Department of History

 John’s dissertation research focuses on the ancient phenomenon of Panhellenism—the notion of collective Greek identity—as well as its modern interpretations. While Panhellenism is often cast as a unifying ideology, its manifestations on the ground reveal much more political division and competition than unity. Through an examination of the regional sanctuaries of the Northeast Peloponnese, John will demonstrate the polysemy of Panhellenism and how it was manipulated at various levels of Greek society for personal reasons. When not exploring the deep historiography of ancient Greek identity, John works on other projects including gift-giving and leadership in Xenophon’s Anabasis, garden spaces in the Persian Empire, a social network analysis of the Persian governors of Lydia, and long-distance runners in antiquity.