Jesse Amar
University of Pennsylvania
Research Topic: Religion and Rhetoric in the Work of Aelius Aristides
I'm a 4th year PhD student in Classics at the University of Pennsylvania, and I have previously received degrees in philosophy, comparative literature, and literary translation. My dissertation concerns the culture of the second sophistic, and particularly the intersection of rhetorical, religious, and "self-help" discourses in the works of Aelius Aristides. I have previously participated in the excavations at Molyvoti, Thrace, and this year I'm excited to progress further in my understanding of archaeological techniques, and to think about how to connect my literary studies with more "concrete" approaches.