Category: medewerkervandemaand

The staff member of this month is Maria Navarro López, who joined our section in April 2026, as a visiting PhD student from the University of Barcelona. Merel Van Nieuwerburgh asked here about her project, her life in Gent, and her life outside the office 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Maria! It is a privilege to be sitting here together for this interview, even though that is, of course, hardly a rare occurrence – we have become, after all, the closest of office mates over the last months. You have been in Ghent for only a short while, but I dare say that you have already made quite the splash. How did you end up here, and what project are you working on? 

Thank you Merel! I couldn’t be more grateful for being here and sharing the office with you and our colleagues: the privilege is all mine. How I ended up here is a long story, but I’ll try to tell it shortly. I started working on feminine biographies in Greek literature in my master’s thesis, and since then I have relied much on Koen De Temmerman’s works on ancient biography. I was already pursuing the PhD at the University of Barcelona when I knew that he and Camila De Moura were organising this conference on the Lives of the Greek poets. The conference was the perfect excuse for me to come and have a first impression of Ghent. I was absolutely fascinated by the charming aura of the city and had the opportunity to meet Koen in person. Then I realised that this was the perfect destiny for my research stay. 

My research deals with the biographical testimonia of Greek intellectual women, particularly poetesses and women philosophers from the archaic to the Hellenistic periods. I owe much to my supervisors, since their individual fields of expertise led me to this topic: Sergi Grau (UB) is an expert in the biographies of Greek philosophers, while Marta Oller (UAB) is an expert in gender studies and history of women. Moreover, my thesis belongs to a broader research project called “TOPOI. El repertorio de la paideía en la literatura griega de épocaimperial y tardo antigua” led by professor Pilar Gómez. Our aim is to build a digital database of rhetorical anecdotes in Greek literature from the Imperial to the Byzantine periods. [You can see more in our website: https://web.ub.edu/ca/web/grup-recerca-paideia] 

 

More generally, how do you envisage your role as an academic in the world?  

I’ve always defended that the generation and preservation of knowledge is a collective phenomenon. Every individual approach is always enriched by the dialogue and discussion with others. In the end, our cultural background and personal interests have a big influence on the way each of us addresses Antiquity. That’s why I’m always curious about how other Classicists approach ancient texts and which are their motivations and research questions. 

Every time I have the opportunity to participate in scientific dialogue, be it in conferences, work-in-progress seminars, or attending lectures, I do it. I also spend several hours just browsing the Internet other profiles related to topics of interest to me, and the most random searches have led me to very interesting approaches. I like to get in contact with scholars working on topics related to my thesis. I’d usually ask them to share bibliographical references and discuss ideas. And so far, these connections have been crucial to advance my research! 

I think I went a bit off-topic. In the end, I’d like to contribute to the scientific community by promoting spaces for debate and sharing. I think that’s the most important thing. 

 

Every individual approach is always enriched by the dialogue and discussion with others. In the end, our cultural background and personal interests have a big influence on the way each of us addresses Antiquity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This month’s staff member of the month is Dalia Pratali Maffei, currently surviving, if not thriving, in the final stages of her FWO junior postdoctoral project. Giulia Paoletti spoke with her about her research, her US adventure, and the many places she has called home.

Hi Dalia! You have been here in Gent for almost three years already, so it’s time for you to be employee of the month! Would you like to tell us more about your project here?

Hi Giulia – definitely! My project here is called ‘Sociolinguistic variation in Ancient Greek dialects: mapping the contact between Doric and Koine Greek’. In short, I am trying to understand how Modern Greek as we know it today – derived from the Koine – ended up kicking out all the competition, i.e. all the dialects spoken before it. I focus on Doric and its speakers because it seems to have been the most stubborn and resilient dialect. Some scholars even suggest that it may have survived up to modern times in some mountainous areas of the Peloponnese. Looking at the period when Doric and Koine were in contact, I am interested in how and where speakers continued to use the dialect, and why. At the same time, I study how they mixed it with the Koine, and how they learned what would eventually become the new standard. When a new lingua franca spreads, using your dialect suddenly becomes meaningful: it can signal group identity, as well as ideological and political stance. We have plenty of examples of this today as well – I will let you think of some!

I am trying to understand how Modern Greek as we know it today – derived from the Koine – ended up kicking out all the competition, i.e. all the dialects spoken before it. I focus on Doric and its speakers because it seems to have been the most stubborn and resilient dialect.

If Doric and Koine were people, would their relationship be more like rivals, roommates, or reluctant colleagues?

