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ReMA and PhD curriculum

PhD and ReMA students can receive ECs from OIKOS in three ways:

The different options for each of these are detailed below. Additionally, ReMA and PhD students are encouraged to attend events organized by the OIKOS research groups (for which usually no ECs are rewarded). Take a look at the calendar for their upcoming events.

Events

OIKOS organizes a number of seminars, masterclasses and workshops. Additional events, some of which are one-time events, are regularly added to the curriculum. Such events are announced via the OIKOS mailing list. Some recent examples:

  • Masterclass 'Young Voices on the Ancients' (organized by ARCHON, April 2021)
  • Webinar 'Presenting (yourself) online' (March 2021)

Please note that not all events are organized annually.

Abstract Seminar (2 EC, PhD only)

The abstract seminar is a two-day event, organized biannually, in the uneven years (2021, 2023, 2025, etc.), usually in the fall. In this seminar, PhD students learn how to write a good abstract for the yearly SCS (Society for Classical Studies, formerly known as American Philological Association) and AIA (Archaeological Institute of America) conference. They are taught the basics of abstract-writing, comment on each other’s abstracts and receive feedback from two senior members of OIKOS. Although the guidelines of the SCS and AIA conferences are adopted in the seminar, it is also useful for those who want to participate in other conferences. Participants earn 2 ECTS.

CRASIS Masterclass (2-3 EC)

The CRASIS Masterclass is organized annually by the Interfaculty Research Institute CRASIS at the University of Groningen, usually in the late winter or early spring. Each participant writes and presents a paper on their research topic in connection to the general theme advanced. A Master, a senior researcher who is a specialist on the general theme, will comment on the paper during the one-day Masterclass, followed by feedback from the other participants. The day after the Masterclass, CRASIS hosts its Annual Meeting on the same theme, with a keynote lecture by the Masterclass's Master. Participants of the Masterclass are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting as well. Participants receive 2 or 3 ECTS.

International PhD Days (3 EC, PhD only)

The International PhD days take place annually, usually in the fall. The host university alternates between OIKOS, LMU Munich, and Oxford. Participants receive 3 EC. The setting is a two- or three-day conference where a select number of PhD students from the participating universities (OIKOS, LMU Munich, Oxford University) present papers, discuss each other’s research and receive feedback from each other and from senior researchers. The 2020 edition in Oxford has been cancelled due to COVID-19, and is planned to take place in the spring of 2022. Munich will be host in early September 2023, Groningen in the fall of 2024, and Oxford again in 2025.

Loopbaanseminar/Career Seminar (0 EC)

The OIKOS Career Seminar (Loopbaanseminar) is organized every two years (2021, 2023, 2025, etc.), in combination with a workshop on presentation skills. The one-day event hosts speakers who remained in academia and speakers who looked for a job beyond the academic world. They will talk about their experiences and are open to any questions you may have for them. The course is primarily aimed at PhD students but is also open for (advanced) ReMA students.

Masterclass (6 EC, PhD only)

An 8-day masterclass is organized biannually (in the odd years) in Rome or Athens. It takes the form of a graduate conference and is conducted by a distinguished foreign scholar (the ‘master’). PhD students present papers on a central theme and receive feedback and discussion from the master and their fellow students, not only on content, but also on matters of professional behaviour in writing an abstract, presenting their papers, fielding questions, responding to other people's papers, chairing sessions, and dealing with feedback. An excursion programme is also part of the masterclass. Participants earn 6 ECTS.

Nunspeet Seminar (2 EC)

The Nunspeet seminar is a two-day retreat organized annually in the fall. The themes 'History of the Discipline' and 'Methods and Techniques' alternate. It traditionally takes place in Hotel Veldenbos, Nunspeet. During the seminar, the status quaestionis of the various sub-disciplines and specialisations is discussed in concentrated fashion. Five specialists, representing the five subdisciplines of OIKOS, literature (Greek or Latin), linguistics (Latin/Greek), ancient history, ancient philosophy, and material culture of antiquity, reflect on the theme of the course in question. There is ample time for discussion and interaction. Participants earn 2 ECTS.

OIKIDION/SYMPOSIUM (0 EC)

OIKIDION is a meeting organized by and for PhD and ReMA students; no senior members of OIKOS are allowed to attend. OIKIDION is a paper session where students can present their research (either completed or ‘in progress’) to each other, practice their presentation skills and receive feedback both on content and form. OIKIDION also has a social function and therefore also comprises a joint lunch and drinks afterwards.

In 2021, OIKOS and Anchoring innovation offer the OIKOS/AI SYMPOSIUM as an alternative. See our calendar.


ReMA Presentation Days (2 EC, ReMA only)

On these one- or two-day paper sessions ReMA students report on their own research and receive feedback from each other and from senior researchers. The event is organized annually, taking place in the spring. It is an ideal place and time to pitch a chapter or two of your ReMA thesis. Participants earn 2 ECTS.

Text/Theme in Context Day (1 EC)

The TiC-day is a one-day event organized annually, usually in the spring. The topic is different each year and the focus (Text or Theme in Context) alternates. The host university alternates between all universities that work together in OIKOS.

