IHUM Fellow: Anise Strong

Anise Strong Anise K. Strong studies Roman social history, gender and sexuality in the ancient world, and the reception of classical culture in modern mass media. She received her Ph.D. in Classical Studies from Columbia University and her B.A. from Yale University in Classical Civilization. She has taught at Northwestern University, Columbia, and the City College of New York; her recent courses include both "Authors and Emperors" and "Classics and Film." Anise is currently revising her book manuscript, which is entitled Wicked Wives and Good Whores: Roman Women and Moral Categories. Recent articles include Roman toleration of ancient incest, sexuality in the HBO series "Rome," the treatment of ethnic intermarriage in Herodotus's Histories, and an analysis of the Coen brothers' use of Homer's Odyssey in O Brother, Where Art Thou? She has also presented at multiple major conferences, including four times at the American Philological Association annual meeting. She focuses on the intricacies of Roman social structure and the roles played by marginal figures and social outcasts in the Roman world. Her source material has ranged from Roman bedroom paintings to graffiti fragments, love poetry, and pedagogical handbooks, as well as more traditional works of literature.

In her spare time, she enjoys travel, baking, European strategy games, and long walks with her dog on the Stevens Creek Nature Trail.