Augustine Dickinson and Jan Trosien Successfully Defend Their PhD Dissertations

4 July 2025

Photo: CSMC

Congratulations to Augustine Dickinson and Jan Trosien on finishing their PhD projects! Both defended their doctoral thesis in Ethiopian Studies and Ancient History, respectively, on 4 July.

Agustine Dickinson wrote his dissertation on Malkǝʾa Gubāʾe Manuscripts and the Development of Malkǝʾ Anthologies. In this work, he explores the handwritten collections of Malkǝʾa Gubāʾe, which bring together examples of malkǝʾ — a popular but largely overlooked form of Ethiopian poetry that also connects to songs and saints’ stories. Until now, no one has examined how these collections have changed across different times, locations, or uses. By carefully studying surviving manuscripts, Augustine’s thesis sheds light on how this poetry developed and why it matters in the literary and religious traditions of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

In ‘Communicating’ a ‘Code of Conduct’? Inscriptions containing Legal Regulations in Ancient Athens, Jan Trosien examined how ancient Greek laws were displayed in public spaces, carved into stone or bronze and placed on buildings or monuments in the city. These inscriptions are often seen as a way for citizens to read and follow the laws or as symbols of power belonging to the elite, especially since not everyone could read. Focusing on Athens, Jan investigates how these written laws were used and understood, considering where they were placed and how visible and understandable they were to people at the time. By looking at evidence from the 7th century BCE to late antiquity, he clarifies who these law inscriptions were really for and how they shaped life in the ancient city.