Great question – and actually a really hard one, and something scholars still fight about. Apologies for the very academic reply, but I think it would depend on the context, place, and time. In some areas, we find fairly stable mixed Doric-Koine varieties. This feels like a “roommate relationship”: you learn to live with each other, compromise, and find a balance. This seem to be the case, for instance, in North-West Greece, and especially in the sanctuary of Delphi, which retained partial administrative autonomy. There, Koine mixed not only with Doric, but also with the dialect of whoever was mentioned in the inscription, as a way of representing and respecting their identity. The reluctant colleague scenario makes me think of places where Doric and Koine were used in inscriptions in completely different contexts, putting some boundaries to have to deal with each other the least, but still having to tolerate the other’s presence. A good example could be Thera (Santorini): under Ptolemaic control, Koine was used for public inscriptions, written by officials, while local dialect was still going strong in private inscriptions, written by private individuals. In the end though, a kind of “rivalry” situation is what prevailed everywhere: Doric and Koine being used side by side across domains (private, public, religious, etc.), with the latter ultimately winning everywhere. It was a quite heated battle indeed – and four centuries long, if not more!

Last spring you did a research stay in Los Angeles, what can you tell us about that experience, beside the weather being amazing? Did you have time to venture outside LA and visit other places in the US?

Well, first of all, yes, the weather was amazing, and I think what struck me the most, as a plant-obsessed person, was the incredible variety and abundance of vegetation, everywhere, even just walking around. I was at UCLA, in the department of Indo-European studies, and I really got to immerse myself in the graduate environment, which is extremely busy but also very stimulating. I met some wonderful people and felt very welcome there. I learned a lot beside accidentally picking up the LA everyday-gym-and-smoothie-in-lululemons-bc-otherwise-you-are-a-noone personality. It was the first time for me on the West Coast, so I did take the opportunity to visit LA (highly recommend the Ghetty, among other things) and venture to SF, Joshua Tree, and the famous Canyons. I am kind of astonished I made it back to Ghent: besides dodging wildfires and ICE, my car got stuck in the Death Vally at 55°C due to overheating, I punctured a tire in the middle of nowhere (…rescued by none other than a missionary), DIY-ed with strangers in the SF hippie neighbourhood. Among other things. But here we are!!

I cannot imagine living somewhere without water canals or streams. It really brings me peace.

Last question! You’ve lived in Venice, Cambridge, and now Ghent, three very different places. Is there something that connects them for you? And what do you think each place has given you, both personally and academically?

Look – colleagues have already teased me for saying this, but I will reiterate: to me, what these places have in common is water. I cannot imagine living somewhere without water canals or streams. It really brings me peace. Historical buildings and tiny walkable pebbled streets probably help too, I’ll admit. I think every place brings out different selves, and I always like to joke that my Italian, Cambridge, and Ghent personalities are all so different – and sometimes hard to reconcile. Now I eat Belgian fries basically once a week; in England – no, wait, yeah, in England I still ate Italian pizza once a week. Whoops. Academically, I think my trajectory also partly reflects how I feel about these places. Venice gave me very strong, solid basics across disciplines and helped me discover my interests. Cambridge taught me new ways of doing academia and trained me to apply them. And Ghent has given me freedom, making me realise I could have fun and experiment with what I love, and build my own path.

The staff member of the month is Duccio Guasti, who is on the final stages of his FWO junior post-doctoral project. Michele Didoli talked to him about his life in Italy, his post-doc project and his latest fantastic academic achievements!

Dag, Duccio! In the department, you are known as a polyglot, but perhaps not everyone knows you speak… like Dante Alighieri. Tell us about yourself: is it true that you are almost a fellow countryman of the Sommo Poeta? Where did you study before landing at UGent?

Well, I was born in the valleys near Florence, and in Florence I got my BA, before moving to Berlin for my MA in historical linguistics. Then I won a scholarship for a 6-year graduate scholarship in Cincinnati, Ohio, which I used to get a second MA and a PhD in Classics. The vernacular has much changed since the times of Dante. I also suspect that he, like all Florentines, must have despised the way of speaking of the countryside.

Tuscans are famous for their boundless imagination when it comes to nicknames and monikers — so studying insults in Homer sounds like the perfect project for you. Tell us more! What was the worst insult there, according to the ancients? The most creative, in your view? Do you have a favourite?

