Dr. Egbert Bakker

Biography

Egbert Bakker is the Alvan Talcott Professor at Yale University’s Department of Classics. He completed his PhD at Leiden University in 1988 and has been teaching at Yale since 2004. Prior to this, he held academic positions at the University of Texas at Austin and Université de Montréal, as well as teaching roles at the University of Virginia and Leiden University in the Netherlands. His research focuses on the Greek language and literature, with a keen interest in the linguistic aspects of poetic problems. Bakker has authored multiple works on Homeric poetry, including studies on oral poetry, poetic performance, and the linguistic articulation of narrative. He is currently engaged in long-term projects, including a commentary on Book 11 of the Iliad and a new grammar of Homeric language. His recent publications include 'Authorship Greek Song: Authority, Authenticity, Performance' (Brill, 2017) and 'Meaning Meat Structure Odyssey' (Cambridge, 2013). His forthcoming book, a commentary on Book 9 of the Odyssey, is set to be published in February 2025.

Research Interests