Dr. Rebecca Armstrong

Biography

Rebecca Armstrong is an Associate Professor in Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Oxford, where she is also a Fellow and Tutor in Classics at St Hilda's College. Her academic journey began in rural Devon, leading her to study at Balliol College, Oxford. With a significant background in Latin literature, she has engaged in teaching both Latin and Greek languages, whilst also lecturing on various topics in Roman literature, particularly focusing on Vergil's Aeneid and Ovid's Latin Didactic Poetry. Over the years, she has supervised numerous graduate students at the Masters and DPhil levels, specializing in Latin poetry from the late Republic to the early Empire. Her research interests are deeply rooted in the poetry and culture of the late Roman Republic and early Empire, including shorter works that examine the contributions of major poets such as Catullus, Vergil, Horace, and Ovid. Notable for her exploration of Ovid's love poetry, her research has examined the portrayal of mythological figures and the ecological implications of ancient literary representations, including the significance of plants in Vergil's poetry. Currently, she is pursuing an ecocritical approach to ancient texts, particularly exploring weeds and the concepts of time through the lens of ancient literature.

Research Interests