“Oh fava!” (as you always say, mimicking my diction). Tuscans are renowned for being particularly outspoken, however I got my interest for satirical poetry from two non-Tuscans, Enrico Livrea and Mario Labate, whose courses on Horace and Archilochus I followed during my first years of university. Unlike them, I apply a sociolinguist approach to my analysis, using the study of insult to understand social implications. In fact, I move from the assumption that the most emotionally charged words are the ones that define boundaries. Therefore the subtitle of my first book is “language and society”: the study of insults in Homer is not self-serving, but the key to a new interpretation of the worlds he portrays. The worst insult according to the ancients was probably “father-beater”, one of the few that was illegal to say in Athens. The most creative ones we find in poets, like Hipponax, Aristophanes, Cercidas, who combine three or more words to create new offensive terms. Hipponax was also the first to put in writing the epithet of “motherfucker”, that is still today so common in American pop-culture.

The worst insult according to the ancients was probably “father-beater”, one of the few that was illegal to say in Athens. The most creative ones we find in poets, like Hipponax, Aristophanes, Cercidas, who combine three or more words to create new offensive terms.

Let’s talk about your recent achievements: you have just published a book and won an important prize that took you to Thessaloniki in June, right?

Yes! My first book Homeric Insults in Context. Language and Society in the Iliad and the Odyssey is being published in August. The board of the Trends in Classics series decided also to award it the “Trends in Classics Book Prize” for the best book submitted by a first time author. Here I use the analysis of insults to understand the values of the Homeric worlds and his intended audience in the context of 7th-century Greece, when he – or more probably they, the Homer of the Iliad and the Homer of the Odyssey – presumably composed their works.

Not just research – recently, you have taught several classes and courses both in Ghent and abroad, building on the experience you gained in the US during your PhD. What have these teaching experiences given you?

Teaching in different countries is an invaluable experience. In the United States, I was accustomed to students who always were eager to intervene. In Belgium I found them much shier, and I had to devise tactics to get them to talk more. Student intervention is fundamental, both to foster active learning and to be aware of what misconceptions the students may have. And let’s be honest: students often offer a fresh perspective. By interacting with them we have occasion to learn ourselves about the subjects we teach.

Teaching in different countries is an invaluable experience. (…) students often offer a fresh perspective. By interacting with them we have occasion to learn ourselves about the subjects we teach.

Tell us about Duccio outside the Blandijn and away from the Word file of your next book. What do you like to do in your free time? What do you like about Belgium? Is there something you’d love to do but haven’t yet found the time for?

At the moment my main hobby is karate, which also led me to meet my current partner. Of Ghent I really like the parks, where I can walk to clear my mind. Unfortunately, my first year here was very rainy, which prevented me to enjoy them as much as I wanted. An activity that I was not yet able to practice as much as I wanted in Belgium is the piano. I still live in a relatively small apartment, but I plan on buying my own instrument as soon as I have a permanent residence.

Thanks Duccio! We look forward to reading your book in August, then!

Selene Evangelisti is our first “staff member of the month” of the new year! She joined us a couple of months ago for a research stay in the framework of her PhD project at the University of Turin “Il greco alla corte dei Duchi di Savoia. Uno studio delle grammatiche greche del fondo antico della Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino”.

Hi Selene! Can you tell us more about your PhD project? In one sentence, how would you describe it to someone at a dinner party who just asked out of politeness — and then, more seriously, what first drew you to studying Greek grammars from the old collection of the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino, and what was Greek actually doing at the court of the Dukes of Savoy (prestige, politics, humanism, education…)?

Hello, everyone! I like to joke saying that I study burnt sheets of paper, sometimes the size of a stamp, which were once entire manuscripts, containing Greek grammar texts. The goal, of course, is to discover how Turin teachers in the 1500s tortured students to make them learn Greek!

More seriously, I’m interested in Greek grammar texts because of my passion for teaching (before my PhD, I taught Latin and Greek in high schools for three years). And, also, there is an aura of mystery surrounding the arrival and knowledge of Greek in Turin: when Greek manuscripts first arrived, was Ancient Greek already known? Was it studied? If so, how, where and from which texts? During my research, for example, I discovered that from middle 1400s onwards, the study of Ancient Greek was part of the education of the Savoia, the royal family in Turin. During the same period, people who had taught Greek in other Italian or European cities stayed at court for fairly long periods. Now, it is a matter of connecting people and books!

I’m interested in Greek grammar texts because of my passion for teaching. And, also, there is an aura of mystery surrounding the arrival and knowledge of Greek in Turin: when Greek manuscripts first arrived, was Ancient Greek already known? Was it studied? If so, how, where and from which texts?

