Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at UW Madison

Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at UW Madison Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison

Tonight at A Room of One’s Own Bookstore, Tara Mulder will explore the lost histories of childbirth, midwifery, and wome...
05/13/2026

Tonight at A Room of One’s Own Bookstore, Tara Mulder will explore the lost histories of childbirth, midwifery, and women’s health in ancient Rome.

In conversation with Madison-based licensed midwife and community birth worker Miranda Welch, Mulder will discuss her forthcoming book “A Womb of One’s Own: Lost Histories of Childbirth in Ancient Rome” — a bold feminist history tracing how reproductive care shifted from women-led traditions to male-controlled medicine, and how those histories continue to shape conversations around birth and bodily autonomy today.

📍 A Room of One’s Own Bookstore (2717 Atwood Avenue, Madison, WI 53704)
🗓️ May 13
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM

From ancient vivisection and the discovery of the nervous system to today’s science of diet, drugs, and lifespan extensi...
05/13/2026

From ancient vivisection and the discovery of the nervous system to today’s science of diet, drugs, and lifespan extension—explore how we’ve always tried to understand (and stretch) the limits of life itself.

“Hacking Life: From Ancient Anatomy to Modern Longevity” brings together Julia Horn and Ryan N. Marshall for an evening tracing the long arc of human curiosity about the body, the mind, and aging.

Julia Horn will explore how early anatomical experiments in antiquity shaped foundational ideas about the nervous system and the location of the mind. Ryan Marshall will turn to the present and future of longevity science, from nutrition to emerging biomedical research on extending healthspan.

📍 Gamma Ray Bar, 121 W Main St, Madison
🗓️ Tuesday, May 19, 2026
⏰ 7:00–9:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM)
🎟️ $2 tickets

Today we celebrated our graduating students—their hard work, their resilience, and the paths they’ve shaped during their...
05/09/2026

Today we celebrated our graduating students—their hard work, their resilience, and the paths they’ve shaped during their time here. Surrounded by the faculty, staff, alumni, families, and friends who have supported them along the way, we marked not just an ending, but the beginning of what comes next. Congratulations, graduates—you will be missed, and you will be remembered. 🎓🦡

Behind every student studying the ancient world is a moment that made it possible.A research opportunity. A trip abroad....
04/14/2026

Behind every student studying the ancient world is a moment that made it possible.

A research opportunity. A trip abroad. A chance to present their work. A scholarship that opened the door.

At UW–Madison, students in Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies immerse themselves in ancient languages, texts, and artifacts—but it’s these opportunities that truly shape their path.

Through the Ruth Miller Kuhlman Scholarship Fund, your gift helps turn curiosity into something more: confidence, direction, and a future shaped by meaningful work.

⏳ Now through 5:00 p.m. CDT tomorrow, you can directly expand access to these experiences.

If it matters to you, we invite you to be part of it this Day of the Badger.

Give at the link in our bio or visit: dayofthebadger.org/campaign/classical-ancient-near-eastern-studies/.





Gods, heroes, monsters—and the stories that still shape how we see the world. ⚡Classics 270: Classical Mythology explore...
04/03/2026

Gods, heroes, monsters—and the stories that still shape how we see the world. ⚡

Classics 270: Classical Mythology explores the myths of ancient Greece and Rome through epic poetry, tragedy, and transformation tales—from The Odyssey to Metamorphoses. Along the way, encounter figures like Zeus, Athena, Persephone, Hercules, and Achilles while tracing how these stories have been reimagined across time to tackle big questions about power, identity, and fate.

🗓 June 15 – August 9, 2026 (Online)
📚 3 credits | Fulfills Literature, Elementary

Spend your summer with myths that never get old.

A highlight from earlier this spring: Our department was proud to be represented at the Wisconsin Junior Classical Leagu...
03/24/2026

A highlight from earlier this spring: Our department was proud to be represented at the Wisconsin Junior Classical League (WJCL) State Convention! Vanessa Schmitz-Siebertz shared an overview of our programs, and students Julia Perroni and Leah Grigas showcased their passion for the classics—sharing their journeys and inspiring the next generation of students.





