Andreas Schwab

Professor Andreas Schwab is a W3 Professor of Classical Philology specializing in Greek Studies at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU Kiel), holding a DFG Heisenberg Professorship and serving as Managing Director of the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence. Since September 2021, he has led the Archaeological Research Centre of Past Lived Worlds at CAU and serves as Spokesperson of the subcluster 'Knowledge' and member of the Executive Board of the ROOTS Cluster. Previously, he was a Visiting Professor at the Munich Center for Ancient Worlds (MZAW) at LMU Munich in 2022.

• W3 Professor for Classical Philology, especially Greek Studies, CAU Kiel (2021-present)
• DFG Heisenberg Professorship (2020-2025)
• Member of ROOTS Cluster of Excellence (2021-present)
• Managing Director of Archaeological Research Centre of Past Lived Worlds

Professor Schwab completed his habilitation at Heidelberg University in 2017 with the thesis 'Die Konstruktion fremder Religion bei Herodot' (The Construction of Foreign Religion in Herodot). He received his doctorate (Dr. phil.) from the University of Trier in 2009 with research on 'Thales von Milet in der frühen christlichen Literatur' (Thales of Miletus in Early Christian Literature). His academic journey includes positions at LMU Munich, University of Bonn, and University of Heidelberg, with research stays at University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Chicago, and University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

His research spans Greek literature, philosophy, and theology; Greek historiography and ethnography; cultural and religious studies of antiquity; early Christian literature; and reception history. Professor Schwab is particularly renowned for his work on Herodotus, examining religious representations, cultural encounters, and knowledge transmission across historical periods. His 2020 monograph 'Foreign Religion in Herodotus' Histories: Religious Multidimensionality among the Persians and Egyptians' represents a significant contribution to the field.

His recent publications reveal a deep engagement with Herodotean studies, focusing on religious diversity, cross-cultural encounters, and the representation of foreign cultures in ancient Greek historiography. He has also published extensively on pre-Socratic philosophy (particularly Thales), early Christian literature, and the transmission of knowledge through verse. His work bridges philological analysis with broader cultural and historical questions, demonstrating exceptional interdisciplinary scope.

• Heisenberg Fellowship from DFG (2020-2025)
• Solmsen Fellowship at University of Wisconsin-Madison (2015-2016)
• Druckkostenzuschuss from Geschwister Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung (2019, 2010)
• Nomination for Bavarian Teaching Excellence Award (2017-2018)
• Visiting Scholarship at University of Chicago (2013-2014)
• Förderpreis from Deutsch-Französischen Hochschule (2013)

Professor Schwab has supervised numerous doctoral candidates including Janina Sieber, Benjamin Allgaier, Cagla Umsu-Seifert, Hauke Schneider, and Giovanni Colpani, covering diverse topics from Methodius of Olympus to classical Greek historiography. He has received substantial research funding from DFG and BMBF for international collaborations. As co-founder and co-editor of the open-access journal 'Syllogos: A Collaborative Online Journal dedicated to the Study of Herodotus and his World', he has significantly contributed to digital scholarship in classical studies. He also serves on the editorial board for 'Fontes Christiani' and as scientific advisor for 'Aegyptiaca' journal.

Professor Schwab actively organizes major academic events including the upcoming 'Composing Complexity: The interconnectivity of literary, historical and cultural levels in the Histories of Herodotus' (November 2024) and 'Spaces of Knowledge / Wissensräume: Construction and Dynamics of Knowledge in Antiquity' (Autumn 2024), demonstrating his leadership in contemporary classical scholarship.