What would surprise people most about your work?

Most people think that in such a “peripheral” area of Renaissance Italy, as Turin, there is not much to discover about Ancient Greek. When one thinks of the great centres of Greek culture in Italy, Venice, Milan, Rome, Padua and Florence immediately spring to mind…certainly not Turin. The Savoia family in the common sense was more interested in military campaigns than literature. However, the collection of Greek manuscripts at the Biblioteca Nazionale has a truly fascinating history, lost in the Piedmontese fog and in the flames, literally. In 1904, the library burned down and many codices were lost. Before that fire, the library held more than 400 Greek codices, including a surprising number of grammars. So much for the periphery!

Why did you choose Ghent for your exchange period? Was there a person, research tradition, or environment that made it the right place?

I chose UGent for my research stay because I was curious to learn more about the work and results of the MELA project. I also wanted to meet and exchange views in person with the research team, especially considering the project’s strong interest in Greek grammar texts. It seemed like a good idea to take a peek at their methodological approaches, in the hope of returning home with some new ideas and useful insights for my work. And it really was. The work environment is excellent: the team welcomed me with kindness and helpfulness, sharing their time, expertise and enthusiasm.

I chose UGent for my research stay because I was curious to learn more about the work and results of the MELA project. I also wanted to meet and exchange views in person with the research team, especially considering the project’s strong interest in Greek grammar texts.

A final question: When you leave Ghent, what do you think you’ll miss the most – academically or personally?

The weather, obviously! Just kidding… when I’ll go back to Turin at the end of March, I’m definitely going to miss the MELA team and, above all, my colleagues at the office. Over the last few months, they have practically adopted me (and, on many occasions, fed me!), making me feel at home. But that’s not all: also the exchange of ideas and the discussion about different ways of approaching research has been very fruitful. I think I’ll be taking home with me some new methodological ideas, a few cuberdons (of course!) and a lot of gratitude for you all!

Staff member of the month December 2025 is Samuel Carreño Ramos, who joined us these past months from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Samuel is writing a PhD thesis on the reception/representation of classical antiquity in modern fantasy and science-fiction, covering popular narratives of Roman imperialism, ‘empires rising and falling’, and more. He was with us from mid-September to mid-December to expand his work by incorporating analyses of modern video games.

Hi Samuel! Your PhD looks at how classical antiquity lives on in modern fantasy and science fiction, from Dune to Star Wars. What first sparked your interest in tracing Roman imperial ideas through these very different fictional worlds?

Oh dear, what a wonderful question, it helps me summarise all my experience in research, haha. Time for “yapping” about my thesis! It all began in 2021-22, when I first got a Master’s scholarship to work with the research project I’m still a part of, Marginalia Classica. In the progress of that research and in the shape of the final Master’s essay, I proposed that, since most of the contemporary fantastic literature is indebted ultimately from Tolkien’s secondary world theory, the way the Classics had been received in there would have also influenced the reception of the Classics in later fantastic literature. There are several ways classical reception works there, and one of them is the “Roman imperial ideas” you mention, specifically in the context of Númenor, both its successor realms (which I interpreted as the Eastern and Western empires), and the unification of both at the end of The Lord of the Rings in the lenses of a “happy ending” to an empire rather than “the Fall” of it.

The question this research posed, and the one that led me to this PhD, was what the general landscape of classical reception in secondary world creation (roughly what many call “worldbuilding”) looked like, and what phenomena have been key to understanding it other than Tolkien’s influence. In these two and a half years I’ve been in that quest, I’ve found that the ancient Greece and Rome are received in rather consistent and even “paradigmatic” ways in all the case studies I’ve approached: among them, the way the Greek and Latin languages are used in them, how fictional political structures are oftentimes based in their ancient counterparts, the pervasiveness of ancient splendour and decline narratives (Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is especially relevant here), or how Classical Antiquity serves in general terms as a model for “intradiegetic Antiquities” (“ancient” periods of time proper of these secondary worlds). So far, my case studies have ranged from the Dune and Star Wars sagas you mentioned earlier or Tolkien’s Legendarium, to other sagas like The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher or Mass Effect. The Roman imperial ideas are really present in the Dune and Star Wars storyworlds, in the former’s “Imperium” or the latter’s “First Galactic Empire”: regarding that, I can mention DiTommaso’s 2007 proposal of a “dynamic of decline” in Dune and other products, or Michael B. Charles’ 2015 article about Star Wars and Rome.
I already know there will be a question about my time in Ghent, so I’ll use that question to explain a little more about my current approach to the research and these case studies.

