Rebecca Deitsch

Visiting Lecturer in Classical Studies

I enjoy teaching Latin and Greek as well as courses on a variety of topics related to epic poetry, classical mythology, and gender in the ancient world. My current book project examines how gender, divinity, and politics intersect to shape the characterization of goddesses in the epic poetry and coinage of the Flavian period (69-96 C.E.). I am also developing side projects on heroism in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica and on the reception of Classics in 19th -century Polish literature.

I am passionate about language pedagogy and making ancient languages accessible in the college classroom and to the general public. I run a popular website for Latin learners and an accompanying Instagram account, Latin with Livia. In my spare time, you can find me practicing Slavic languages, reading fantasy novels, and exploring obscure historical sites in the Boston area.

Education

  • B.A., University of Dallas
  • M.A., Harvard University
  • Ph.D., Harvard University

Current and upcoming courses

  • Women in Latin Literature

    LAT304

    In this course, we will study three literary genres—Roman comedy, historiography, and elegy—each with its own characteristic view of women, from comedy’s scolding wives and young lovers, to history’s villains and heroines, to elegy’s mistresses.  Taking into account authorial perspective, context, language, and style, we will identify how male authors in different genres construct woman as the imagined “other” in society. From Plautus to Ovid, we examine the ways a literary genre reflects cultural perceptions of women and gender in Roman society from Republic to Empire.