3--7 March 2025

The Greek Book: Paleography, Transmission, & Critical Editions 400 BCE - 1550 CE

The Rare Book & Manuscript Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is proud to announce the inaugural workshop in its new Global Book History at Illinois series. This program is designed to provide high-level instruction for advanced students, faculty, and staff at the University and across the country in underexplored scholarly areas pertaining to the history of the book. The goal of the program is to champion new areas of bibliographical study and make that work as publicly accessible as possible. 'The Greek Book' will cover three units taught by distinguished specialists in the field.

Professor Immaculada Pérez Martín, The History of Greek Texts and Books – From Stone to Paper
This session will discuss the materiality of early Greek book production from manuscript to print (approximately 400 BCE-1550 CE), including the preparation of papyrus, vellum, and paper; the work of scribes and the various common hands; and the evolution of early modern printing and Greek fonts.

Professor Emeritus Agamemnon Tselikas, Greek Paleography I –  From Manuscript to Transcription
This part of the workshop will cover the analyses of physical texts, the identification of written hands and letters, and provide instruction on formal transcriptions of manuscript texts. Note: Strict attention will be paid to the functions of diacritics and aspirants in this section.

Professor  Georgios Xenis, Greek Paleography II – From Transcription to Critical Editions
This session will cover all the key elements involved in establishing a scholarly critical edition of a text. Participants will learn how to organize and evaluate manuscript evidence, develop and assess conjectures, and edit the text, complete with a critical apparatus and an apparatus of parallel passages.

Tuition for this program is completely free and participants will need to arrange their own travel and lodging accommodations. Participants who wish to apply for attendance in the program should submit a brief statement of interest with a note on their current facility with the Greek language and a copy of their CV to Cait Coker (cait@illinois.edu) and Elias Petrou (epetrou@illinois.edu) by January 15, 2025.