The Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the Institute of Classics at the University of Cologne is seeking to appoint a research assistant in the framework of a project on “The Bible in Middle Byzantine Hagiography (8th–10th Century)”, funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation. In conjunction with KU Leuven (Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ceulemans), the project investigates the role of the Bible in the implementation and dissemination of political and religious decisions through hagiography of the Middle Byzantine period. The successful candidate will be supervised at both universities and will work towards obtaining a joint PhD degree awarded by both institutions.

The position is to be filled part-time (65%, 25.89 hours per week) from October 1st, 2022. It is initially limited to two years and can be extended by a further year if the project is evaluated positively. At least 6 months must be spent in Leuven as part of the doctorate program.

Requirements

• an MA or comparable degree with distinction in Byzantine Studies or a neighboring discipline (such as Classics
• very good knowledge of English or German
• experience with Byzantine (esp. hagiographical) literature
• a strong command of classical Greek, and at least good notions of medieval Greek
• reading skills in other languages relevant to the field (such as French, Italian, Russian, Modern Greek)