From Madrid to Ghent, what took the most getting used to — the weather, the bikes, or the academic rhythm — and did working in a smaller, quieter city change how you approached your PhD work?

The academic rhythm has been wonderful, and it has even contributed to making my own rhythm better. All thanks to both Alexander Vandewalle, my supervisor during these months, and my colleagues in the department, Alexander’s course on videogames and in the Post-MESH lab, I’ve met some wonderful professionals and people. Ghent has many great things, but as cheesy as it may sound, it is absolutely true that the rhythm, Alexander and my colleagues have been the best parts. In Madrid I live far away from the university, and I am definitely going to miss being able to move just with my own legs and a bike without relying on trains or the understandable incidents of a city where almost 7 million people live. About the bikes, I think I’m now the most fit I’ve ever been, back in Madrid I intend to rely less on transport and, when possible, move by foot and even biking, too: I feel healthier and I want to keep that. The quietness has been delightful too, for the first time in my life it has helped me realise how noisy Madrid is, and I’ve concluded that the less sensory stimulation, the more efficient my research will be. The quietness has helped me immensely to focus and carry on with my work, and personally to be less stressed out, too. Another realisation has been related with the weather, too: I’ve always loved rain and dreamed of living in a place where it rains a lot as opposed to all the sun in Madrid, but after living in Ghent… Goodness, I do be more of a sun enjoyer now. I think I just want to experience all kinds of weather in a climate rather than just sun or just clouds, hahaha.

You arrived with plans to bring video games into your research on empires and their afterlives. As you leave Ghent, how has this stay changed or sharpened the way you think about fantasy worlds, past or future?

There we go, the question that links with the first one! So, I mentioned several videogames among my case studies. I had approached them both from the perspective of Classical Reception studies and, to a lesser extent, Transmedia studies. Video games made up the largest component of my case studies, but out from my student and researcher years, I lacked any academic education on Video Game studies. I already needed to go for an internship for at least 90 days to obtain an International Doctor title in my home university, so why not use this internship on learning about video game studies? It was suggested to me twice that I got in contact with Alexander for such a possibility, and here we are! So, the intention was precisely to change my approach towards secondary worlds and video game ones. After working with him, first in the theoretical basis of video game studies and its links with transmedia narratology, secondary worlds and the Classical world, second by applying those perspectives to the case study of the Mass Effect main trilogy, I consider it reasonable to switch my research’s focus into “triple A” fantasy and SF video games with secondary worlds: both because of the array of possibilities it provides me to study the paradigmatic receptions I mentioned earlier, because of its current dynamism and because I really needed to pick from the vastness of case studies available. Some key studies that I’ve applied to my research during these months are Jesper Juul’s Half-Real (2005), Jan-Noël Thon’s Transmedial Narratology (2016), Marie-Laure Ryan’s concept of the “principle of minimal departure” (1980) or Metzger and Paxton’s “Gaming History” (2016).

Ironically, my approach hasn’t really changed that much; instead, my work during the internship has complemented my previous work. For instance, whereas in the past I could look at how there are some intradiegetic Antiquities in this or that game, analyse them and call it a day, with my newly acquired knowledge on video game studies I am now able to recognise how fictional Antiquities are all over the place in video games like Mass Effect as a means of providing depth to the world’s chronology, of making it seem “more real(istic)” and of boosting the exploration of such ancient periods to advance in the game’s intended chain of events. That’s what Metzger and Paxton called “gamification of the past”. All in all, yeah, “sharpened” is definitely the proper term here.

A last question! If Ghent were a level in a video game, what would its main challenge or reward be?

I think Ghent has really been one of my life’s canonical events, haha. It would be included, in my case, in the “First Time Living Abroad” level, which would bring challenges such as “Survive Groceries + Bike” with the “Ride Your Bike from Sint Baafs to Korenmarkt” horror minigame (oh my God, those tram tracks), and its main reward would be “Focus +100”, “Calmness +200”, “(academic and personal) Self-Confidence +300”.

Staff member of the month November 2025 is Francesca Samorì, who joined us from Ravenna! Francesca joined the Greek Section this month as an FWO Junior Postdoctoral Researcher, and we are delighted to welcome her to the team. Giulia Paoletti chatted to Francesca about her research, living in Ghent and her life outside of work!

