Princeton Classics

08/31/2026

Congratulations to the newly minted Dr. Chiara Battisti on completing her doctorate AND beginning a prestigious fellowship with the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at SFU!

"After defending my dissertation on Roman Republican magistrates in Greek sanctuaries, I am delighted to be joining Simon Fraser University as the 2026–2027 Hellenisms Past and Present, Local and Global Postdoctoral Fellow at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies. During the fellowship, I will continue developing my research on cultural brokerage in antiquity, while also expanding my interests in the intellectual and cultural history of the Greek diaspora and exploring connections between ancient and modern Hellenisms. I am grateful to everyone who supported me throughout this journey and excited for the research, teaching, and new collaborations of the year ahead."
—Dr. Chiara Battisti *26

08/31/2026

Featuring grad alum Dr. Alicia Ejsmond-Frey *19!

Recent Princeton alumni from the University’s 50-plus humanities departments and programs have gone on to a breathtaking array of careers.

08/29/2026

We are proud to share this announcement of a new partnership between PYRPHOROS, Princeton's Undergraduate Research Journal in Classics, and the Save Ancient Studies Alliance!

📣SASA is proud to announce a new partnership related to ancient studies on Port Ancient ⛵️

🎉 Pyrophoros: The Princeton Undergraduate Classics Journal
⚓️ https://classics.princeton.edu/pyrphoros-princeton-undergraduate-classics-journal.

Pyrophoros is an undergraduate classics journal begun by Jack Geld, a recent Classics graduate from the university. They provide students with a space to share their varied interests in the classical world. They publish volumes of student articles online, and they are free for all to read. They hope to help anyone who is excited about Classics to explore academic topics and connect with others who have a shared passion for antiquity.

✨ Want your project to be featured as well?✨
Email us at [email protected] on how your project can set anchor at SASA’s Port Ancient gallery! saveancientstudies.org/port-ancient

08/28/2026

With summer drawing to a close, a band of top experts in ancient Greek political history assembled last week at the Palazzo d'Azeglio in Turin for "Officials and their Powers in Ancient Greece," a conference organized by Matt Simonton of Princeton and Mirko Canevaro and Marco Santini *21 of the University of Edinburgh!

FROM LEFT: Beatrice Pestarino, Claire Taylor, Marco Santini, Matt Simonton, Melissa Lane, Foivos Karachalios, Christian Mann, Maurizio Giangiulio, Mirko Canevaro, Florian Forster, Julie Bernini, Gunnar Seelentag, Josine Blok, Laura Loddo

An initiative of Princeton University, the University of Edinburgh, UK Research and Innovation, and Fondazione 1563.

08/27/2026

Princeton Alumni! Join Prof. Graziosi on September 22 for a TigerSide Chat on (what else?) Homer's Odyssey!

This special TigerSide Chat will explore Homer’s “The Odyssey” and its enduring legacy. From antiquity to the present, the epic has captivated readers, inspired artists and scholars, and continually been reimagined across mediums and cultures. Join us to discover why Odysseus’s journey remai...

08/25/2026

Welcome to Princeton! And thanks to all the classicists of the Great Class of 2030 who stopped by the Princeton Classics table at yesterday's Academic Expo.

Watch out for "Cookies and Classics," our undergraduate open house on September 17. And make sure to sign up while there's still (dwindling space) in our fall courses!

08/17/2026

This week's summer field report comes from classics major Alexa Galué!

"I spent this summer working on the Despotiko dig, organized through College Year in Athens. The site is a sanctuary to Apollo with finds dating from the Early Iron Age to the Classical Period. I spent the first three weeks excavating at the site and it was a wonderful experience being able to unearth things that tell us more about the cult activity and culture of the sanctuary! The final week I spent time in the Archaeological Museum of Paros where I catalogued the special finds from this year’s dig. We had a daily lecture led by archaeologist Dr. Alexandra Alexandridou from the University of Ioannina and the topics ranged from archeological practices to cult activity in Ancient Greece. When I wasn’t digging or cataloging, I had the chance to hike on Despotiko and explore the nearby islands such as Naxos, where I visited the Temple of Apollo and the Temple of Demeter, and Delos. I am very grateful to have participated in this project!"
—Alexa Galué '28

08/04/2026

We're so pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Letteney *20 joins Princeton's faculty this year as Assistant Professor of Religion, and an affiliated faculty member in Classics!

An ancient historian and archaeologist studying ancient Christianity, the history of incarceration, and the archaeology of military occupation, Prof. Letteney is the author of two open-access books and serves as assistant director on the excavation of the Roman 6th Legion at Legio, Israel.

Welcome back to Princeton, Prof. Letteney!

Mark Letteney joined Princeton’s Department of Religion in 2026. He is an ancient historian and archaeologist studying ancient Christianity, the history of incarceration, and the archaeology of military occupation. Prior to joining the Department of Religion, he held the Carol Thomas Endowed Profe...

08/01/2026

"Christopher Nolan comes out of this movie as a very careful as well as creative reader of Homer. The Odyssey speaks to different people at different times in different ways, and that’s one of the definitions of a classic text."

How accurate is Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'? Prof. Barbara Graziosi spoke yesterday with Indira Lakshmanan of to discuss how Nolan's film stacks up against other adaptations of "The Odyssey."

Listen along at the link below!

Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey” is raking in an epic box office haul.

07/23/2026

The Princeton Classics Annual Newsletter is here! Fresh off the printer and heading to mailboxes worldwide, the Summer 2026 issue includes profiles of students and faculty, as well as features on all major department news and events from the 2025–26 academic year.

Click here to read online: https://classics.princeton.edu/department/news/2026-princeton-classics-newsletter

(And thanks to Mali Skotheim for another great cover!)