Virginia Closs

Virginia Closs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research focuses on Latin literature and Roman cultural history during the early imperial period, emphasizing material culture, urban space, and temporality. She also explores Latin epigraphy and pedagogy.

• B.A. in Classics from Stanford University
• M.Phil in Classical Art and Archaeology from Cambridge University
• Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania

Prof. Closs examines how Latin texts reflect political instability, particularly through fire as a metaphor, and investigates urban disasters in Roman contexts. Her work bridges literary analysis with archaeological evidence and pedagogical innovation.

Her publications span topics such as Martial's Epigrams, Tacitus' Annals, the Great Fire of 64 CE, and classical reception in modern memes. Notable contributions include her book While Rome Burned (2020) and co-edited volume Urban Disasters and the Roman Imagination (2020).