Bookshelf

Research

My research interests involve the literary and textual aspects of the works of Apuleius, Petronius, Fronto, Cicero, Frontinus, Hyginus, Firmicus Maternus, pseudo-Quintilian's Major Declamations, Seneca (Apocolocyntosis and Quaestiones Naturales) and Vergil for Latin, Lucian of Samosata and Plutarch for Greek, as well as broader themes such as Platonism and Greco-Roman magic. My first book, Magic in Apuleius’ Apologia. Understanding the charges and the forensic strategies in Apuleius’ speech, was published in 2019 by De Gruyter. My second monograph, a commentary on Apuleius’ Metamorphoses 3 for the Brill series Groningen Commentaries on Apuleius (GCA) was published in September 2021. My third book, a volume edited with Ben Cartlidge and entitled Middle Platonism in its Literary Context, came out with Oxford University Press for the BICS Themed Issues series in 2023.

I am organising with Stefan Tilg the international conference ‘Cicero: Orator et Poeta – Cicero’s Use of and reflection on Poetry’, which will take place at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg on 12 and 13 May 2025. The conference will be generously funded by the Fritz-Thyssen Stiftung and the programme is available here.

I also organised a conference entitled ‘The Politics of Archaism in the Imperial Period’ (Bristol, 01/07/2022), sponsored by the IGRCT, the University of Bristol, the Classical Association, and the Institute of Classical Studies. More information about the conference's aims and its programme is available here.

Furthermore, I am also leading the project Fragmenta Iguvina, which aims at the publication of the unidentified manuscript fragments at the Biblioteca Comunale Sperelliana (Gubbio). More information about the project is available here.

Teaching and Supervision

Starting from September 2024 I will be teaching the following undergraduate units:

- Latin A1 and A2 (terms 1&2)

- Greek C1 and D1 (term 1)

- Trojan War in Ancient Literature (term 1)

- Pagan Religions of the Roman Empire (term 2)

I am also collaborating with the Centre for Medieval Studies, contributing teaching on palaeography and codicology to the MA units Research Skills for Medievalists and History of the Book for the MA Medieval Studies programme. As of January 2024, I am the Programme Director of the MA in Medieval Studies.

I was nominated for the Inspiring and Innovative Teaching Award, Outstanding Research Supervision Award, and Outstanding Personal Tutoring Award in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and was shortlisted for the same award in 2022 (for more information, see here).

I am currently supervising a PhD student, Laura Rogari, with Prof. Simona Inserra (Università degli Studi di Catania). Laura's project is devoted to the digitisation and study of the manuscript fragments found in Gubbio, Italy.

Biography

I started learning Ancient Greek and Latin at the Liceo Classico – Mazzatinti in Gubbio, my hometown in Umbria, and I continued studying classics at the University of Perugia for my BA (2011) and MA (2012/2013). I then took a PhD at the University of Leeds (2013-2016) with a dissertation devoted to Apuleius’ Apologia and ancient magic. After completing my doctorate I remained at Leeds as a Temporary Lecturer in 2017 before moving to Freiburg in summer 2017 for a DAAD short-term postdoc focusing on the reception of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses.

Between 2017 and 2018 I held a number of teaching and research posts at Leeds, Cassino, Bologna, and Bari before rejoining the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg as a Fritz-Thyssen Research Fellow and a lecturer during the last two years (2018-2020). I was delighted to join the Department of Classics & Ancient History at the University of Bristol in November 2020, where I am now a Lecturer in Classics.

Current administrative roles and HEA qualifications

Here at Bristol I also hold the roles as Humanities Summer School Coordinator, Humanities Employability Officer, and Programme Director of the MA Medieval Studies in collaboration with the Centre for Medieval Studies, serving as a member of its Executive Committee.

In May 2022 I was appointed Fellow of the HEA and I am currently preparing an application for the HEA Senior Fellowship.

Finally, I am a member of the CUCD Standing Committee and have the pleasure to serve as the CUCD Statistics Officer.