Jehan Hillen
Short Biography
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2017-2020 – Bachelor of History (Geschiedenis) at Radboud University, Nijmegen Thesis subject: Representations of an usurper: Heraclius and the Byzantine imperial iconography (supervisor Prof. Dr. Olivier Hekster).
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2020-2022 – Research Master – Historical, Literary, and Cultural Studies (HLCS) – Historical track – Cum Laude - Thesis subject: The attributes of the emperor: a gradual transformation (378 - 711) (Supervisor Prof. Dr. Olivier Hekster & Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Iossif).
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Internship - Institute of Eastern Christianity (IVOC) – Investigating the conversion and reconversion of Byzantine churches in Thessaloniki (1430-1912).
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2022 (Summer) – Student Assistant – Radboud University, Nijmegen - This project consisted of the building of a numismatic Open-Linked-Data database of early Italian (non-Roman) coinage (4th – 1st century BC) under the supervision of Dr. Marleen Termeer.
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2023-present – Freelance Numismatic Expert (RCE project bronze hoard Southern Netherlands) - This project concerns the identification categorisation, and interpretation a Dutch hoard find of over 5000 late Roman bronze coins found in the province of Limburg under the supervision of Dr. Liesbeth Claes.
Research interests
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Numismatics
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Imperial imagery & ideology
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Early Christianity
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Visual communication
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Early Christian Iconography
Publications
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J. Hillen, ‘Pawns in a literary game: Contemporary Interpretations of Late Roman and Byzantine Coin Types’, Numismatic International Bulletin 59:7/8 (2024) 1-16.
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J. Hillen, ‘Who is the audience, emperor? Targeting audiences on late Roman and early Byzantine coins’, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology 10:2 (2023) 74-91.
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J. Hillen, S. Preiswerk, ‘A medal for Donato Bramante’, Things That Talk Story Link
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J. Hillen, V. Feron, ‘Pandemieën zijn vrijwel nooit sociaal neutraal’ – een interview met Tim Riswick’, Ex Tempore 1 (2022) 122-125.
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J. Hillen, ‘Recensie – Elena Boeck, The Bronze Horseman of Justinian: The Cross- Cultural Biography of a Mediterranean Monument’, Ex Tempore 1 (2022) 161- 163.
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J. Hillen, E. Hooghwinkel, ‘Van goede buur en vriend tot vijand en vreemdeling – Een interview met Marieke Oprel’, Ex Tempore 1 (2021) 14-19.
Lectures
- Moving Away from Arianism: An Identitarian Reading of the Ostrogothic Monuments in Ravenna - UWICAH – 19-11-2021.
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Who is the audience, emperor? Targeting audiences on late Roman and early Byzantine coins - ‘’Non Aes Sed Fides’ Vertrauen in Geld von der Antike bis ins 20. Jahrhundert – 30-06-2023.
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Voor welk publiek, keizer? ‘Audience targeting’ op laat-Romeinse en vroeg-Byzantijnse munten - Numismatische Kring Oost Nederland (NKON) 9-10-2023.
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Who is the audience, emperor? Targeting audiences on late Roman and early Byzantine coins - Byzantine Studies Netherlands (BSN) 15-12-2023.
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Ambigue en zeldzaam. De christelijke types van Constantijn - Numismatische Kring Oost Nederland (NKON) 08-01-2024.
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Challenges and methodologies in the interpretation of Theodosian Hoards – European Coin Find Network 2024 in Teyler’s Museum, Haarlem - 7-11-2024.
Other
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2021-2022 - Secretary & Treasurer – Ex Tempore – Radboud University, Nijmegen.
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2020-2022 - Student-editor – Ex Tempore – Radboud University, Nijmegen.
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2022 (April) – Training in Roman and Papal numismatics at the Dutch Institute in Rome during the ‘Faces of Power’ course.
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2022 (October) – Training in Numismatics at the Numismatische Herbstschule at the University of Münster.
Dissertation project
This research aims to analyse the transformations of imperial imagery in the period 306-711 AD, by focusing on surviving coins, statues, mosaics, seals, and other representational visual media. Imperial imagery continuously adapted to changing religious, cultural, political, and social conventions. This research studies that adaptation by analysing how Roman classical iconographic traditions and Christian (oriental) iconographic innovations shaped the late Roman and early Byzantine imperial image in the long term. A quantitative analysis of numismatic imagery between 306-711 AD will reveal how, when, and to what extent imperial numismatic self-representations were transformed. Imperial representations were an important way for Roman and Byzantine emperors to communicate their imperial ideology to different acceptance groups. By analysing the differences between trends in various forms of imperial representations and their intended audiences, this research could reveal to what extent imperial images were adjusted to their specific medium and their target audience. By considering imperial imagery over the long term this research will indicate the fluctuations, long-term breaks, and ‘radical’ changes in imperial iconography. Investigating these changes and the relations between the trends in various imperial representations reveals how the image of emperors gradually changed over time. Simultaneously, important moments of change could be connected with specific political, religious, or economic circumstances.