Bronwen Neil

Bronwen Neil is a Professor of Ancient History at Macquarie University, affiliated with the School of Humanities and the Global Indigenous Futures Research Centre. She holds leadership roles as Deputy Director of the Creative Documentary Research Centre and Section Head for Religious Studies in the Australian Academy of Humanities. Her research focuses on Late Antiquity, Byzantine Studies, and the intersection of religious texts with political power.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts Honours (Classics) at University of Queensland (1990–1991)
• MA in Theological Studies (Maximus the Confessor) at Durham University (1997–1998)
• PhD in Medieval Latin (Edition of Documenta ad vitam Maximi Confessoris) at Australian Catholic University (1992–1999)

Research Interests: Late Antique papal correspondence, dreams and divination in Byzantium, apocalyptic narratives, and the cultural memory of crisis. Her work bridges textual analysis with interdisciplinary approaches like virtual reality for historical empathy.

Recent Articles: Focus on imperial representation, papal legal theory, and environmental ethics in Pacific indigenous practices. Themes include crisis management in Constantinople, gender roles in Byzantine texts, and hagiographic saint-construction.

Awards: 1992 University Medal (UQ) and ARC Future Fellowship (2014–2018).

Grants & Projects:

• DP24: Images of Power in the Roman Empire (2024–2027)
• Climate Solutions in Polynesia via Rahui Management (2022–2024)
• Ancient Cultures Research Centre (ongoing)

Labs/Teams: Leads the Ancient Cultures Research Centre and collaborates internationally on Byzantine and Pacific studies initiatives.