David H. J. Larmour

David H. J. Larmour is a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Classics & Comparative Literature at Texas Tech University and Honorary Professor of Classics, Ancient History & Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. He has established himself as a leading scholar through his interdisciplinary research that bridges ancient and modern literary traditions.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Classical Philology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Throughout his distinguished career, he has maintained a dual focus on classical antiquity and its reception in modern literature, particularly Russian works.

Larmour's research spans Ancient Greek sport & the Roman arena, Greek and Roman satire, lyric poetry, narrative theory, and comparative literature. His work examines the display and representation of the body in text and space; the ideological underpinnings of competition, exile, memory, and nostalgia; and how physical borders of empires shape our understanding of past and present. He investigates how mental categories associated with imperial borders influence contemporary identity and future trajectories.

His scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with Roman satire (particularly Juvenal), Greek lyric poetry, and the reception of classical antiquity in modern literature (especially Nabokov). His publications reveal a sophisticated approach that connects ancient literary forms with contemporary critical theory and modern literary practice.

• Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor (Texas Tech University's highest academic honor)
• Former Editor of The American Journal of Philology (2007-2018), the oldest classical journal in North America
• Co-founder and current Associate Editor of INTERTEXTS journal

As an educator, Larmour has directed numerous BA and MA theses and continues to mentor students in research projects. His scholarly collaborations include a long-standing partnership with Prof. Diana J. Spencer at the University of Birmingham, with whom he co-edited 'The Sites of Rome: Time, Space, Memory' (Oxford University Press, 2007) and is currently working on Ovidian topography studies.

Larmour co-directs The Centre for Archaeology and Ancient Studies (CAAS) at Texas Tech, which promotes innovative cross-disciplinary research connecting ancient cultural production with contemporary concerns. He also runs the Classics Research Forum, which showcases research from colleagues and students across Classics and related fields.