Johanna Schubert

PhD candidate - 1st cohort
Classical Philology/ Latin
Classical Philology/ Greek

Johanna Schubert is a doctoral researcher in the DFG Research Training Group 2792 „Autonomy of Heteronomous Texts in Antiquity and the Middle Ages“ at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU). Her thesis focuses on Aulus Gellius’s Noctes Atticae, whose form and content will be analyzed for heteronomous practices. As a work of the 2nd century AD, the Noctes Atticae position themselves as heirs to a tradition that is to be received, rediscovered and renewed. The aim of the thesis is to grasp the knotting techniques between old and new and to determine their significance for the work as a whole. Johanna Schubert holds a Bachelor’s degree in Latin Philology and Politics (teaching degree) from the Free University of Berlin (FU) and a Master’s degree in Classics, also from the FU, with a thesis on Seneca’s Epistulae morales (epist. 105). She has worked as a student assistant at the FU and at the Corpus Coranicum (BBAW). Her research interests lie in Latin philology, especially the Roman imperial period, in literary theory, and in the art of citation in antiquity.

Johanna Schubert

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
GRK 2792 (Theologische Fakultät)
Fürstengraben 6
07743 Jena

Research project

The dissertation project focuses on a phenomenon in the Noctes Atticae (NA) that has received little attention to date: conflict. Gellius often uses conflict in his depictions, be it in the form of dialogs, court proceedings or literary debates. As Gellius uses well-known contemporary personalities or historical figures as characters in his scenes, the work can be examined with the help of theoretical aspects of Georg Simmel’s sociological work “Der Streit” (1908), in which conflicts are understood not only as a divisive but also as an integrative force for societies.

Based on this premise, I pursue two lines of investigation: Firstly, I undertake a comprehensive analysis of the conflicts in the Noctes Atticae. In doing so, I analyze various forms of conflict and determine their significance for individual chapters as well as for the larger context of the work. Secondly, I consider the contemporary literary and cultural context in which Gellius operates, as well as the respective situation of his predecessor writings. How does the Gellian view transform past conflicts, and what new perspectives are gained through the controversial debate?

A systematic investigation of the various forms of conflict in narrative and non-narrative chapters is therefore planned, followed by a typology of the personae appearing in them. Preliminary results show that the Gellian role typology is reinforced with the help of agonal scenes. The ‘dos and don’ts’ of the Roman educated upper class are depicted stereotypically, which favors the reading public’s mimetic engagement with the texts.

Curriculum Vitae

Education
Since 01/2023

PhD-Candidate (FSU). Supervisors: Prof. Meinolf Vielberg, Prof. Rainer Thiel, Prof. Melanie Möller

10/2018 – 12/2022

Master of Arts Classical Philology (FU Berlin)

10/2011 – 02/2019

Bachelor of Arts Classical Philology and Politics with option to teach (FU Berlin)

Positions at University and Academy
08–12/2025

Research stay at the Mississippi State University (USA) funded by the Fulbright Program. Advisor: Prof. Scott J. DiGiulio

07/2023 – 09/2024

Co-Organization of the international conference "(Re)Create. Towards a Theory of Heteronomous Texts" (05-07 September 2024, Jena) together with Nicolas Campagnoli, Julia Ehinger (née Ritz), Christina Mergel, Johanna von Nathusius, Milan Vrljanovic and Sebastian Weinert. Conference Report (by Adrian Mehner, Raffael Schmidt, Diego Viola).

