Michael J. Carter

Michael J. Carter is a Professor of Greek and Roman History and Latin at Brock University's Department of Classics and Archaeology, within the Faculty of Humanities. He holds a BA and MA from Queen’s University and a PhD from McMaster University. His research focuses on the social and cultural impact of Roman spectacles—particularly gladiatorial contests—in the Greek East, exploring their effects on local identities and logistics such as financing and multi-sensory arena experiences. He also studies ancient athletics, Romanization, and epigraphy.

Education:

• BA (Queen’s University)
• MA (Queen’s University)
• PhD (McMaster University)

His research interests include Roman spectacles, ancient entertainment dynamics, and the interplay between Roman imperialism and Greek cultural identity. He has published extensively on gladiatorial combat, arena logistics, and provincial Roman culture. Recent work includes a collaborative paper on Aulus Clodius Flaccus’s spectacles in Pompeii, earning a Mary White Prize honorable mention in 2023-2024.

Awards:

• 2014 Humanities Award for Excellence in Research
• 2013 Faculty of Humanities Teaching Excellence Award

Teaching includes courses on ancient Greece, Augustan Rome, and the Later Roman Empire. His work bridges textual analysis with archaeological insights, emphasizing the material and social dimensions of ancient spectacles.