Carol Dougherty Professor of Classical Studies, Wellesley College
My research focuses on the intersection of history, literature, and culture of archaic and classical Greece (8-6th centuries BCE).
My first two books explored the transformative and tumultuous period of the eighth century—a time when Greeks settled new lands, engaged in far-reaching trade networks, and embarked upon radical new experiments in politics, economics, and communication. In The Poetics of Colonization, I read the kinds of stories the Greeks told themselves about founding new colonies abroad, and in The Raft of Odysseus, I looked at ways in which Homer’s Odyssey represents a culture engaged in negotiating a new place for itself in a rapidly changing world. In forthcoming article, “Living with Others, Living as Others: The Puzzle of Metoikia in Aeschylus’ Oresteia,” I again how Greeks adapted to changing circumstances, but this time, my focus is classical Athens and the ways that Aeschylus’ dramatic trilogy grapples with the issues of gender, immigration, and justice particular to that time and place. I am currently working on a comparative literature project, a book that brings readings of contemporary novels together with Homer’s Odyssey to explore common themes of home and homecoming.
I teach two different kinds of courses at Wellesley and enjoy the variety of students I encounter as a result. Most of my course-load is devoted to teaching students to read ancient Greek at all levels. I enjoy the challenge of introducing students to a new language and way of organizing the world linguistically. At the other end of the spectrum, the advanced courses provide rewarding opportunities to introduce students to more sophisticated approaches to the ancient world. I also teach courses in which the readings are done in English (Greek drama, mythology, theme of travel). These classes attract a range of students, not all budding classicists, and I appreciate their different responses and kinds of approaches.