06/2019 – 12/2022

Research Assistant (Dr. Michael Marx, Corpus Coranicum at BBAW)

11/2017 – 02/2018

Contracts for the application of the project Corpus Coranicum Christianum (supervisor Dr. Manolis Ulbricht, FU Berlin)

04/2017 – 04/2020

Student Assistant (Prof. Melanie Möller, Chair of Latin Philology, FU Berlin)

06/2017 – 05/2019

Deputy Student Member of the Department Council of the Institut für Griechische und Lateinische Philologie (FU Berlin)

10–02/2016

Research Intern (Berliner Byzantinistik, FU Berlin)

09–10/2016

Collaboration on the application for the central teaching award 2016 „forschungsorientiert & digital“ of the FU Berlin (applicant: Dr. Manolis Ulbricht) – Official recognition of the teaching project „Digitalisierung der Philologie – Das Corpus Coranicum Christianum“ by the president of theFU Berlin

10/2014 – 06/2017

Mentor für Latin philology (FU Berlin)

Publications

Schubert, Johanna, „Periplus Maris Erythraei, §16. fulk (ar.) und epholkion (gr.). TUK 1562“, in: Michael Marx, BBAW (ed.): Corpus Coranicum. Texte aus der Umwelt des Koran, Berlin/Potsdam 2022, https://corpuscoranicum.de/de/verse-navigator/sura/2/verse/164/intertexts/1562.

Marx, Michael/Schubert, Johanna/Strauch, Timo/Yakup, Abdurishid, „Antikentransformation“, in: Christoph Markschies (ed.), BBAW-Bericht 2020/21, Berlin 2022, 80 f.

Schubert, Johanna, „Ibis“, in: Melanie Möller (ed.): Handbuch Ovid, Stuttgart 2021, 112–115, https://rdcu.be/cXRv1.

Schubert, Johanna/Engels, Vera, „Mensch und Welt“, in: Melanie Möller (ed.): Handbuch Ovid, Stuttgart 2021, 181–187, https://rdcu.be/cXRvt.

forthcoming

Schubert, Johanna, „Anecdotal agon. Using carmina minora as Rhetorical Weapons in Noctes Atticae 19, 9“, in: Margot Neger/Chiara DiSerio (edd.): Greek and Latin carmina minora in Context: The Situational Flexibility of Ancient ‘Minor Poetry’.

Schubert, Johanna, „Akademie“, in: Manfred Landfester/Melanie Möller/Michael Thimann (edd.): Das 19. Jahrhundert. Lexikon zur Antikerezeption in der frühen Moderne (1800–1914) (DNP Suppl.).

Schubert, Johanna, „Altertumswissenschaftliche Institute“, in: Manfred Landfester/Melanie Möller/Michael Thimann (Hgg.): Das 19. Jahrhundert. Lexikon zur Antikerezeption in der frühen Moderne (1800–1914) (DNP Suppl.) (bei den Hgg. eingereicht).

Schubert, Johanna, „Universität“, in: Manfred Landfester/Melanie Möller/Michael Thimann (Hgg.): Das 19. Jahrhundert. Lexikon zur Antikerezeption in der frühen Moderne (1800–1914) (DNP Suppl.) (bei den Hgg. eingereicht).

Blogbeiträge

forthcoming „Interview zur Gründung eines Frauen*netzwerks in der Klassischen Philologie“, mit Henrike Arnold, Laura Bottenberg, Mareike Ehlert, Paula Neumann, Saskia Schomber von Judith Adam, Käthe Hanschmann, Johanna Schubert (aufgenommen am 28. April 2025).

09/2024 „(Re)Create. Towards a Theory of Heteronomous Texts“, together with Christina Mergel/Sebastian Weinert.

07/2024 „Nebulöse Autoritäten. Vertrauen und Verunsicherung in NA 1, 2

Presentations

„Nebulöse Autoritäten. Vertrauen und Verunsicherung in NA 1, 2 und 19, 1“, Forschungskolloquium GRK 2792 (FSU Jena), 25 November 2024.

„Nebulöse Autoritäten. Vertrauen und Verunsicherung in NA 1, 2“, Gräzistisches Colloquium (Prof. Andreas Schwab, CAU Kiel), 19 June 2024.

