Professor of Classics

601.974.1299

BA, University of Cincinnati; MA, PhD, University of Wisconsin

Holly Sypniewski is an Associate Professor of Classics. She teaches Greek and Latin at all levels, study abroad courses in Italy, and a range of courses on Greek and Roman civilization including Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World. She received her MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her BA from the University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include Latin poetry, the epic tradition, ancient graffiti, and the reception of classical texts by later authors.

“No matter what I teach, I try to bring the ancient world to life for students and to help students connect with the past. If we’re reading Cicero’s Latin orations, then we’re going to learn how to wear a toga and recite those speeches in Latin. Classical literature is so much more than text on a page! Traveling to Italy with my students is one my favorite aspects of teaching. No book can replicate the experience of discussing Julius Caesar in the middle of the Roman Forum, or learning about Roman wall painting by walking through the rooms of a Roman villa in Pompeii. I’ve recently joined a long-term research project on ancient graffiti at Herculaneum and Pompeii and look forward to my students joining in that research.”