Conference: Roman History in Carolingian Europe While Charlemagne’s 'renovatio' is often associated with a broad revival of Roman ideals, its crucial role in the preservation and transmission of Roman historiography is less widely recognized. Many surviving texts of Roman historians—such as Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius, Ammianus Marcellinus, and others—are primarily known to us through Carolingian manuscripts produced in centres like Fulda, Lorsch, Hersfeld, and Tours. The Carolingian period thus played a pivotal role in safeguarding Roman historical writing. To explore this intellectual legacy, the University of Edinburgh and the AHRC-funded 'The Last Historians of Rome' project will host a conference from 22–24 September 2025. The event will examine how Roman historical texts were read, copied, and integrated into Carolingian scholarship. It will bring together scholars of ancient historiography, manuscript transmission, and early medieval intellectual culture. Topics will range from individual historians and Carolingian scholars, to manuscript studies, and the broader cultural significance of Roman historical texts in the early Middle Ages. This conference is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number: AH/Z505936/1], with support from ‘Patrum Lumen Sustine’ (PLuS). More on the project Conference programme Monday 22 September - Room 1.55, 2-6pm Panel 1 Reading Rome in the Carolingian WorldMatthew Edholm (Thomas More College, New Hampshire), Rudolf of Fulda and the Mechanics of InheritanceClara Bykvist (University of Oxford), Remnants of Roman History in the Reading, Copying, and Glossing of Philosophy in the Ninth CenturyKeynote Lecture, Lars Boje Mortensen (Syddansk Universitet), Conquest and Cultural Appropriation: How the Latin Classics Re-emerged. Please note that this will take place in Sydney Smith lecture Theatre, Doorway 1, Medical School, Teviot Place. Tuesday 23 September - Room 1.50, 9:30am-6:30pm Panel 2 Carolingian Readers and Adaptations:Michael I. Allen (University of Chicago), Roman History in Lupus of FerrièresJustin A. Stover (University of Edinburgh) and George Woudhuysen (University of Nottingham) New evidence for the circulation of the Libellus breuiatus (Epitome de Caesaribus) in the Ninth CenturyPanel 3 Teaching and Textual Transmission:Mariken Teeuwen (Huygens Institute-Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Roman History in the Carolingian Scriptorium: The Case of Justin’s Epitome of Pompeius TrogusGiuseppe Galtieri (Università degli Studi di Salerno), Echoes of Rome: Historical glosses to the AeneidPanel 4 Collections and florilegia:Veronica Fiscella (University of Edinburgh), The Codex Bambergensis of the Historia Augusta and its correctionsMarcello Nobili (Università “G. Marconi”, Roma), The Florilegium Pal. Lat. 886 of the Historia AugustaMarek Thue Kretschmer (Université de Lorraine), The Historiographical Compilation of Bamberg Hist. 3: Recent Research and New PerspectivesKeynote Lecture, Rosamond McKitterick (University of Cambridge): Scribes and Readers of Roman History in Carolingian Europe. Please note that this will take place in Sydney Smith lecture Theatre, Doorway 1, Medical School, Teviot Place. Wednesday 24 September - Room 4.35, 9:30am-12:30pm Panel 5 Ammianus, Josephus, and Vegetius:Agnese Bargagna (University of Edinburgh) Different hands in the Fuldensis (Vat. Lat. 1873) of Ammianus MarcellinusAnthony Ellis (Universität Bern), Josephus’ Jewish War in Carolingian Scriptoria. The Curious Fate of ‘Greek’ Words in Latin ManuscriptsCharles West (University of Edinburgh), From De re militari to De procinctu: Vegetius in Carolingian Mainz POSTER SESSION Postgraduate and early career scholars funded by the ‘Patrum Lumen Sustine’ Foundation: Donato Sitaro (Research Fellow, Università di Napoli ‘Federico II’), Davide Francesco Zetto (PhD Student, Università di Venezia ‘Ca’ Foscari’), Stephanie Strand (MA Student, University of Stockholm)" Sep 22 2025 - Sep 24 2025 Conference: Roman History in Carolingian Europe This conference will explore the ways in which these historians were read and copied in the Carolingian period and the role of Roman historical texts and scholarship in Carolingian intellectual life, bringing together specialists in ancient history and textual editing with scholars of early medieval Europe. Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF Find the venue Register (free)
