Biography

Born in Hungary, raised in Austria, and then resident, as a Classics student, in Berlin and in Cambridge, I consider myself multicultural and cosmopolitan in the ancient sense—with a civic duty to all places, regardless of borders. During my studies at the University of Vienna and the Humboldt University Berlin, I became increasingly interested in the literature of Late Antiquity, an age which—with its rapid globalisation, religious conflicts, and intricate identity politics—shows striking similarities to our era. My doctoral dissertation focuses on Heliodorus’ Aethiopica (The Ethiopian Story), the latest ancient Greek novel, which testifies to the cultural complexities of its time: it is a story about race, concealed and unstable identities, sexual and religious purity. My thesis analyses Heliodorus’ sophisticated handling of his readers’ and characters’ states of knowledge and discusses the influence of Late Antiquity’s prominent philosophical and religious movements, such as Neoplatonism and Christianity, on his novel under epistemological aspects. Designed as a narrative puzzle, the Aethiopica offers itself to various—often ideologically charged—modes of reading and thereby celebrates Late Antique pluralism. Believing in the transforming power of humanities, I am confident that my work will shed new light on the history of pluralism and thereby promote a respectful approach to diversity, which is a particularly pressing issue of our time.

Previous Education

University of Vienna
Humboldt University
University of Cambridge