PhD Candidate, University of Oxford), for a discussion of Umberto Eco’s Baudolino, published in 2000, which follows the adventures of a 12th-century character who roams the real and imaginary Christian world.
Episode 5: The Gift with Prof. Dionysios Stathakopoulos and Dr. Alex M. Feldman
For our December podcast, we were joined by Professor Dionysios Stathakopoulos (University of Cyprus) and Dr. Alex M. Feldman (University of Birmingham), for a discussion of Marcel Mauss’s The Gift, which was originally published in 1925 with the title Essai sur le don: Forme et raison de l'échange dans les sociétés archaïques (“An essay on the gift: the form and reason of exchange in archaic societies”).
Episode 4: Vasilika: A Village in Modern Greece with Prof. Sharon Gerstel and Franka Horvat
For our October podcast, we were joined by Professor Sharon Gerstel (University of California, Los Angeles) and Franka Horvat (PhD Candidate, University of California, Los Angeles), for a discussion of Vasilika: A Village in Modern Greece by Ernestine Friedl, published in 1963 in New York by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Episode 3: Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts with Prof. Christina Maranci and Erin Piñon
For our September podcast, we were joined by Professor Christina Maranci (Tufts University) and Erin Piñon (doctoral candidate, Princeton University), for a discussion of Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts, ed. Thomas Mathews and Roger Wieck, published in 1994 by New York and Princeton.
Episode 2: Renaissance Self-Fashioning—From More to Shakespeare with Prof. Niels Gaul and Dr. Divna Manolova
For our August podcast, we were joined by Professor Niels Gaul (University of Edinburgh) and Dr. Divna Manolova (Centre for Medieval Literature, University of York and University of Southern Denmark) for a discussion of Stephen Greenblatt’s Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare, focusing on the Introduction and on Chapter 3, entitled “Power, Sexuality, and Inwardness in Wyatt’s Poetry.”
Episode 1: The Roman Mind and the Power of Fiction with Prof. Anthony Kaldellis and Jake Ransohoff
For our July podcast, we were joined by Professor Anthony Kaldellis (The Ohio State University) and Jake Ransohoff (ABD, Harvard University), for a discussion of "The Roman Mind and the Power of Fiction" by John S. Richardson. Bridging our understanding between the Roman civilization and today's society, they flesh out questions like, how strong was the power of imagination for the Romans, how does legal fiction contribute to equal rights' citizenship, and how inclusive were the rights of the immigrants in Roman society?
Episode 0: Introduction to the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Podcast
Program Director for Byzantine Studies Anna Stavrakopoulou introduces the Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Podcast. In this limited summer podcast series, a senior scholar will be discussing with a younger scholar of their choice an article or a book chapter from a field other than Byzantine studies that has had an impact of their work. We hope you will join us!