Dr. Elizabeth Scharffenberger

Biography

Elizabeth Scharffenberger is a senior lecturer and faculty advisor for the Postbaccalaureate Program at Columbia University’s Department of Classics. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Classical Languages and Literature from the University of Chicago and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Classics from Columbia University. With a focus on Ancient Greek and Roman drama, her research interests encompass comic literature from antiquity to the present day, intellectual history, Greek prose style, reception studies, and translation of classics. At Columbia, she instructs a diverse array of courses including 'Elements of Greek Prose Style' and a seminar on Athenian comedy as part of the Core Curriculum. Her scholarly work often explores Athenian drama and its reception across different historical eras. Current projects feature a volume of essays titled 'Aristophanes and Politics,' which she co-edited alongside Professors Helene Foley and Ralph Rosen, and includes papers on the fragments of dramas by Euripides and Strattis. Her selected publications include contributions to the Brill companions on Euripides and Sophocles, and various essays focusing on the adaptation of ancient comedies.

Research Interests