Research
My research revolves around the notions of character and characterization in ancient Greek fiction, ancient rhetoric, physiognomy and literary theory. I examine (1) modern and ancient theoretical models that conceptualize literary character and characterization, and (2) ancient authors' creative adoption of rhetorical and physiognomical techniques in literary construction of ethos (ethopoeia, chreia, paradigm, etc.). In my award-winning PhD dissertation (2006; supervisor: Prof. Kristoffel Demoen), I examined the narratological and rhetorical constructions of character in the ancient Greek novel (a literary genre from the first centuries AD). This project has generated new insights in the study of character construction in literary theory, ancient rhetoric and the Greek novels themselves. Currently, I am preparing a book and a number of journal articles on these subjects.
My postdoctoral work centers upon the narratological-rhetorical construction of character in ancient semi-fictional texts, such as novelistic biographies and sophists' and philosophers' biographies.
Research interests include ancient fiction, biography, ancient rhetoric, physiognomy, gender and sexuality in the ancient world, narratology, literary theory, character individuation and typification and identity construction.
