Doctoral thesis in Classical Philology at Cologne University in 1995. Keep reading Several positions as lecturer and assistant professor in Classical Philology at the universities of Dresden (1995), Potsdam (1996 to 2000) and Saarbrücken (since 2000). Habilitation at the University of Saarbrücken in 2002. In 2006 substitute for the Chair of Greek at the University of Hamburg, from 2008 to 2010 substitute for the Chair of Latin at the University of Greifswald. Since 2010 professor of Classical Philology at the University of Saarbrücken.
Projects
Name: Ancient historiography and its relationship to fictional literature
Description: One of my main research areas within the framework of the activities of our institute consists in examining the ways in which ancient historians theoretically treat the relationship between factually ascertainable truth and anthropological-ethical aims of their works and put them into practice in their historical narratives. The problem of „true“ reporting of „facts“ in historiography is often systematically discussed by ancient historians (such important names as Thucydides, Polybius and Tacitus are to be mentioned here). In practice, however, rhetorical and even fictional dramatization seems to have been an important goal in writing history, sometimes to be reached by polishing the facts or even by a compete disregard of them. Parallels in this respect with the theory and practice of modern media may shed light on whether such methods of medial representation form a basic constant of cultural history and of social communication in general. In addition, the study of the topic may provide insights into the much-discussed philosophical question of whether „truth“ is to be regarded as a fixed moral quantity or rather as a discursively negotiable element.s
Name: Historical and Theological Lexicon of the Septuagint (HTLS)
Description: My participation in this interdisciplinary and international project (since 2008) has, besides writing articles for this handbook, its main focus on providing expert advice on Greek literature, history of language and concepts. The Septuagint, as a translation of the Old Testament and as one of the first literary and also theoretically reflected translations of world history, has shaped the linguistic form of many ethical concepts and thus had an enormous impact in our culture, both rhetorically and anthropologically.
For further information please consult the project’s website: http://www.htlseptuagint.com.
Name: Synopsis of the ancient translations of the apocryphal Old Testament book „Ben Sira“
Description: My participation in this interdisciplinary project (since 2015) focuses on the critical text constitution and German translation of the Greek and Latin translation versions. Despite its status as an apocryphal literary work, the book „Ben Sira“, as an important component of ethical wisdom literature, has played a decisive role in the after-effect of biblical translation literature described above.
For further information please consult the project’s website: http://www.sirach-synopse.uni-saarland.de/index.php.
Name: Equivalent German translations of the tragedies of Seneca for the modern stage, with special consideration of dramaturgical issues
Description: Seneca’s tragedies lead an existence in the shadow of the Attic tragedies, which are often performed in the theatre worldwide. But the enormous impact of Seneca’s dramas in European theatre literature (e.g. Shakespeare) shows that they are not only part of our cultural heritage, but that it is also worthwhile to bring these texts to the modern stage.
The core aim of the project is to create a philological and translation-theoretical basis for this. To this end, for the first time directly playable translations will be presented which take into account the dramaturgical characteristics of the plays by transforming the undeniably existing dramaturgy of recitation theatre into a dramaturgy of the stage. At the same time, a philologically correct translation into German is also to be produced. In doing so, the listening habits of today’s audiences will be taken into account. Ultimately, the texts developed and especially their later realisation in theatre should and can lead to a productive reorientation of the scientific and artistic dialogue on Seneca’s drama, the interpretation and the question of its stage impact as well as of its undeniable ethical values, being the works of one of Europe’s formost philosophical and anthropological thinker.
The project can draw on practical theatre experience: In 2013, a German stage version of Seneca’s Phaedra, which was developed in a seminar under my direction, was performed at the Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken (followed by two further drama performances based on antique material, in 2015 and 2017, both directed by my student Christian Klees).
Name: Annotated edition of Marsilio Ficino, Commentarius in S. Pauli Epistolam ad Romanos and De Christiana Religione
Description: The two writings of the Italian Renaissance philosopher (1433-1499) are closely related in that they provide a systematic neo-Platonic interpretation of basic Christian texts. They thus offer a welcome addition to his main work, the Theologia Platonica (1482), which also serves his aim of making Platonic philosophy, which at the time was only just being rediscovered on the basis of the original Greek texts, fruitful for Christian exegesis. The planned editions of the two supplementary writings, which place a special emphasis on this connection with Christian theology, are intended to contribute in commentary and translation to making this work of the Florentine philosopher, which has been important for the development of Western thought since the Renaissance, accessible to a wider circle of German-speaking readers. Special attention will be paid to Ficino’s development of a Latin philosophical terminology through his translation of Greek terms.
Publications
In the following, publications with a closer connection to the topic “Rhetoric and Anthropology” are listed.
• Götter, Kaiser und Kalifen auf nächtlicher Wanderschaft. Die westöstliche Metamorphose eines Motivs der antiken Geschichtsschreibung, in: Noctes Sinenses. Festschrift für Fritz-Heiner Mutschler zum 65. Geburtstag, hrsg. von Andreas Heil, Matthias Korn und Jochen Sauer (Heidelberg 2011), 217-224
• Artikel „Agrippina Minor“ in: Der Neue Pauly, Supplementband 8: Historische Gestalten der Antike. Rezeption in Literatur, Kunst und Musik“, hrsg. von Peter von Möllendorff, Annette Simonis und Linda Simonis (Stuttgart / Weimar 2013), 9-16
• Artikel „Nero“ in: Der Neue Pauly, Supplementband 8, 691-706
• Artikel „Octavia“ in: Der Neue Pauly, Supplementband 8, 707-712
• Tacitus und die Macht der Nerobilder, in: Thomas Blank / Felix K. Maier (Hrsgg.): Die symphonischen Schwestern. Narrative Konstruktionen von ‚Wahrheit‘ in der nachklassischen Geschichtsschreibung (Stuttgart 2018), 327-344
• Elements of Ancient Novel and Novella in Tacitus, in: Marília P. Futre Pinheiro u.a. (Hrsgg.): Cultural Crossroads in the Ancient Novel (Berlin / Boston 2018), 79-91
Die „tragische“ Geschichtsschreibung des Hellenismus in Theorie und Praxis. Einige Beobachtungen zu Polybios und seinen Vorgängern, in: Manfred Leber / Sikander Singh (Hrsgg.): Literatur und Geschichte (Saarbrücker literaturwissenschaftliche Ringvorlesungen 7; Saarbrücken 2018), 37-64