Conference: Roman History in Carolingian Europe While Charlemagne’s 'renovatio' is often associated with a broad revival of Roman ideals, its crucial role in the preservation and transmission of Roman historiography is less widely recognized. Many surviving texts of Roman historians—such as Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius, Ammianus Marcellinus, and others—are primarily known to us through Carolingian manuscripts produced in centres like Fulda, Lorsch, Hersfeld, and Tours. The Carolingian period thus played a pivotal role in safeguarding Roman historical writing. To explore this intellectual legacy, the University of Edinburgh and the AHRC-funded 'The Last Historians of Rome' project will host a conference from 22–24 September 2025. The event will examine how Roman historical texts were read, copied, and integrated into Carolingian scholarship. It will bring together scholars of ancient historiography, manuscript transmission, and early medieval intellectual culture. Topics will range from individual historians and Carolingian scholars, to manuscript studies, and the broader cultural significance of Roman historical texts in the early Middle Ages. This conference is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number: AH/Z505936/1], with support from ‘Patrum Lumen Sustine’ (PLuS). More on the project Conference programme Monday 22 September - Room 1.55, 2-6pm Panel 1 Reading Rome in the Carolingian WorldMatthew Edholm (Thomas More College, New Hampshire), Rudolf of Fulda and the Mechanics of InheritanceClara Bykvist (University of Oxford), Remnants of Roman History in the Reading, Copying, and Glossing of Philosophy in the Ninth CenturyKeynote Lecture, Lars Boje Mortensen (Syddansk Universitet), Conquest and Cultural Appropriation: How the Latin Classics Re-emerged. Please note that this will take place in Sydney Smith lecture Theatre, Doorway 1, Medical School, Teviot Place. Tuesday 23 September - Room 1.50, 9:30am-6:30pm Panel 2 Carolingian Readers and Adaptations:Michael I. Allen (University of Chicago), Roman History in Lupus of FerrièresJustin A. Stover (University of Edinburgh) and George Woudhuysen (University of Nottingham) New evidence for the circulation of the Libellus breuiatus (Epitome de Caesaribus) in the Ninth CenturyPanel 3 Teaching and Textual Transmission:Mariken Teeuwen (Huygens Institute-Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Roman History in the Carolingian Scriptorium: The Case of Justin’s Epitome of Pompeius TrogusGiuseppe Galtieri (Università degli Studi di Salerno), Echoes of Rome: Historical glosses to the AeneidPanel 4 Collections and florilegia:Veronica Fiscella (University of Edinburgh), The Codex Bambergensis of the Historia Augusta and its correctionsMarcello Nobili (Università “G. Marconi”, Roma), The Florilegium Pal. Lat. 886 of the Historia AugustaMarek Thue Kretschmer (Université de Lorraine), The Historiographical Compilation of Bamberg Hist. 3: Recent Research and New PerspectivesKeynote Lecture, Rosamond McKitterick (University of Cambridge): Scribes and Readers of Roman History in Carolingian Europe. Please note that this will take place in Sydney Smith lecture Theatre, Doorway 1, Medical School, Teviot Place. Wednesday 24 September - Room 4.35, 9:30am-12:30pm Panel 5 Ammianus, Josephus, and Vegetius:Agnese Bargagna (University of Edinburgh) Different hands in the Fuldensis (Vat. Lat. 1873) of Ammianus MarcellinusAnthony Ellis (Universität Bern), Josephus’ Jewish War in Carolingian Scriptoria. The Curious Fate of ‘Greek’ Words in Latin ManuscriptsCharles West (University of Edinburgh), From De re militari to De procinctu: Vegetius in Carolingian Mainz POSTER SESSION Postgraduate and early career scholars funded by the ‘Patrum Lumen Sustine’ Foundation: Donato Sitaro (Research Fellow, Università di Napoli ‘Federico II’), Davide Francesco Zetto (PhD Student, Università di Venezia ‘Ca’ Foscari’), Stephanie Strand (MA Student, University of Stockholm)" Sep 22 2025 - Sep 24 2025 Conference: Roman History in Carolingian Europe This conference will explore the ways in which these historians were read and copied in the Carolingian period and the role of Roman historical texts and scholarship in Carolingian intellectual life, bringing together specialists in ancient history and textual editing with scholars of early medieval Europe. Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF Find the venue Register (free)
Sep 22 2025 - Sep 24 2025 Conference: Roman History in Carolingian Europe This conference will explore the ways in which these historians were read and copied in the Carolingian period and the role of Roman historical texts and scholarship in Carolingian intellectual life, bringing together specialists in ancient history and textual editing with scholars of early medieval Europe.