Hi Francesca and welcome to the Greek Section! How has your first month in Ghent been? Any fun discoveries about Belgium that you didn’t expect?

Hi, thank you! My first month in Ghent has been great: considering all the getting-used-to tasks and the bureaucratic errands that were on my to-do-list, I’ve been adjusting to my new everyday life so much more easily than expected. I immediately felt welcomed at the university and in the city, and this played a very important role in making the transition smoother, I’m sure! I had been to Belgium a few times before, including Ghent, but getting to discover these places as a wannabe-local is an entirely different thing! One of the most amazing discoveries for me was how much the city of Ghent is interwoven with its natural surroundings; water and green spaces merge perfectly with the town, and the autumn colors make everything even more fascinating! I will seize the opportunity of living here to get to visit Belgium as much as possible. I’ve been to Bruges – because where else could you start? – but I can’t wait to see all the wonderful surprises this country has to offer!

One of the most amazing discoveries for me was how much the city of Ghent is interwoven with its natural surroundings; water and green spaces merge perfectly with the town, and the autumn colors make everything even more fascinating!

What are you working on during your postdoctoral fellowship?

With my FWO postdoctoral fellowship I will be pushing the boundaries of my expertise, which is really stimulating for me. In fact, until now I have been specializing in the intellectual and religious history of the late 13th-early 14th-century Byzantium, focusing on the religious controversy with the Latins and on the issue of the union of the Byzantine Church with the Church of Rome: therefore, I’ve always worked with prose texts, especially polemical treatises and historical chronicles. My new project, whose title is Book epigrams and manuscripts as vectors of late-Byzantine literary, political and ideological history (13th-15th cent.), will give me the opportunity to explore this crucial period through a different lens, the one pertaining to manuscript production and to the composition of book epigrams – that is to say the metrical inscriptions contained in these very same manuscripts. The DBBE team at our university is the ideal environment to carry out this research: through a multi-layered analysis of some of the most exemplary of these poems, I will hopefully unlock the historical potential of Book Epigrams and reflect on the way in which manuscripts shaped and were shaped by the political, cultural, and religious landscape of late Byzantium. In doing so, I aim to contribute to critically reevaluate the Palaeologan period (1261-1453), a highly disregarded phase in Byzantine history.

Is there a part of your research that gives you that ‘I’ll just work five more minutes…’ feeling?

Yes, absolutely! It usually happens when I feel that something is missing, or is not as clear as I would like it to be. It can be anything: a word whose translation is not quite satisfying, a historical reference that seems to elude me, or a challenging examination of a manuscripts. It’s like chasing the missing piece of a jigsaw: “just five more minutes, it must be here somewhere, I just have to look some more!”

I will hopefully unlock the historical potential of Book Epigrams and reflect on the way in which manuscripts shaped and were shaped by the political, cultural, and religious landscape of late Byzantium.

What do you enjoy doing outside of academia? Any hobbies or favourite activities since moving here?

I guess you could say that what I do in my free time resembles pretty much what most of us do outside of academia: just trying to relax and recharge, possibly with a practical activity that could help ease the mind and the eyes! I like to do yoga and go swimming, but also read a good book curled up in a blanket or go out with friends. As I said, I plan to visit Belgium as much as possible, so this year’s weekends will be mostly dedicated to exploring new places! But lately I also found myself particularly enjoying furnishing and decorating my new apartment, trying to personalize it according to my own taste. The big glass window of my living room inspired me to try again with gardening: my first attempts, in the past, were not entirely successful, but I hope this time I will be able to improve, so that one day I can enrich my windowsill with many plants… For now, I started with one, let’s see how it goes!

Staff member of the month October 2025 is Juan Bautista Juan López, who joined us from Valencia! Juan has been working in the Greek section since October 2024, when he joined the team of the Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams as a post-doctoral researcher. Giulia Paoletti chatted to Juan about his research, living in Ghent and some recent life updates!

You’ve been here for almost a year now—how has that first year gone for you, and have you discovered any favorite places or things about Ghent or Belgium along the way?

It’s been a very full and rewarding first year! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the department and settling into a rhythm here in Ghent. The city has been such a pleasant surprise—its blend of medieval charm and vibrant student life makes it easy to feel at home. I love cycling along the Oudegentweg towards Nazareth and De Pinte, by the Leie and the Schelde, or out into the surrounding countryside. For quieter moments, I often spend time in the botanical garden or visit the Sint-Stefanuskerk. And one of my favorite weekend rituals is browsing the Sunday book market on the Ajuinlei.

