Dr. Richard Billows

Biography

Richard Billows is a professor specializing in Ancient Greek and Roman History, with particular interests in the Hellenistic Era (ca. 330-30 BCE) and the Roman Republic phase (ca. 220-27 BCE). His research also encompasses the origins of Christianity in the centuries CE. At Columbia University, he regularly teaches core curriculum courses such as 'An Introduction to Contemporary Civilization in the West' and an introductory lecture course on 'The Ancient Greeks', alongside a variety of specialized courses focusing on different aspects of Greek and Roman history. Billows has served as the Chair of the Graduate Interdepartmental Program in Classical Studies and has authored numerous articles, papers, and book chapters on specialized topics including Greek epigraphy. His major publications include 'Antigonos One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State' (University of California Press, 1990), 'Kings and Colonists: Aspects of Macedonian Imperialism' (Brill, 1995), 'Julius Caesar: Colossus of Rome' (Routledge, 2008), 'Marathon: The Battle that Changed Western Civilization' (Overlook/Duckworth, 2010), 'Hellenica Oxyrhynchia' (Brill's New Jacoby, 2016), 'Alexander: The Legacy and Legend of Alexander the Great' (Overlook/Duckworth, 2018), and 'Spear, Scroll, Pebble: Greek City-State Development and the Male Warrior-Citizen Collective' (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023).

Research Interests