PhD Positions in Graeco-Roman Theatre, Cultural History and Classics (TheSPIS MSCA Doctoral Network) Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz in Germany

TheSPIS (Theaters, Sanctuaries, Performance: Interaction and Sustainability) is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network recruiting 12 PhD candidates in Classics-related research. The call is especially relevant for applicants interested in Graeco-Roman theatre, ancient history, archaeology, philology, cultural history, ancient religion, and the social role of performance in antiquity.

The network’s research programme examines theatres as spaces of ritual, social discourse, and interaction with sanctuaries and ancient religion. Project 6, hosted at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, focuses on “Enacted conflicts: reverberations between stage, audience and society in the Graeco-Roman theatre.” It studies how theatre mediates tensions such as female–male, enslaved–free, and mass–elite, using textual, iconographic, architectural, and archaeological sources.

Open PhD positions are distributed across Università degli studi di Palermo, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, University of Patras, and Université de Lorraine. The post states that international graduates in Graeco-Roman antiquities are being hired, with three weeks remaining to apply at the time of posting. The network is EU-funded through MSCA, indicating a funded doctoral opportunity rather than a self-funded place.

Applicants should have a strong background in one or more of the listed Classics fields, especially Archaeology, History, or Philology, and an interest in ancient theatre, sanctuaries, religion, and cultural history. For project-specific questions, the post directs candidates to Prof. Heide Frielinghaus at Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

For full application instructions, eligibility details, and the list of all 12 doctoral projects, consult the official TheSPIS website and the project page for Project 6.