Dr. Lea Beness

Biography

Lea Beness is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and Archaeology at Macquarie University, where she has been engaged in teaching and research since 1994. She specializes in Roman Republican History, gender studies in the Graeco-Roman world, and landscape archaeology, with a particular focus on ancient harbours. Beness has played a vital role in the Macquarie Roman Biographical Dictionary Project, which involves the location mapping of ancient harbours, including the site of Torone in northern Greece. A committed educator, she has convened and taught the flagship first-year unit in Roman History at Macquarie and has actively engaged in outreach to enhance the teaching of Ancient History in New South Wales. She served on the NSW Ancient History HSC Examination committee and edited the peer-reviewed journal 'Ancient History: Resources for Teachers'. Beyond her university role, she has held significant positions within professional organizations, serving as the President of the Australasian Women Ancient World Studies and as Vice-President of the Australasian Society Classical Studies. Beness received her doctorate from the University of New England and previously lectured in Roman History there in the early 1990s.

Research Interests

Experience