Christopher Faraone

Christopher Faraone is the Robert O. Anderson Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago's Department of Classics and the College. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1988). His research focuses on Ancient Greek poetry, religion, and magic, with particular expertise in amulets, curse tablets, and hexameter poetry. His work bridges textual analysis with material culture, examining objects like lead tablets and gemstone inscriptions to illuminate religious practices and poetic traditions.

Key publications include Talismans and Trojan Horses (1992), Ancient Greek Love Magic (1999), and Hexametrical Genres from Homer to Theocritus (2021). Recent studies analyze Byzantine amulets, Hesiodic oracular structures, and Theocritean curse traditions. Collaborative projects with the Neubauer Collegium include editing the Greco-Egyptian Magical Formularies and curating Greek curse tablet studies.

His research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, linking literary analysis to archaeology and religious studies. He has co-edited volumes on magic, Dionysiac rituals, and ancient courtesans. Current projects explore the transformation of Greek amulets in Roman imperial contexts and the textual history of magical handbooks.

• Affiliations: Department of Classics, Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society
• Grants: Supported by the Neubauer Collegium for collaborative projects
• Labs/Teams: Collaborations with Sofia Torallas-Tovar and Irina Polinskaya on magical texts and curse tablets