„Für und wider den grammaticus. Die Noctes Atticae als unordentliche Enzyklopädie“, Conference „Wissenschaftssprache, Fachlexikographie, Fachdokumentation. Geschichte und Tendenzen“, Arbeitskreis HiGeWiS, 1–2 February 2024.

„Werkstattgespräch: Wie entwickle ich eine Forschungsfrage? Aulus Gellius als Autor des 2. Jh. n. Chr.“, Seminar „Buch und Bibliothek“ (Prof. Meike Rühl, Universität Osnabrück), 19 Januar 2024.

„Die Streitkultur in Aulus Gellius‘ Noctes Atticae“, Forschungskolloquium GRK 2792 (FSU Jena), 20 November 2023.

„Von Apophthegma bis Zitat. Formen der Heteronomie in Aulus Gellius‘ Noctes Atticae“, Workshop „Theorie und Text“ (Prof. Verena Schulz, Eichstätt/ Prof. Andreas Schwab, Kiel), 9 October 2023. Tagungsbericht (von Samantha Philips).

„Acting quotes; reading people. Quotation as an Instrument of Agonistic Organization“, Conference „sapiens ubique civis X“ (Universität Szeged, Hungary), 30 August–1 September 2023.

„Bildungskonzepte bei Aulus Gellius“, Seminar „Bildungskonzepte in der lateinischen Literatur“ (Prof. Matthias Perkams, FSU Jena), 27 June 2023.

„Alles nur Agon?! Gellius als Kritiker zwischen Zustimmung und Ablehnung“, 26. Aquilonia, FU Berlin, 24 June 2023.

„Aulus Gellius’ 398 Worte des Widerstands. Wieviel Eigenständigkeit steckt in der Kritik?“, im Forschungskolloquium GRK 2792, 8 May 2023.

„Anecdotal agon. Gellius as Listener, Reader, and Critic of Poems“, conference: Greek and Latin carmina minora in context, 18 March 2023.

Vortrag im Forschungscolloquium Latinistik und Mittellatein der FU Berlin, 24 November 2022.

zusammen mit Schnöpf, Markus „Praktischer Umgang mit Forschungsdaten am Abend eines Akademienvorhabens am Beispiel des Corpus Coranicum“, Workshop AG eHumanities der Akademienunion „Geisteswissenschaftliche Forschungsdaten“, 11 November 2022.

zusammen mit Nagel, Denise, „apes enim ego divinas bestias puto, quae mel vomunt (Petron 56, 6) – Wissen, Nutzen und Ästhetik der Biene in antiker griechisch-römischer Literatur“, 30. Jahrestagung der DGGTB 2022: Biologie und Literatur, 24 June 2022.

zotero – digital bibliography of Qurʾānic studies“, Workshop Digital Tools for Studying the Text of the Quran, 14 June 2022.

„Zur Funktion der Spiegelung in Ovids Ibis“, Forschungscolloquium Latinistik und Mittellatein der FU Berlin, 14 February 2019.

zusammen mit Litke, Katharina, Vortrag zu Gregor von Tours, Andreasakten, Nachwuchsforum Latein 2018, 14 April 2018.

zusammen mit Litke, Katharina, „Ovid, Ibis (V. 571–642)“, Nachwuchsforum Latein 2017, 29 April 2017.

zusammen mit Litke, Katharina, „Ovids Ibis (V. 571–644)“, Forschungscolloquium Latinistik und Mittellatein der FU Berlin.

Posterpresentation

„Gut streiten über strittige Güter? Konflikte im gellianischen Bildungsdiskurs“, 3. Klausurtagung des GRK 2792: Autonomie heteronomer Texte in Antike und Mittelalter, 19 February 2025.

„Von Apophthegma bis Zitat. Formen der Heteronomie in Aulus Gellius’ Noctes Atticae“, Eröffnungsveranstaltung des GRK 2792: Autonomie heteronomer Texte in Antike und Mittelalter, 10 January 2023