Christian Laes

Christian Laes is a Professor of Ancient History at the University of Manchester, affiliated with Classics, Ancient History & Egyptology department. He holds adjunct professorships at Tampere University (Finland) and the Pontificium Institutum Altioris Latinitatis (Rome). His research focuses on social/cultural history of Graeco-Roman antiquity, particularly childhood, family structures, disability studies, and epigraphy. He has held visiting roles at universities in Coimbra, Leuven, Oslo, and Bonn.

Laes earned expertise through excavations at Grumentum (Lucania) and extensive work with inscriptional evidence. He promotes Latin language revival via roles in the Academia Latinitati Fovendae. His teaching includes advanced Latin/Greek courses and modules on Roman imperial history, education systems, and family studies. He served as president of Euroclassica and Classica Vlaanderen, advocating for classical education in Flanders.

His academic networks include leadership in the Roman Society and Swiss SNF SPIRIT Evaluation Commission. Recent accolades include the Homerusprijs 2015 and editorial roles in Année Épigraphique. His research bridges ancient disability history with modern ethical considerations, leveraging both textual and material evidence.