Raymond Starr

Raymond James Starr
rstarr@wellesley.edu
(781) 283-2627
Classical Studies
B.A., University of Michigan (Ann Arbor); M.A., Ph.D., Princeton University

Raymond James Starr

Theodora Stone Sutton Professor of Ancient Greek and Roman Studies; Professor of Classical Studies

Focuses on Roman literature and culture; law; the sociology of Roman literature and education; political communication; media studies; and Augustus.


I've published on various subjects, including Virgil and the commentaries on his work in late antiquity; the sociology of Roman literature, especially the circulation; reading and teaching of literary texts in antiquity; and the emperor Augustus, especially his monumental Res gestae divi August (The Achievements of the Divine Augustus). My current research focuses on readers and their texts in antiquity, from the circulation of authors' works in bookstores and private networks of friends to readers' experience with texts in various forms, including papyrus rolls and inscriptions on stone, a reflection of my involvement in Book Studies at Wellesley.

I've taught throughout the Classical Studies curriculum, focusing on Latin at all levels (elementary, intermediate, and advanced) and (in translation) on Roman law and Roman culture and society. Recent courses include Roman Law, Daily Life in the Ancient World, Roman Historical Mythology, Vergil and Augustus, Reading Latin Literature, and Roman Poems and Poetry Books.

In addition to scholarly research, I've also been deeply involved with high technology and classical studies as well as with the Classical Association of New England, a 700+ member association of collegiate and pre-collegiate faculty in New England, where I have served as president and have received the Barlow Beach Award for Distinguished Service.

My personal interests include kayaking, cooking, and behavioral economics.