Wolfgang Will

Wolfgang Will is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bonn, where he has held his position since 2005. Previously, he served as a researcher and lecturer at RWTH Aachen (1985–1995), FU Berlin (1984–1985), and Universität Düsseldorf (1995–2005), with a visiting professorship at Collège de France in 2013. He earned his doctorate from RWTH Aachen in 1991 and completed his habilitation in 2001.

His research focuses on Greco-Roman political and military history, specializing in figures like Alexander the Great, Pericles, Julius Caesar, and Thucydides. Key themes include power dynamics, historical narrative construction, and cultural legacy in antiquity. His publications consistently explore the intersection of leadership, propaganda, and historiography.

Will has received significant honors, including the Gay Lussac–Humboldt-Preis (2011) and Friedrich-Wilhelm-Preis (1991). He is a member of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences (since 2012) and co-leads major research initiatives: the DFG-funded German-French Graduate School Masse und Integration in antiken Gesellschaften (2011–present) and Bonn's Excellence Cluster Beyond Slavery and Freedom (2019–2026). He served as Vice-Chair of Bonn's University Senate (2014–2018).