Find Academic Supervisors

Dr. Fabian Schulz is a Senior Researcher in Ancient History at the University of Tübingen, where he works in the Department of History within the Faculty of Humanities. He leads a prestigious Junior Research Group under the Emmy Noether Programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG), titled 'Power and Influence: Influencing Emperors between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.' His academic profile also includes association with the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 923 'Threatened Order - Societies under Stress' and active participation in the 'Tübingen Theosophy' research group. Previously, he contributed to the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities project on John Malalas' Chronicle and the University of Tübingen's DFG project 'East and West 400-600 AD.' Dr. Schulz earned his PhD in Classics from Freie Universität Berlin (2006-2010), where he also served as a teaching assistant. During his doctoral studies, he was a Pensionnaire étranger at the École Normale Supérieure Paris. Prior to that, he completed an MA equivalent degree in Classics at Freie Universität Berlin, with time spent as a visiting student at the University of Oxford (1999-2005). His early career included teaching Latin and Greek at a grammar school in Lübeck (2006). His research specializes in power structures and influence mechanisms in ancient societies, with particular focus on how advisors shaped imperial decisions in Late Antiquity. He has made significant contributions to understanding councils of elders in Archaic Greece (especially the Spartan Gerousie), Byzantine chronography (particularly John Malalas' works), and the complex dynamics between Eastern and Western Roman empires during the 5th and 6th centuries. His methodological innovation lies in applying modern sociological models of interpersonal influence to historical analysis of ancient political culture, bridging literary representation with political reality in pre-modern monarchical states. Young researchers award for 'Ratgeber, Experten, Manipulatoren: Einfluss als Machtfaktor und Diskursobjekt in der Antike' As principal investigator of his Emmy Noether project, Dr. Schulz has secured substantial research funding from the German Research Foundation. His collaborative work includes multiple edited volumes on Late Antique history and Byzantine chronography, reflecting his strong international scholarly network. He currently serves as a deputizing member (non-professorial academic staff) on the faculty board of Humanities at the University of Tübingen. His research often intersects with contemporary concerns about power dynamics, political influence, and historical memory, as evidenced by his work on video game representations of ancient history. Dr. Schulz is an active contributor to the online commentary project on John Malalas' chronicle, specifically editing sections of Book XVIII. His work frequently involves detailed textual criticism and analysis of historical sources, with particular attention to how narratives are transmitted and reinterpreted across different cultural contexts. His scholarly approach combines philological precision with broader historical and sociological perspectives.

• Ancient History
• Classics
• Late Antiquity
• +7 more

Thomas Blank is a Professor of Ancient Cultural History at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) since August 2016, affiliated with the Department of History. Previously, he held positions as Junior Professor of Greek History at Saarland University (2013-2016) and served as Acting Chair of Ancient History at the University of Münster (2019-2020). His academic trajectory includes research assistantships in Tübingen and Mainz. Education: Dr. phil. in Ancient History (summa cum laude) from Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (2012) State Examination in History, Latin, and Greek from Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (2007) Undergraduate studies in History, Latin, and Greek at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (2001-2007) Research Focus: Blank's work centers on ancient rhetoric's intersection with political philosophy (especially in Classical Athens), Roman religious practices, and cultural communication mechanisms. He investigates how social 'third spaces' form through religious secrecy, neighborly relations, and theatrical performance. Current projects include urban foreignness studies and the cultural role of Graeco-Roman rhetoric. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles demonstrate consistent focus on Isocratean rhetoric, political communication in Athenian/Roman contexts, and reception of antiquity in modern media. Methodologically, they blend historical analysis with literary criticism and cultural theory, frequently examining power dynamics through rhetorical frameworks. Awards & Fellowships: Research Scholarship from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2008-2010) Study Grant from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (2002-2007) Academic Leadership: Blank directs doctoral candidates in projects ranging from Athenian legal systems to Ptolemaic athletic competitions. He leads the DFG-funded graduate program 'Urban Difference' and co-leads subprojects in the LOEWE Center 'DynaRel' and MSCA-DN 'TheSPIS'. As liaison lecturer for the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung since 2015, he mentors scholarship recipients. Professional Engagement: Secretary General of the International Society for the History of Rhetoric (ISHR) and founding president of Societas Isocratica. He has held administrative roles including Managing Director of JGU's History Department (2022-2023) and serves on multiple academic committees.