The TiC-days focus on the multidisciplinary interpretation and contextualization of one selected text (which is studied in advance by the participants) or on a particular theme in Greco-Roman society. Senior specialists from different disciplines reflect on the text or theme from their own perspectives. Participants are asked to relate the questions raised by the text or theme to their own research interests.

Courses

Several courses on the auxiliary sciences (‘hulpwetenschappen’) are organized by universities participating in OIKOS. These courses are taught at these universities and 'on location', in collaboration with Dutch institutes abroad. NB: Not all courses at the KNIR and NIA count towards the OIKOS curriculum.

Please note that not all courses are taught annually.

Byzantine Cultural History (3 EC)

The OIKOS course on Byzantine Cultural History was added to the curriculum in 2021. The 2-day intensive course offers ReMA and PhD students an introduction to the cultural history of the Byzantine Empire (seventh to fifteenth century CE). From the viewpoint of five subdisciplines, participants are familiarized with general characteristics of Byzantine culture, with the various sources that allow us to write the history of the Byzantine Empire, and with the methodological and conceptual questions that are being discussed in current research. The course takes place in Ghent. Participants who complete the course (attending the blocks, reading ca. 300 pages of literature, and writing an essay) are awarded 3 EC.

Canonicity (5/6 EC)

Canonicity is a MasterLanguage (MaLa) course, organized annually (usually in the fall/winter semester) for ReMA students but also open to PhD students. The course's goal is the widening of knowledge of Greek literature; introduction to new genres (including peculiarities of the language); training in independent reading of literature in the original language and exploring new genres. Participants earn 5/6 ECTS. More information can be found on the MasterLanguage website.

Classical Arabic (5 EC)

In 2021, the course Classical Arabic was added to the OIKOS curriculum. It will be organized again in 2022 by Dr Klaas Bentein and Dr Fokelien Kootstra, and will be taught more or less biannually after that edition. The course offers a one-week, intensive introduction to written Classical Arabic, taught at the University of Ghent. Participants earn 5 EC upon completion of the course.

Greek/Roman Coinage (NIA/KNIR, 5 EC)

Every year, an OIKOS course in ancient coinage is offered, alternating between Greek Coinage (at the NIA) and Roman Coinage (KNIR). Participants who complete the course receive 5 ECTS.

Please be aware that the Greek numismatics course (NIA) of 2023 is cancelled. In 2024, the Roman Coinage course (KNIR) is scheduled to take place. In 2025, the Greek Coinage course (NIA) is scheduled again.

Creative Imitatio in Latin Literature (5/6 EC)

Creative Imitatio is a MasterLanguage (MaLa) course, organized annually (usually in the fall/winter semester) for ReMA students but also open to PhD students. The course's goal is the widening of knowledge of Latin literature; introduction to new genres (including peculiarities of the language); training in independent reading of literature in the original language and exploring new genres. Participants earn 5/6 ECTS. More information can be found on the MasterLanguage website.

Cuneiform Epigraphy (Advanced, 10 EC)

Cuneiform Epigraphy is taught at Leiden University. Every other academic year it is part of the OIKOS curriculum. The course is usually taught in the autumn semester (i.e. in the autumn of 2021 in the academic year of 2021/2022; in the autumn of 2023 etc.). The aim of the course is to introduce students to the techniques and practices of reading, editing, reproducing and handling original cuneiform inscriptions. It will bring together a diverse group of people, including ReMA students, PhD students, staff, and invited guests affiliated to museums and other universities in the Netherlands and abroad. The group will cooperate closely with NINO at Leiden. Participants who complete the course earn 10 ECTS.

Egyptian Epigraphy (Egyptology, 10 EC)

A course in Egyptian Epigraphy (Egyptology), taught by Prof. Dr Olaf Kaper at Leiden University, is offered roughly biannually. The course is usually held in the spring/summer semester. Participants who complete the course earn 10 ECTS.

Excavating National Pasts (KNIR, 5/6 EC)

The course Excavating National Pasts is organized every 2-3 years at the KNIR, with preparatory classes in The Netherlands. Participants earn 5/6 ECTS.

Greek Epigraphy (NIA, 5/6 EC)

Greek Epigraphy is a MasterLanguage (MaLa) course, organized annually (usually in the fall/winter semester) for ReMA students but also open to PhD students. A one-week intensive excursion to Greece is part of the course. Participants earn 5/6 ECTS. More information can be found on the MasterLanguage website.

Sanctuaries and the Sacred (UU, 5 EC)

A course on Sanctuaries and the Sacred is offered biannually by the University of Utrecht. An excursion to Greece is part of the course. Participants earn 5 ECTS upon completion of the course.

Greek Linguistics (5 EC)

A course in Greek Linguistics is offered biannually at Ghent University. Participants earn 5 EC upon completion of the course. The course usually alternates with the course in Classical Arabic.

Greek Palaeography (2 EC)

A crash course in Greek Palaeography is organized roughly biannually at Ghent University. Participants receive 2 ECTS upon completion of the course.

