Emma Dench

Emma Dench. She is a distinguished British classicist and historian specializing in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, renowned for her interdisciplinary work on Roman identity, ethnicity in the ancient world, and the construction of the past. Her scholarship, which bridges Classics, Ancient history, and anthropology, has been recognized with prestigious awards including a MacArthur Fellowship. Dench has held significant academic and administrative positions at leading institutions such as Harvard University and Birkbeck, University of London.

Early life and education

Emma Dench pursued her undergraduate studies in Classics at St. Hilda's College, Oxford, immersing herself in the foundational texts of Greek literature and Roman history. She then earned her PhD from University College London, where her doctoral research focused on the complex cultural and political dynamics of the Roman Republic. Her early academic formation was influenced by the rich scholarly traditions of British classical scholarship and the vibrant intellectual community in London.

Academic career

Dench began her teaching career at Birkbeck, University of London, an institution noted for its commitment to serving non-traditional and part-time students. Her work there established her as a leading voice in the study of ancient Italy and Roman imperialism. In 2007, she joined the faculty of Harvard University, holding appointments in the Department of the Classics and the Department of History, where she contributed to the renowned Loeb Classical Library and the Harvard University Press. She has also been a visiting scholar at institutions like the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Research and publications

Dench's research critically examines themes of identity formation, ethnicity, and cultural memory in the ancient Mediterranean. Her first major work, *From Barbarians to New Men: Greek, Roman, and Modern Perceptions of Peoples from the Central Apennines*, analyzed the integration of Italian peoples like the Sammites and Sabines into the Roman state. Her subsequent book, *Romulus' Asylum: Roman Identities from the Age of Alexander to the Age of Hadrian*, explores the fluid and constructed nature of Roman citizenship and Roman historiography. Her scholarship often engages with postcolonial theory and comparative studies of empire, influencing fields beyond Classics, including anthropology and modern historiography.

Administrative roles

At Harvard University, Dench has taken on significant leadership responsibilities, serving as the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where she oversaw doctoral programs across disciplines. She has also chaired the Department of the Classics, guiding its curriculum and faculty development. In these roles, she has been instrumental in initiatives supporting graduate student funding and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between departments such as History, Archaeology, and the Humanities Center.

Awards and honors

In 2002, Emma Dench was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, often called the "genius grant," in recognition of her innovative contributions to the study of the ancient world. She has also been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a testament to her standing within the broader academic community. Her work has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and she has delivered invited lectures, including the prestigious Sather Lectures at the University of California, Berkeley.

Category:British classicists Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Harvard University faculty