Charalambos Dendrinos | Royal Holloway, University of London (original) (raw)

Dr Charalambos Dendrinos currently holds the post of Senior Lecturer in Byzantine Literature and Greek Palaeography in the History Department, School of Humanities of Royal Holloway, University of London (RHUL). His research concentrates on the study of Greek manuscripts (MSS) and the editing of unpublished Byzantine literary and theological texts, particularly works by Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos (1391-1425) and members of his intellectual entourage

Born and educated in Athens, Dr Dendrinos read History for his BA at the American College of Greece and pursued MA and PhD studies at RHUL. For his doctoral thesis he produced an editio princeps of Manuel II Palaiologos' treatise on the procession of the Holy Spirit and other theological works published by Brepols in the Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca, vol. 71 (2022). In parallel with his research in Greek MSS, he developed a keen interest in digital humanities, aiming to spread knowledge and scholarship to a wider audience. This led to his active participation in innovative editorial and palaeographical projects including the "Porphyrogenitus Project" involving IT and AI in producing electronic Lexicon of Abbreviations and Ligatures in Greek Minuscule Hands (1991-); the British Library Greek MSS Digitisation Project (2009-15); the online Electronic Edition of George Etheridge’s autograph Greek Encomium on Henry VIII (1566) (2011-13); and the online electronic Descriptive Catalogue of the Lambeth Palace Library Greek Manuscript Collection (2012-14). Since 2010, he co-directs with Prof. John Demetracopoulos (University of Patras) the "Thomas de Aquino Byzantinus" International Project preparing critical editions of Greek translations of, and commentaries on Aquinas’ works by Palaiologan authors, which shed light to this largely unexplored area. Collaborating with fellow scholars has been central in Dr Dendrinos' work, especially in co-editing collective volumes and Festschriften. His long and fruitful collaboration with his teacher and mentor, the late Julian Chrysostomides, prompted the publication of two volumes with Proceedings of International Colloquia organised by The Hellenic Institute which they co-edited; The Greek Islands and the Sea (Porphyrogenitus; Camberley, 2004), and (also with Jonathan Harris) “Sweet Land …”: Lectures on the History and Culture of Cyprus (Porphyrogenitus: Camberley, 2006); and two volumes, one in her honour co-edited with Jonathan Harris, Eirene Harvalia-Crook and Judith Herrin, Porphyrogenita: Essays on the History and Literature of Byzantium and the Latin East in Honour of Julian Chrysostomides (Ashgate, 2003), and one in her memory co-edited with Michael Heslop, Byzantium and Venice: 1204-1453. Collected Studies by Julian Chrysostomides (Ashgate: Variorum, 2011). Two further honorary volumes offered to distinguished Byzantinists include Bibliophilos. Books and Learning in the Byzantine World: Festschrift in honour of Costas N. Constantinides, coedited with Ilias Giarenis (Byzantinisches Archiv, 39) (de Gruyter: Boston/Berlin/Munich, 2021), and Χάρισμα. Festschrift in honour of Emeritus Research Director Nikos G. Moschonas, coedited with Ilias Giarenis and Angeliki Panopoulou, (National Hellenic Research Foundation, Ionian University and RHUL, forthcoming).

Since 1997 Dr Dendrinos has been co-directing the University of London Working Seminar on Editing Byzantine Texts. This Seminar, to our knowledge the only of its kind in Britain, continues the legacy of its founders, Julian Chrysostomides (†2008), Joseph A. Munitiz S.J. (†2022), and Prof. Athanasios Angelou, preparing the next generation of scholars, philologists and palaeographers in the University of London. A fruit of this Seminar was the volume with an annotated edition, translation and study of The Letter of the Three Patriarchs to Emperor Theophilos and Related Texts, edited by Joseph A. Munitiz, Julian Chrysostomides, Charalambos Dendrinos and Eirene Harvalia-Crook (Porphyrogenitus: Camberley, 1997).

Succeeding Julian Chrysostomides as Director of The Hellenic Institute at RHUL in October 2008, Dr Dendrinos is continuing his predecessor’s efforts to promote Byzantine and Hellenic Studies at Royal Holloway and the University of London by co-organising events for the academic community and the wider public, including lectures, seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibition and concerts; and raising funds among internal and external funding bodies and donors for postgraduate student annual scholarships, bursaries and prizes, towards the establishment of the Centre of Greek Diaspora Studies (CGDS), and the consolidation of teaching and research posts, including a full-time Lectureship in Modern Greek History at Royal Holloway, the only of its kind in a British University.

Dr Dendrinos is member of the Council for the Defence of the British Universities (CDBU) (2013 –) and elected member of the Academic Board of Royal Holloway, University of London (2022-25).
Supervisors: Advisor and Supervisor to doctoral theses mainly involving Byzantine literature, Greek palaeography and ditions of Byzantine texts

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