My research focuses on intellectual networks and manuscript production in the Byzantine world, especially during the early Palaiologan period (roughly 1280–1350).

Can you give us the inside scoop on your work at Ghent University—what’s your role and what research are you currently diving into?

I’m a postdoctoral fellow in the Greek Section of the Department of Literary Studies. My day-to-day involves working with the Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams (DBBE)—a digital tool for collecting, cataloguing, and analyzing epigrams (short poems) produced by Byzantine authors. My research focuses on intellectual networks and manuscript production in the Byzantine world, especially during the early Palaiologan period (roughly 1280–1350). I’m particularly interested in how scholars communicated, influenced each other, and passed along texts.

Outside of research, how do you relax and keep your balance?

I try to keep a healthy balance by staying active—I enjoy walking, running, cycling around the outskirts of Ghent, going to the gym, and playing football. Cooking and reading are also ways I like to unwind. I’m a big football fan too, and I always keep an eye on Valencia CF. Beyond that, I make time to explore Belgium outside Ghent. Short trips to cities like Brussels, Leuven, Bruges, Antwerp, or Ostend—sometimes on my own, sometimes with family—have been wonderful ways to recharge.

I make time to explore Belgium outside Ghent. Short trips to cities like Brussels, Leuven, Bruges, Antwerp, or Ostend have been wonderful ways to recharge.

Word on the street is there’s been a big celebration in your life recently… would you like to tell us about it?

Yes! I recently got married. My wife and I come from different countries, so organizing a big celebration back home was tricky. Instead, we chose to celebrate here in Ghent with a small but meaningful ceremony at the beautiful Stadhuis, surrounded by our closest family. After five years together and many shared travels, marking this milestone here felt especially memorable.

Maria Rosa served as a postdoctoral researcher within the ERC project MELA, during which she focused on the epistolary corpus of Manuel Kalekas. With her project now concluded, she reflects on her time in Ghent and the many reasons she found it so rewarding.

Hi Maria Rosa! You joined our Section two years ago — hard to believe it’s been that long! Now that your contract has concluded, what do you think you are going to miss the most?

It’s incredible to think that two years have passed already — time really does fly! What I’ll miss the most is, without question, the friends and colleagues I’ve met here in Ghent. Our office was a truly special space — not just a workplace, but a lively hub where disciplines met and minds connected. We were a wonderfully diverse group: experts in Indo-European, Spanish, Byzantine and Germanic linguistics, in astronomy, and even in Byzantine poetry — a combination that might sound unusual at first, but which created an ideal environment for creative dialogue. Our spontaneous conversations — often beginning as casual chats over coffee — frequently turned into stimulating exchanges that influenced our respective projects in unexpected and productive ways.

That daily intellectual cross-pollination, the sense of shared curiosity, and above all, the warmth and humor of the people around me — these are the things I’ll carry with me and miss dearly.

Kalekas lived during a time of intense political, theological, and cultural conflict — a context that’s deeply reflected in his letters, which offer a unique window onto the ideological and emotional landscape of late fourteenth-century Byzantium.

You are a Byzantinist and a post-doc inside the MELA Project. Can you tell us more about your work?

Yes, absolutely! As a Byzantinist within the MELA project, my research focused on the epistolary corpus of Manuel Kalekas, one of the most fascinating intellectuals of the late Byzantine period. Kalekas lived during a time of intense political, theological, and cultural conflict — a context that’s deeply reflected in his letters, which offer a unique window onto the ideological and emotional landscape of late fourteenth-century Byzantium.

My work centered especially on the linguistic dimension of his epistles. I analyzed the stylistic and syntactic features of his Greek, identifying those elements that are distinctive of the so-called Palaiologan phase of Byzantine Greek. This included studying his use of rhetorical strategies, lexical choices, and morphosyntactic constructions — all of which help us understand not only his individual voice, but also the broader evolution of Byzantine prose in an era of East-West exchange and internal turmoil.

I’ve developed a very personal routine here in Ghent for unwinding after work. Most days, I’d go for a walk along the canals — something I never got tired of. (…) During those walks, I often went in search of a good Italian-style espresso — which, as many Italians in Belgium can confirm, is easier said than done!

How do you like to relax after a long day of brain gymnastics — Netflix, naps, or just staring blankly at a wall sipping coffee?

I’ve developed a very personal routine here in Ghent for unwinding after work. Most days, I’d go for a walk along the canals — something I never got tired of. The city has a way of calming you down with its quiet water, narrow streets, and ever-changing skies (yes, even the grey ones!).

