Job Information
Organisation/Company: Université de Strasbourg Department: Direction des ressources humaines Research Field: Literature Researcher Profile: Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions: Postdoc Positions Application Deadline: 31 Aug 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Country: France Type of Contract: Temporary Job Status: Full-time Offer Starting Date: 1 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research…
Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
Position description
Position identification
- Title of post: Postdoctoral research in Greek and Latin literature as part of the ETNA project (IdEx Recherche 2026)
- Type of contract: Fixed-term postdoctoral contract
- Category (A,B or C): A
- Contract/project period: 1 year Expected date of employment: 1 November 2026 or 1 December 2026, depending on the availability of the successful candidate
- Proportion of work: 100%
- Workplace: UR 3094 CARRA (Centre for the Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in Antiquity)
- Desired level of education: PhD (awarded less than three years prior to the date of recruitment)
- Experience required: This post must be the candidate’s first postdoctoral position.
- Contact(s) for information on the position (identity, position, e-mail address, telephone): Alice Leflaëc, MCF, leflaec@unistra.fr; Maud Pfaff-Reydellet, MCF HDR, mpfaff@unistra.fr
- Date of publication: 3rd July 2026
- Closing date for the receipt of applications: 31 August 2026
- Interviews will be held during the week of 14 September (video conferencing possible).
Research project or operation
The postdoctoral research forms part of the project ETNA ‘ÉTrange NATure! Collecting and explaining the wonders of the world from antiquity to the present day’, which was awarded funding (IdEX Recherche 2026, University of Strasbourg). Falling within the field of ecopoetic studies, the project examines the place and role of wonder in the conception of extraordinary natural phenomena. Drawing on a survey of mirabilia in ancient Greek and Latin literature and an analysis of the discourse surrounding these strange phenomena, the aim is to identify the main trends and developments in the way mirabilia were understood, and to examine the complexity and strangeness of living things in Antiquity.
The accounts of Ancient literature will also be cross-referenced with contemporary research and discourse on biodiversity and the extraordinary abilities of certain animals and plants. The aim will be to explore the element of irreducible strangeness in nature and to reflect on the frameworks for analysis and the ways in which they - and we - view nature and living things.
The project involves the creation of a database on mirabilia in ancient Greek and Latin literature, as well as the compilation of a collective monograph on the wonders of nature and how they were perceived. Research workshops will be organised in 2026–2027 (five sessions) to draw on the expertise of various specialists, and an international conference is planned for 2028.
Activities
Description of the research activities:
The first phase of the ETNA project will focus on the study of mirabilia in Latin literature from the late Republican period and the early Empire: it will examine reflections on the integration of wonders into the world order, as well as the scientific and philosophical questions raised in the texts of that period.
The successful candidate will be responsible for analysing a series of texts from the following corpus: Lucretius, De rerum natura, 6; Seneca, Naturales quaestiones; Pliny the Elder, Naturalis historia.
The tasks required will be as follows:
- Identifying mirabilia in the corpus (marking up passages, identifying the type of mirabile)
- Encoding the passages under study in XML-TEI with a view to creating the database
No prior knowledge of XML-TEI encoding is required: training will be provided if necessary.
- Analysis of the discourse on the mirabile and the possible role of wonder in each identified passage
- Writing of chapters in the collective monograph on the perception of mirabilia in the corpus under study.
Related activities:
- The successful candidate will be required to be in Strasbourg at least one Friday a month from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm (team meeting in the morning and research workshops in the afternoon).
- Participation in all scientific events related to the project during the postdoctoral year.
Skills
Qualifications/knowledge:
A degree in Classical Philology or Ancient History, with an excellent command of Latin and Greek. A PhD is required. If the thesis has not yet been defended, a certificate must be provided stating the date of the defence.
Operational skills/expertise:
The working language will be French: a C1 level in French is required.
Personal qualities:
The successful candidate is expected to be highly motivated, fully committed to the project, interested in interdisciplinary dialogue, and able to work as part of a team.
Environment and context of work
Presentation of the laboratory/unity:
UR 3094 CARRA (Centre for the Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in Antiquity) is the research unit for ancient languages and literature at the University of Strasbourg and is attached to the Faculté des Lettres. Its main area of study is language in its relationship with the divine and the sacred, forms of expression addressed to the gods, and the various ways of expressing religious consciousness and sentiment.
UR 3094 CARRA is part of several networks in Strasbourg, as well as national and international ones, in particular the GIS SCIRTHES ‘Religious Studies and Theology in Strasbourg’, the GIRPAM (International Research Group on Poetry of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages) and the ITI HiSAAR (History, Sociology, Archaeology and Anthropology of Religions).
Hierarchical relationship:
The successful candidate will be supervised by Maud Pfaff-Reydellet and Alice Leflaëc, the two ETNA project leaders, as well as by Catherine Notter, a permanent member of the research unit CARRA.
Special conditions of practice (notice attached):
The successful candidate will be granted membership of UR 3094 CARRA.
A desk in a shared office at the Faculté des Lettres and a computer will be provided.
To apply
Applications must be submitted in digital format by 31 August 2026 at the latest to Alice Leflaëc (leflaec@unistra.fr) and Maud Pfaff-Reydellet (mpfaff@unistra.fr).
It must include:
- a CV (maximum 5 pages)
- a cover letter
- a copy of the PhD degree certificate (or a certificate stating the date set for the defence, if this has not yet taken place)
- if applicable, the defence report
- a scientific article.
Where to apply
E-mail: leflaec@unistra.fr
Requirements
Research Field: Literature
Education Level: PhD or equivalent
Internal Application form(s) needed
Job description_ETNA Project_English version.pdf
English
(80.7 KB - PDF)
Recrutement_Postdoctorant_ETNA.pdf
English
(146.47 KB - PDF)
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: UR 3094 CARRA (Centre for the Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in Antiquity)
Country: France
Contact
City: Strasbourg
Website: https://www.unistra.fr/
Street: 4 rue Blaise Pascal
Postal Code: 67000
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