Late Antiquity (5 EC)

A course on Late Antiquity is offered roughly biannually. The course usually alternates with the course Byzantine Cultural History offered by Ghent University. Participants earn 5 ECTS upon completion of the course.

Latin Epigraphy (KNIR, 5/6 EC)

Latin Epigraphy is a MasterLanguage (MaLa) course, organized annually (usually in the spring semester) for ReMA students but also open to PhD students. A one-week intensive excursion to Rome is part of the course. Participants earn 5/6 ECTS. More information can be found on the MasterLanguage website.

Mycenaean World (5+5 EC)

A course on Mycenaean World: Language (5 EC) and Mycenaean World: Culture (5 EC) is offered roughly biannually, organized at Leiden University.

Narrative, cognition and rhetoric (5/6 EC)

The course Narrative, cognition and rhetoric: How narratives shape(d) ancient culture is organized biannually and taught by ACASA (UvA + VU, i.e. Amsterdam).

Classical antiquity offers rich opportunities to reflect on this ‘narrative turn’, and this course will offer an overview of the various ways in which narrativity is relevant to the disciplines assembled within OIKOS. Topics to be discussed include: how should we read Herodotus or Livy as historical source while taking into account their narrative shape, too? What story do the Parthenon frieze, Trajan’s column or depictions on coins want to tell? Can extreme experiences like war be properly represented in narrative? Is the medium the message, i.e. do oral, written, or visual narratives differ? What stories can landscapes tell? How do archaeologists construct narratives to make silent material remains ‘speak’? And what story-patterns underly modern scholarly publications on the ancient world?

Neolatin (10 EC)

A 10-ECTS coure in Neolatin is taught roughly biannually at Leiden University, usually alternating with Mycenaean Culture (also at Leiden).

NINO Course (10 EC)

The NINO in Leiden hosts a course on the Ancient Near East, taught by one of its resident postdocs. In 2021 the course is called Communicating through clay in the Ancient Near East; in 2022, the course is entitled Photographing Egypt, Greece, and the Near East.

UG course (NIA, 5 EC)

A course in Greek History, with alternating themes, is offered almost annually at the University of Groningen. An excursion to Greece is part of the course. Past themes include The Connected Sea and Power and Cult in the Hellenistic World. Participants earn 5 ECTS upon completion of the course. From 2023 onwards, the Greek history course will be alternated with a Roman history course which will include an excursion to Rome.

OIKOS reading list (varying number of ECs)

The OIKOS educational board has composed a list of Classical core texts of which ReMA students and PhD students should try to read as much as possible. This list is based on the Greek and Latin reading lists of Princeton University, where all students are expected to have read these texts before starting their PhD.

Students might have read several of the texts in courses already, but presumably not all of them. If, for the time being, it turns out to be impossible to read all texts in Greek or Latin, they should at least be read in translation.

With consent of their tutor in their local graduate school, ReMA students can compose their own reading list - based on the one below - to add to their OIKOS curriculum. The expected reading speed is 1 page Oxford Classical Text (OCT) per hour or 15 pages of secondary literature per hour (1 EC = 28 hours). The lengths of the texts are expressed in OCT pages, added between brackets after each text. Texts marked with an asterisk (*) are of particular interest for philosophy students and those marked with two asterisks (**) are of particular interest for students of ancient history. If a student wishes to focus on epigraphic or papyrological texts or on philosophical texts and fragments, please contact the staff member you would like to supervise and assess you. Together you can agree on your personal reading list, taking into account the general guidelines for the OIKOS reading list.

It is possible to compose an OIKOS reading list for 1 to 10 ECTS, of which a maximum of 5 ECTS may count for the 10 ECTS of OIKOS ECTS that students need to obtain within their curriculum.

OIKOS has to keep track of the activities students are following as part of the OIKOS educational program, so we kindly request examiners or students to inform us for how many ECTS the student created a reading list. The OIKOS coordinators have to register these details for the OIKOS annual report. The coordinate can also provide the student with a testimonium.

  • The lists offer authors, titles, number of pages (in brackets) and one or occasionally more suggested commentaries [in square brackets].
  • For verse, 1 page = 25 lines; for prose, pages of OCT or another edition (sometimes Teubner or Loeb) have been counted, so the figures are not always entirely comparable.
  • Commentaries are all hyper-linked (to the publisher’s page, an online edition, Google Books or Worldcat); they have been selected with a view to reputation, ready availability and user-friendliness. Commentaries have also been selected with the idea that students pick authors/works/genres from the list with which they are perhaps less familiar, so introductory commentaries, most notably ‘Green & Yellows’ and ‘Aris & Phillips’, have been included (both readily available, and the latter now largely in open access).
Greek Literature

Greek Reading List (last updated November 2022)

* Of special interest to students of philosophy.

** Of special interest to students of ancient history.

Latin Literature

Latin Reading List (last updated November 2022)

* Of special interest to students of philosophy.

** Of special interest to students of ancient history.


Last modified:09 March 2024 1.09 p.m.
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