“Reading Medieval Greek Manuscripts”
Mediterranean Studies Summer Skills Seminar
19—22 May 2025 • Remote
The Summer Skills Seminar, “Reading Medieval Greek Manuscripts” will be held via Zoom from Monday, 19 May to Thursday, 22 May 2025 from 10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm MDT.
Are you pursuing research in Byzantine or Medieval Greek studies? Do you want to unlock new sources and enrich your research with primary materials? This course is designed for scholars, students, and professionals who are eager to deepen their engagement with Greek manuscript culture. Unlike other fields with abundant text editions, Byzantine Studies requires hands-on expertise in reading original manuscripts. As digital archives continue to grow, vast collections of Greek texts from places like Mount Athos and Greek monasteries are now accessible, yet still vastly underexplored.
Mastering Greek paleography will set you apart, allowing you to read and interpret manuscripts independently, access invaluable sources directly, and develop original research insights. With a blend of lectures and hands-on sessions, this seminar offers foundational skills for understanding and working with Greek primary sources. Whether you’re a graduate student looking to enhance your research skills, a faculty member aiming to broaden your expertise, or a professional in the field, this course provides an indispensable toolset for engaging with Greek manuscript culture.
No matter your background in Greek—Ancient, Medieval, or Modern—if you have the reading skills, this course will be tailored to meet your level and needs.
Course overview
Gaining skills in Greek paleography is essential for those interested in conducting original research in Byzantine and Medieval Greek studies. Unlike other philological disciplines, Byzantine Studies lack extensive text editions, making the ability to read and analyze Greek manuscripts indispensable. This skill is becoming increasingly valuable as vast collections of manuscripts, many still unexplored, are becoming accessible through digital archives. Archives such as those in Mount Athos, Greek monasteries worldwide, and various libraries hold an abundance of Greek texts that remain underutilized in research. Mastery of Greek paleography opens doors to these rich resources, enabling scholars to engage deeply with primary sources and uncover new insights in the field.
Topics Covered
Participants will explore Greek manuscript culture through an introduction to paleography with a historical background on the evolution of Greek script. The course emphasizes the major hands and writing styles from antiquity through the Byzantine period, including majuscule and minuscule scripts as well as humanistic and Renaissance scripts. Techniques for deciphering common manuscript abbreviations, ligatures, and symbols, which are essential for understanding Greek manuscripts, will be covered in depth. Participants will also receive guidance on navigating digital repositories and databases for Greek manuscripts, along with tools for accessing online reproductions and secondary literature. The seminar includes sight-reading exercises and practical sessions with a range of manuscript texts, allowing participants to progressively develop their reading skills and become familiar with different script forms.
Structure and Goals
This course offers a practical introduction to Greek paleography with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning. Participants will gain foundational skills in reading and analyzing Greek manuscripts and acquire essential techniques for working with primary sources in Classics, Late Antique, Medieval, and Byzantine studies. Each day will combine lectures and hands-on sessions, with a focus on sight-reading exercises and interactive discussions. The content will be tailored to participants’ interests and needs, providing ample opportunities to engage directly with Greek manuscript materials. The seminar aims to equip participants with the skills to independently read and interpret Greek manuscripts, provide a solid foundation for further research in the study of Greek language and book culture, and enable participants to access and utilize primary Greek sources for various research purposes, from historical to linguistic analyses.
This Summer Skills Seminar builds on the experience of earlier editions, which participants described as “transformative” in terms of their research, and which provided them with an opportunity to network and lay the foundations for future collaborations. For information and participant reviews of our former Skills Seminars see here.
Faculty
Dr. Manolis Ulbricht is a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Notre Dame (Medieval Institute) and a scholar in Byzantine and Medieval Greek Studies. With expertise in Greek paleography, codicology, and textual criticism, Ulbricht makes extensive use of the Greek manuscript tradition in his work. Most recently, and in cooperation with the Staatsbibliothek Berlin, Germany, he produced several teaching films on Greek and Arabic paleography, codicology and the use of metadata.
Application & Information
Participants need to have reading knowledge of Greek (whether ancient, medieval or modern). The language of instruction is English.
Please note: sessions will not be recorded; synchronous attendance is required.
The regular application period is until April 28.
Applicants will be advised of acceptance by May 5. Payment is due on May 12. Applicants waiting on a grant or subvention may request an extension for the second payment.
Late applicants may be accommodated if space remains. Full payment will be due within three days of acceptance, including a $75 surcharge for late applications.
All payments are final and non-refundable. A letter of confirmation/ receipt will be provided by the Mediterranean Seminar, together with a certificate of completion once the course has concluded.
Fees
• $1100 for Full Professors, Librarians & Professionals
• $825 for tenured Associates, Emerita/us, Retired Faculty, Independent Scholars & Non-Academics;
• $575 for non-tenured Associates and Assistants, Postdoctoral Fellows & Graduate and Undergraduate students;
• $400 for Adjuncts, Lecturers & Contingent faculty.
Members of University of Colorado departments may be eligible for a discount.
Limited reductions are offered to applicants who are (1) nationals; (2) current residents; (3) AND faculty or students in low-per-capita GDP countries may apply for a reduction (the Low-GDP Bursary program).
Payment information will be provided at the time of acceptance. Posted fees do not include a 5% processing fee.
All fees are non-refundable.
How do we determine our fees?
Why have our fees gone up?
Can I get a reduction in fees?
What is the low-GDP Bursary program?
Program
Monday, 19 May 2025
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Introduction & Biblical Majuscule
2. Majuscules until the 10th century
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. The Shift from Majuscule to Minuscule Script
2. Minuscules of the 9th and 10th Century
Wednesday, 21 May 2025
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Minuscules of the 11th-12th
2. Research Techniques
Thursday, 22 May 2025
10am to noon and 1pm to 3pm
1. Minuscules of the 13th-14th Century
2. The Late Byzantine Period and Early Printed Books
Important dates:
Application period: 28 April 2025
Acceptance/stand by notifications: 5 May 2025
Full payment: 12 May 2025 (subject to extension for late applicants/ or pending grants)
NOTE: Numbers are limited; participants are encouraged to apply early
Information
For general information regarding fees, enrollment, and administrative matters, contact the Mediterranean Seminar; for questions regarding seminar content and materials, contact the instructor directly.
[download poster]