Jake Sawyer

My research interests, although fairly broad, most often center around Greek poetry, particularly during the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. I first earned a B.A. in Classics from Macalester College (2018) and then my M.A. in Classics from the University of Colorado Boulder (2020). Although I usually focus on epic poetry by the likes of Nonnus of Panopolis, Quintus Smyrnaeus, and Oppian, my most recent project, under the supervision of Professor Regina Höschele, has focused on two Greek epigrams by the emperor Augustus, as reported in Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars. I argue that the preservation of these poems and their accompanying anecdotes gives us a larger window into the ongoing discussion of the status of Greek culture under the Roman Empire. Scholarly paths not taken include: decoding the aesthetic theory of Theodor Adorno and the Frankfurt School, practicing 8 hours a day for a degree in musical performance, and studying Modernist novels in a Comparative Literature program. Nevertheless, all of these ventures still inform my work, often in unexpected ways.

If you have any questions about the program or the literature stream in particular, feel free to contact me. (pronouns: he/him)

Research Interests: Late Greek epic, Greek/Roman interactions, Classical Reception in the 20th century