Janka Markus

Professor Janka Markus serves as Professor of Classical Philology/Classical Language Didactics at the Department of Greek and Latin Philology within the Faculty of Linguistics and Literature at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her academic career spans decades, beginning with her doctoral studies at the University of Regensburg where she completed her doctorate in Classical Philology in 1997 and habilitation in 2003. She has held professorial positions since 2007 at LMU Munich, where she has established herself as a leading scholar in classical reception studies and didactics of ancient languages.

Her research focuses on Ancient Drama, Ovid studies, Mythology, Rhetoric and Eroticism of Antiquity, and the History of the Impact of Ancient Literature, with particular emphasis on how classical texts are received and adapted in contemporary educational contexts and popular culture. Professor Markus has developed innovative approaches to integrating classical studies with modern pedagogical methods, particularly in the teaching of Latin and Greek at secondary and university levels.

Professor Markus has delivered numerous lectures and presentations across Europe on topics ranging from Ovid's Metamorphoses to Cicero's rhetorical techniques, demonstrating her expertise in both philological analysis and educational application. Her work shows a consistent pattern of bridging classical scholarship with contemporary educational practice, examining how ancient texts resonate in modern contexts from children's literature to political discourse.

As an active academic leader, she serves as co-editor of 'Gymnasium. Journal for Ancient Culture and Humanistic Education' and has held various administrative roles including managing director of the Institute for Greek and Latin Philology at LMU Munich. She also coordinates the Unitag program for highly gifted high school students at LMU Munich and serves on the board of the Elisabeth-J.-Saal-Foundation for Humanistic Education in Bavaria.

Professor Markus has supervised numerous student assistants and has been instrumental in developing teacher training programs for classical language instruction. Her work extends beyond academia into practical educational applications, advising textbook publishers and curriculum committees for Latin and Greek teaching throughout Germany.