"New Signs of Antiquity: The Uses of Latin in the Public Culture of Fascist Italy (1922-1923)"

Department of Philosophy, Classics, and the History of Art and Ideas

Job description

A Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, and the History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and is associated with the project “New Signs of Antiquity: The Uses of Latin in the Public Culture of Fascist Italy (1922-1923)”. The candidate is expected to carry out research as part of the main project.

The position is available for a period of 3 years. There is a 10 % component of the position which is devoted to teaching and administrative duties.

About the project

“Rome is our starting point and our point of reference,” Benito Mussolini declared in 1922: “it is our symbol or, if you wish, our Myth”. Signs and symbols of Rome were everywhere in Mussolini’s Italy, from the symbol of the fasces to the ‘Roman’ salute. The ancient language of Rome, too, was part of the Fascist ‘cult of Rome’. Apart from Dux and SPQR, Latin words, phrases, and even short texts featured in, for instance, banners, stamps, and inscriptions all over Italy. Mussolini himself exclaimed, in Latin: Civis Romanus sum (“I am a Roman citizen”).

This project explores how and why Latin was deployed in Fascist propaganda. While previous work has primarily focused on literary texts, the project will specifically investigate the uses of Latin in Fascism’s material and visual culture, including public spectacles, grand-scale exhibitions, and architecture, as well as their ideological underpinning. The project also compares Fascism’s use of Latin with the ways in which other ancient languages and scripts (e.g., hieroglyphs and runes) have been used in other ideological contexts elsewhere. Additionally, the project team makes the often difficult-to-find heritage of Fascist Latin texts available in a scholarly responsible way, developing further the online database Fascist Latin Texts.

More information about the project can be found here. A summary project description is available for applicants on request (please contact Han Lamers).

More about the position

Within the context of this project, we are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who will elaborate a number of case studies of the use of Latin in Italy’s public culture under Fascism (to be published as journal articles) (1); contribute to the online repository Fascist Latin Texts with editions and introductions (ongoing online publication) (2); and assist with organizing workshops and conferences on subjects relevant to the project (3). The project team also envisions an anthology of selected Latin texts of this period with translations, to which the postdoctoral fellow will contribute (4).

The successful candidate is expected to become part of the research environment/network of the department and contribute to its development. He or she will work in an international team of researchers from Norway, the Netherlands, and Italy. The project involves a close collaboration with the Netherlands-based project “Anchoring Fascism” (Anchoring Innovation & University of Groningen). The main purpose of postdoctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

Qualification requirements

• PhD with a specialization in an area relevant to the project, such as classics, Latin literature, visual culture/art history, classical reception studies, and/or Italian cultural history.
• The candidate's projected research must be closely connected to “New Signs of Antiquity: The Uses of Latin in the Public Culture of Fascist Italy (1922-1923)”
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Command of Latin and working knowledge of Italian (reading)
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

Appointment is dependent on the defencs of the doctoral thesis being approved.

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The project’s scholarly merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to carry out the project within the allotted time frame and to contribute to the research of the project team
• Good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join in international academic collaboration within and across disciplines

We offer

• salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• a professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities
• Full list of scholarly publications
• Project proposal: candidates are expected to present (1) an abstract for a hypothetical paper on a case study or theoretical problem they consider relevant to the project (max. 500 words) and (2) a detailed plan for a hypothetical workshop/conference on a subject they consider relevant to the project (abstract of the subject; plan of the workshop/conference; list of envisioned speakers) (max. 1000 words).
• Up to 3 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered (these can be dissertation chapters)
• Copies of educational certificates (PhD, MA, BA)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.

The short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Expected start date: January 2022

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives.

Contact information

For questions about the position: Professor Han Lamers, e-mail han.lamers@ifikk.uio.no

For questions on how to apply: HR Adviser Julie Tøllefsen

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