Fredericton Faculty of Arts

Dr. Carolyn MacDonald, Assistant Professor in Classics & Ancient History

Above: Dr. Carolyn MacDonald behind the counter of a thermopolium (a hot-food shop) in Pompeii.

BIO

Dr. MacDonald is originally from Toronto ON, but academic life has taken her all over the continent. The Foundation Year Programme at the University of King’s College first lured her out east, and she liked it so much that she stayed in Halifax for a BA and an MA in Classics at Dalhousie. She then headed west, for a PhD in Classics from Stanford. After graduating in June of 2015, she took up a one-year postdoctoral teaching and research position at the University of New Hampshire. She joined the Classics department at UNB this July, and she couldn’t be happier to be back in the Canadian Maritimes. Dr. MacDonald is an avid hiker, and she’s looking forward to exploring this beautiful province with her slightly mad terrier, Ceilidh (see photo below).

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND UPCOMING PROJECTS

Dr. MacDonald studies the rich and strange culture of the ancient Romans, and her specific interests include Latin literature, Roman art, Roman cultural memory, and cross-cultural interactions between Romans, Greeks, and Italic peoples. Her MA research focused on Catullus, one of Republican Rome’s lewdest, crudest, and most brilliant poets. For her PhD, she explored literary and visual responses to Roman imperialism, particularly the Roman habit of plundering and parading artworks from conquered cities in the Greek East. She is currently expanding this research into a book, and co-editing a volume on appropriation in Roman culture.

For her next major project, Dr. MacDonald plans to look at Rome’s early absorption of nearby Italic cities, and the traces this left in Roman legends and across the cityscape. She also wants to create an interactive literary map of ancient Rome, which would allow scholars and students to see the city through the eyes of ancient historians, orators, poets, and playwrights. This would be a huge undertaking, with lots of opportunities for students to get involved. Stay tuned if you’re interested!

COURSES AT UNB THIS YEAR

LAT 1103 and 1113: Introductory Latin I and II
LAT 3133: Advanced Latin I: Ovid’s Metamorphoses
CLAS 3373: Pompeii and Herculaneum

FAVOURITE PART OF FREDERICTON SO FAR…

“I love that there’s so much going on here. In just one month, I’ve gone to a Shakespeare performance in Odell Park, witnessed some seriously impressive feats of strength at the Highland Games, and taken parts in two races along the beautiful St. John. I can’t wait to see the city really come to life in September.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW STUDENTS JOINING US THIS FALL?

“Give yourself time to figure out what programs and subjects really excite you. If a class sounds fascinating, go for it – even if it’s not in your usual wheelhouse. There are a lot of people here to help you succeed, so take a few risks this year and see where they lead!”  

Below: Dr. Carolyn MacDonald and Ceilidh at the top of Mt. Sunapee, New Hampshire.