Program in Medieval Studies
Monday, November 2, 2026
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Despite demographic and urban decline in post-Roman Europe, the need to assemble groups of people remained strong: gatherings enabled the exchange information, attracting large numbers was a proof of legitimacy, and rulers envisioned themselves as heirs to crowd-filled ancient Rome. How can the history of the crowd a inform us about the early medieval world?
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
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"Edifying tales" were stories that flourished in Byzantium from the 4th to the 10th centuries, but which have never been studied as a fascinating literary and historical genre. This lecture explores their surprising, thrilling plots and their eventual survival, not only in Greek, but in Georgian, Armenian, Syriac, Latin, and Slavonic translations.
