Timothy Duff

Timothy Duff is Professor of Greek at the University of Reading, Department of Classics, within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. He serves as Director of Postgraduate Research, Director of the Centre for Hellenic Studies, and Coordinator of Modern Greek in the Department of Languages and Cultures. He is also the University’s academic lead for Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded doctoral awards.

His academic qualifications include an MA and PhD from the University of Cambridge, Christ's College. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) and a Senior Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Professor Duff's research centers on Greek history, historiography, and prose literature of the Roman Imperial period, with a particular focus on Plutarch. His work explores narrative structure, intertextuality, generic enrichment, moral philosophy, and the educational function of ancient biography. He examines how Plutarch constructs character, uses language, and engages with philosophical and literary traditions to shape the reader's moral and political understanding.

His recent publications reveal a sustained scholarly engagement with Plutarch’s narrative techniques, ethical aims, and literary complexity. Themes such as the role of comparison (syncrisis), the construction of the reader, the use of tense and aspect, and the blending of genres are recurrent in his work. His research demonstrates a deep command of both philological detail and broader literary theory.

• Visiting Professorship at Shanghai University (2016)
• Visiting Professorship at Princeton University's Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies (2016)
• Research Fellowship at Freie Universität Berlin (2007–2009, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation)
• Research Fellowship at the Australian National University (2006)
• Visiting Fellowship at Wolfson College, Cambridge (2005)
• Research Fellowship at Harvard University's Center for Hellenic Studies (2004)
• Research Fellowship at the University of Cincinnati (2002)
• UK AHRC Research Leave Award (1999–2000)
• Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
• Senior Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge

Professor Duff actively supervises postgraduate research students in his areas of expertise. He has held significant leadership roles in research funding and academic coordination. His work bridges classical scholarship with contemporary literary and philosophical inquiry, contributing to both specialized and interdisciplinary audiences.

He is associated with the Centre for Hellenic Studies at the University of Reading, which promotes research and public engagement in Greek language, history, and culture across periods. His collaborative projects and editorial work reflect a commitment to advancing the field through international scholarly networks.