• Ancient Cultural History
• Greek History
• Roman History
• +6 more

Mischa Meier is a full Professor at the University of Tübingen , affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy and Department of History. His research spans Ancient History , focusing on Sparta , Late Antiquity (4th–7th centuries), and the Ostrogothic Reich , with special interests in ethnological approaches , historical disaster research , and the reception of antiquity in music and literature . Educated in Classical Philology, History, and Pedagogy (University of Bochum, 1998) Key projects include the DFG-funded (Post-)Roman Transitions and the Historisch-philologischer Kommentar zur Weltchronik des Johannes Malalas Recipient of the 2022 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize and 2016–2018 VolkswagenStiftung Opus Magnum Fellowship His 15 most recent publications reveal trends in Late Antique societal transformations , Mediterranean pandemics , and comparative crisis studies , including works on Attila, Justinian, and Nero. He has edited major series like Malalas-Studien and Bedrohte Ordnungen , and participated in interdisciplinary projects such as Nomen et Gens and Transformationsprozesse und das Ende der Antike . Scientific Awards 2022 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize 2016–2018 VolkswagenStiftung Opus Magnum Fellowship 2015 Karl-Christ-Preis für Alte Geschichte 2004 Historikerpreis der Historiker/innen Deutschlands 2003 Westfälisch-Lippische Universitätsgesellschaft Preis Editorial & Advisory Roles Co-editor of Historia and Roma Aeterna series Scientific Board member for Millennium , OIKOS Netherlands , and Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften

• Ancient History
• Late Antiquity
• Spartan History
• +4 more

Stefan Link serves as a Professor in the Department of Ancient History at the Historisches Institut, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Paderborn University. His office is located in room N4.147 at Pohlweg 55, 33098 Paderborn, with office hours held on Tuesdays from 13:00-14:00 during lecture periods and by appointment otherwise. His research spans Ancient Greek and Roman History, specializing in Greek legal history, agricultural practices of archaic Greece, Spartan society, ancient Cretan cultures, gender and sexual history, and Greek historiography. He also investigates Roman daily life during the imperial era and early Christianity's integration into Roman society. Current work includes the project "Guilt and Atonement? – Remembrance Policies and Societal Change in Polis Traditions of Late Archaic and Classical Greece", examining collective guilt mechanisms in ancient Greek city-states.

• Ancient Greek History
• Ancient Roman History
• Greek Legal History
• +7 more

Dr. habil. Oliver Grote is a historical researcher at the Chair of Ancient History, University of Regensburg, specializing in the political systems of the Roman Republic and Greek Polis. His research combines systems theory with classical studies to analyze conflict dynamics and power structures in antiquity. Formation of the Greek Polis Ancient Sparta's political functions Roman Republic political organization His work on conflict as a driver of political evolution appears in journals like Historische Zeitschrift and Gymnasium . Current projects focus on 2nd-century BCE Roman political practices and Greek alliance sustainability. Scientific recognition includes: Doctoral scholarship at Bielefeld Graduate School International publication reviews in Bryn Mawr Classical Review and Gnomon

• The Formation of the Greek Polis
• Ancient Sparta
• Greek Person Associations in Archaic and Classical Antiquity
• +2 more

Axel Bannert is a Researcher at the Institute of History , Faculty of Philosophy I , Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg . His academic focus spans emotional practices, body history, and cultural/media dynamics of the Weimar Republic and Wilhelmine Germany, with a particular emphasis on poststructuralist approaches and the reception of antiquity in modernity. Master's Degree in History (Free University of Berlin, 2022) Bachelor's Degree in History & General and Comparative Literature (Free University of Berlin, 2019) Research Interests : Bannert explores emotional practices during the Weimar Republic, examining how emotions were cultural tools for self-regulation in crisis-ridden modernity. His work connects body history, media discourses, and life reform movements, analyzing intersections of gender, ethnicity, and age. Current Research : His dissertation project investigates media engagement with emotions as a diagnostic space for modern life. Topics include jazz music, expressive dance, urban nightlife, and hormone therapies as emotional stabilization mechanisms during 1920s mass culture.

• History
• Cultural History
• Media History
• +6 more

Prof. Dr. Winfried Schmitz is a distinguished Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bonn, where he has been a faculty member since 2003. He is a Principal Investigator at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) and affiliated with the Institute of History and the Department of Ancient History. He is a full member of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz and the German Archaeological Institute. Education: Habilitation in Ancient History, University of Freiburg (1995) Ph.D. in Ancient History, University of Freiburg (1985) M.A. in Ancient, Medieval and Modern History and Classical Archaeology, Universities of Cologne and Freiburg (1977–1985) Winfried Schmitz is a leading scholar in the social and institutional history of ancient Greece, with a primary focus on ancient slavery across various contexts such as agriculture, mining, craft, and commerce. His research also explores Spartan helotage, Cretan klarotai, and Thessalian penestai, as well as broader themes like family, neighborhood, democracy, and historical anthropology. His work integrates legal, social, and economic perspectives to understand ancient societal structures. His recent publications demonstrate a sustained engagement with Greek law, social institutions, and the intellectual history of slavery. Themes such as autonomy among slaves, pathways to freedom, and the moral reception of slavery in modern thought recur throughout his scholarly output. He has also contributed significantly to editorial projects and reference works. Scientific Awards: Postdoctoral Scholarship (Habilitation) from the German Research Foundation (1992–1995) Prof. Schmitz has supervised numerous academic projects and advised multiple research initiatives. He has secured substantial third-party funding from the DFG, Thyssen Foundation, and NRW Foundation. He led the DFG-funded project on the digitization of the Bonn Papyrus Collection and co-manages the long-term 'Research on Ancient Slavery' project at the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. His editorial leadership includes the 'Antiquitas' series and contributions to major encyclopedic works on ancient slavery. He is actively involved in academic centers and consortium projects, including membership in the scientific advisory board of the Commission for Ancient History and Epigraphy in Munich (2002–2012) and co-spokesperson roles in state-funded humanities initiatives. His work bridges traditional philology with contemporary social theory, making him a central figure in modern classical scholarship.