During those walks, I often went in search of a good Italian-style espresso — which, as many Italians in Belgium can confirm, is easier said than done! After much trial and error, I came to the firm conclusion that the best espresso in town was not in any café, but right in our building: the one brewed in the Greeks’ kitchen on the first floor! That became something of a ritual — a moment of connection, caffeine, and conversation that perfectly capped off even the most intense day of research.

 

 

Marthe Nemegeer is our Staff Member of the Month! She recently began a position as PhD researcher under the supervision of Professor Andrea Cuomo. Her work focuses on the palaeographical, linguistic, and theological dimensions of Byzantine texts and translations. Olivier Demerre spoke with her about her research, her academic journey in Ghent and London, her commitment to teaching Greek to high school students, and the role of sports in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Succes, Marthe!

Hey Marthe! Could you tell us a bit more about your current position at Ghent University and what you’re working on for your research?

Hi Olivier, of course! I am currently funded by Ghent University as a PhD researcher under the supervision of Prof. Andrea Cuomo, while awaiting the outcome of my FWO application. My research proposal focuses on Manuel Kalekas’ Greek translation of St. Anselm’s Cur Deus homo, which I wish to study from a palaeographic, linguistic, and theological perspective. If my application is approved, I will prepare an edition of Kalekas’ autograph and then analyse the Greek text in comparison with the Latin using NLP tools. In addition to the linguistic analysis, I also aim to explore the broader context and impact of this translation on Byzantine thought. In the meantime, I am revising parts of my supervisor’s research on the scholia to Sophocles’ Electra and preparing an edition of Demetrios Kydones’ Homily on the Ascension of the Lord. So I have a few parallel projects going on, which keeps things varied and gives me the opportunity to explore different aspects of Byzantine studies.

You studied Greek in Ghent and completed part of your studies at the Royal Holloway in London; how was that experience, both academically and personally?

Indeed, I obtained a second MA in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies. Academically, I would say it was a very interesting and enriching experience to study in London and learn how their organisation differs from our Belgian institutions. London Universities (my program was taught jointly by Royal Holloway, King’s College, and University College) are actually very informal and administer much less exams than here in Ghent. Almost every course is assessed through short papers (often only 3000 words). Professors are addressed by their first names and students come to school in sweatpants – very odd… They also do not offer the same courses each year, which severely limits one’s options, but I immensely enjoyed my courses on papyrology with Nikolaos Gonis and Sanskrit with Italia Maddalena, even though they were both chosen as ‘second options’. Last but not least, London was the perfect base for visiting the universities of Oxford, Canterbury, and Cambridge.
To be honest, the personal experience was a bit disappointing. Because there was no set curriculum, I barely saw my fellow ‘LABS’ students who took different classes than me, so that it was hard to form close friendships. This is made even more difficult by the fact that London is so big and everyone comes from different places – sometimes hours away from the city – so meeting up for a quick coffee wasn’t easy. But I shouldn’t complain. I lived there with my cousin, who had just started a postdoc in biomedicine, and we explored the city together 😊

You’ve also taught one of the workshops for high school pupils which the section offers, what were they about, and what did you enjoy most about teaching them?

Yes, Anne and I taught two workshops together, giving high school pupils a ‘playful introduction to Ancient Greek’. As the name says, we introduced them to the basics – the what, when, and where of Ancient Greek. I really enjoyed seeing their growing enthusiasm throughout the class. At first, they have no idea what we are talking about, but as the session goes on, they begin to understand understanding, learn the alphabet, write their own names, and are challenged to find connections between their own language and Ancient Greek. In the first class, most pupils had Dutch as their mother tongue, but the second class was made up entirely of girls who spoke Arabic. This was particularly interesting and challenging for Anne and me.

We’ve heard you’re a big fan of sports, and that you might even be aiming for a spot (at least in the audience!) at the next Olympic Games… How does your passion for sports inspire or support your academic journey?

Haha, yes… we will see about the Olympics, but I do enjoy a lot of sports. I think it’s a great way to clear my head and take a step back from work when I cannot see the forest through the trees anymore. As we all know: mens sana in corpore sano. I also see many parallels between sports and academics: the discipline, the perfectionism, even the competition… In both fields, it’s about pushing limits, staying focused and constantly striving for improvement, though I hope that by doing both, I prevent myself from becoming too extreme in either. This thought reminds me of another Ancient wisdom: Μηδὲν ἄγαν 😉