Sven Martini

Sven Martini has been Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bonn since 2005, affiliated with the Department of Ancient History. He holds significant institutional roles including Senate membership (since 2011) and co-speakership of the Excellence Cluster 'Beyond Slavery and Freedom' (2019–2026). Previously, he held positions at RWTH Aachen, FU Berlin, and Universität Düsseldorf, with visiting professorships at Collège de France.

Education:

• Magister and First State Examination in History and Latin (FU Berlin, 1984)
• Dr. phil. in Ancient History, Modern History, and Classical Philology (RWTH Aachen, 1991)
• Habilitation in Ancient History (2001)

Research Focus: Martini specializes in Roman Imperial institutions, Hellenistic-Roman cultural practices, and social dependency structures. His work examines education in Roman North Africa, royal/imperial banquets, and prosopography, with current investigations into asymmetric dependencies in pre-modern societies through the Bonn Excellence Cluster.

Awards & Honors:

• Friedrich-Wilhelm-Preis (RWTH Aachen, 1991)
• Gay Lussac–Humboldt-Preis (2011)
• Member of North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences (since 2012)

Leadership & Grants: He directs the DFH-funded German-French Graduate School 'Masse und Integration in antiken Gesellschaften' and co-leads the €multi-million Excellence Cluster 'Beyond Slavery and Freedom' (2019–2026). His collaborative projects include international symposia on Roman banquets and prosopography.