• Ancient Slavery
• Greek Archaic and Classical History
• Social History of Antiquity
• +7 more

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Blösel is a University Professor in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Duisburg-Essen , specializing in Ancient History . His research focuses on oligarchic constitutional theory in Classical and Early Hellenistic Greece, comparing democratic and oligarchic systems to analyze political consciousness and participation. His work highlights the formal exclusion of the thetes in Athenian democracy, drawing parallels with oligarchic structures. He explores how foreign policy classifications by hegemonic powers like Athens and Sparta influenced the labeling of state systems rather than actual participation levels. Publications include analyses of Roman Republican institutions , such as provincial commands, census-based office access, and the demilitarization of the nobilität. His 2020 monograph Imperia extraordinaria liberae rei publicae examines extraordinary military commands as cultural indicators. He contributes to edited volumes on topics like Herodotus' portrayal of Sparta , Thucydides' narrative style , and Roman provincial finance . His teaching includes courses on Classical Greece and the Roman Republic.

• Classical Greece
• Early Hellenistic Greece
• Oligarchic Constitutional Theory
• +3 more

Dr. Imogen Herrad is a researcher at the Department of Ancient History, University of Bonn, and Editor and translator at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) through December 2025. Her academic career at Bonn includes previous positions as Research Associate (2017-2018) and Teaching Assignments (2018-2019) in the Department of Ancient History. Dr. Herrad's research focuses on Classical Sparta with special attention to political disobedience at officer level, Roman Women in Business and Law, and broader themes of transgression in the ancient world. Her dissertation project examined 'The politics of disobedience in classical Sparta' under Prof. Dr. Konrad Vössing. She has published extensively on Spartan-Perioikoi relations, rule-breaking in antiquity, and the representation of revolt in ancient literature. Her recent publications demonstrate a trajectory from specialized historical analysis toward connecting ancient transgression studies with contemporary issues of power and language, as seen in her 2025 article on decolonizing academic English. Dr. Herrad's work consistently examines marginalized groups and non-conformist behaviors within rigid ancient social structures. Gender Studies Prize of the University of Bonn 2014 (Bachelor/Master) Dr. Herrad maintains an active teaching schedule at the University of Bonn, offering specialized courses on Spartan history, Roman women, and non-combatant roles in ancient military contexts. Her current position at BCDSS provides institutional support for her research on dependency systems in antiquity, with ongoing projects through December 2025.

• Classical Sparta
• Disobedience at officer level
• Roman Women in Business and Law
• +3 more

Maria Osmers is a researcher at the Chair of Ancient History at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg. She earned her Magister degree in Ancient History and Mathematics from Humboldt-University Berlin in 2008, followed by a PhD (2012) and Habilitation (2019) from the same institution. Her research focuses on Roman provincial history, Greek archaic/classical history, memory cultures, and ancient international relations. Research Interests: Her work examines cross-polis communication networks in Classical Greece, reception of Spartan agoge in modern ideologies, and the interplay between local and imperial governance in Roman provinces. She has contributed to debates on historical memory, comparative political systems, and the role of antiquity in shaping contemporary discourses. Teaching: She has taught courses on major themes in Ancient History, including Homer's world, the Peloponnesian War, and Augustus' reign, alongside methodological seminars on historiography and theory.

• Ancient History
• Roman Provinces
• Greek History
• +4 more

Ernst Baltrusch serves as Professor of Ancient History at the Free University of Berlin, specifically within the Department of History and Cultural Studies and affiliated with the Friedrich Meinecke Institute. His academic position is based at Koserstraße 20 in Berlin. Professor Baltrusch's scholarly focus encompasses several critical areas of classical antiquity: Olympic Games in Antiquity Athens historical development Roman political and social structures Spartan military society Jewish communities in ancient Mediterranean world His research contributes significantly to understanding cultural, political and social dynamics of ancient civilizations, particularly examining how these historical contexts shaped later European traditions and institutions. Professor Baltrusch's work bridges philological analysis with archaeological evidence to reconstruct ancient Mediterranean societies. He maintains an active presence as a subject matter expert, with his contact information publicly available through the university's expertise directory for media and research inquiries.

• Olympic Games in Antiquity
• Athens
• Rome
• +3 more