Reading through the Lines: Variations and Functions of Intertextuality in Byzantine Literature, University of Cologne, July 3–4, 2025
Funded by a.r.t.e.s. Graduate School of Humanities, we are organizing an international workshop on 3-4 July 2025 at the Department of Byzantine Studies and Modern Greek Philology of the University of Cologne, focusing on the topic of intertextuality in Byzantine literature.
The keynote lecture will be delivered by Prof. Stratis Papaioannou. Other confirmed speakers include Cristina Cocola, Ugo Mondini (Oxford), and Federica Scognamiglio (Messina).
We invite proposals for papers (in English) addressing the following aspects:
1. Intertextuality as a distinctive feature of Byzantine literary writing as a whole
- In which forms can intertextual references appear in the texts and how can scholars convey this information when editing texts?
- Does the practice of referencing other texts vary across different genres, and if so, how?
- Can we design a unitary methodology to investigate intertextuality in Byzantine literature?
2. Intertextuality as a literary repertoire encompassing classical, biblical, patristic, and contemporary-author material
- What can intertextuality reveal about the popular reception of the referenced texts?
- To what extent is intertextuality related to education in Byzantium?
- Do classical and biblical intertextualities function differently?
3. Intertextuality as a literary practice of individual authors
- What functions do intertextual references serve in the texts (aesthetic, legitimizing, persuading, etc.)?
- How does intertextuality affect the notion of originality in Byzantine literature?
- Can intertextuality help us to understand the context of composition and circulation of texts?
The workshop will feature 10 speakers + 1 key-note lecturer and adopt the format of pre-circulating papers. All ten speakers will be asked to submit a draft version of their paper by 15 May 2025. These texts will be circulated beforehand among the speakers and shared with the key-note lecturer to ensure a productive and engaging discussion at the workshop, as well as provide a sort of informal peer review in preparation for the publication of the proceedings. We intend to publish the proceedings of the workshop.
Conveners: Giulia Gollo (Köln / Leuven) and Cristian I. Dumitru (Bucharest / Köln)