We’re honored to welcome to campus guest scholar Rebecca Benefiel, Professor of Classics at Washington and Lee Universit...
02/25/2026

We’re honored to welcome to campus guest scholar Rebecca Benefiel, Professor of Classics at Washington and Lee University and Director of The Ancient Graffiti Project, for a series of events March 3–6.

A leading scholar of Roman epigraphy and the social and cultural history of the Roman Empire, Dr. Benefiel’s work has been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Forbes, and NPR, among others. She is currently co-editing the forthcoming Oxford Handbook to Pompeii and Environs with Oxford University Press.

During her visit to UW-Madison, she will present a seminar and a lecture exploring digital epigraphy and the vibrant culture of ancient graffiti:

📍 March 4 | 2:00–4:00 PM
“Research and (Digital) Epigraphy: Digital Scholarly Resources in 2026 and Life in Pompeii”
590 Van Hise Hall
Reception to follow (4:30–5:30 PM)
Optional readings available at canes.wisc.edu/event/benefiel-seminar/

📍 March 5 | 5:00–6:30 PM
“Ancient Writing and Reading: Culture and Communication among the Graffiti of Pompeii”
19 Ingraham Hall

From digital databases to the vibrant wall writings of Pompeii, Dr. Benefiel explores how inscriptions transform our understanding of everyday life in the ancient world.

Supported by the University Lectures Committee and co-sponsored by History, Art History, Integrated Liberal Studies, Libraries, the Digital Collections Center, Classics Graduate Forum, and the Classics Society.





Archaeologies of the Ancient Mediterranean: Fieldwork from Spain to Türkiye – Katie Tardio (Bucknell University)📍 1418 V...
02/11/2026

Archaeologies of the Ancient Mediterranean: Fieldwork from Spain to Türkiye – Katie Tardio (Bucknell University)
📍 1418 Van Hise Hall
📆 February 17, 2026
⏰ 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Join Katie Tardio, Assistant Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Bucknell University and 2025–2026 Solmsen Fellow at UW–Madison’s Institute for Research in the Humanities, for a journey through some of the most fascinating archaeological landscapes of the ancient Mediterranean. Drawing on her fieldwork at Roman Tarraco in Spain, the hinterlands of Lixus in Morocco, two houses at Pompeii, a mound site in rural Türkiye, and the Athenian Agora, Tardio will explore how archaeologists piece together evidence of daily life, urban development, and cultural exchange across the region through the study of zooarchaeology, or animal bones from archaeological sites.





⚔️✨ Myths, magic, medicine, and pop culture.This summer, explore the ancient world with fully online Classics & Ancient ...
01/28/2026

⚔️✨ Myths, magic, medicine, and pop culture.
This summer, explore the ancient world with fully online Classics & Ancient Near Eastern Studies courses—from witches and YA myth retellings to Greek & Roman history, mythology, and medical terminology.

📅 Multiple sessions | 💻 Fully online | 🎓 Comm B, Humanities & Literature options available
Open to all majors
Learn more at canes.wisc.edu/courses

Join the CANES community for a cozy evening of food, connection, and celebration, organized by the Inclusive Excellence ...
12/09/2025

Join the CANES community for a cozy evening of food, connection, and celebration, organized by the Inclusive Excellence Committee!

❄️ Wednesday, December 10, 2025
☃️ 5:30 PM
✨1418 Van Hise

This gathering brings together undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, and friends for an evening of conversation, community, and celebration. Light programming and activities will help spark connections across the department. Food and beverages from will be provided. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the end of the semester before the holidays!

Jeff Beneker’s Classics 320 class recently welcomed CANES undergraduate alum Joe Goodkin for a live performance of his o...
09/24/2025

Jeff Beneker’s Classics 320 class recently welcomed CANES undergraduate alum Joe Goodkin for a live performance of his own “Blues of Achilles.” His modern take on Homer’s Iliad through blues music brought the epic to life in a powerful new way, showcasing the enduring connections between classical literature and contemporary music.

📸 Learn more about his work here: https://www.thebluesofachilles.com/

Address

902 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI
53706

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+16082622041

Website

https://dayofthebadger.org/campaign/classical-ancient-near-eastern-studies/

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