Roger Bagnall is a papyrologist and a historian of the Hellenistic, Roman, and late antique eastern Mediterranean, specializing in Graeco-Roman Egypt. He was educated at Yale and the University of Toronto and came to Columbia in 1974 as an assistant professor. His appointment is shared equally between the Classics and History departments, and his course offerings span the two departments. He served as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1993 and from 1994 to 2000 as chair of the Department of Classics.  He was also curator of the papyrus collection in the Columbia University Libraries. He retired from Columbia in 2007 and is now Director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University (www.nyu.edu/academics/isaw.html). He is also Adjunct Senior Research Scholar at Columbia.

Bagnall's publications include both historical studies and many editions of Greek papyri and ostraka. The most consistent area of principal interest has been the social, economic, and administrative history of Egypt in late antiquity. Current projects include Columbia's excavation and archaeological field school at Amheida in the Dakheleh Oasis of Egypt, a book on everyday writing in the Graeco-Roman East (arising from his Sather Lectures at Berkeley in fall 2005), and an archive of papyri from the funeral workers of the Kharga Oasis.

Curriculum vitae and list of publications

Regarding Letters of Recommendation

Every year I write a considerable number of letters of recommendation for graduate school, fellowships, and professional positions. Because the work of preparing and sending these letters tends to be highly seasonal, I have established the following policies for those requesting such letters.

1. For a new letter, that is, any letter that is not simply a matter of minor revisions or customization to an existing letter, three weeks’ advance notice before the postmark deadline is required. For sending a copy of an existing letter with minor changes, two weeks’ notice is required. It is a good idea to check with me earlier, however, because travel can affect these periods.

2. Requests should include all relevant materials that I will need to write the letter, as well as any forms provided by the institution or organization to which the letter is to be sent. The nature of these materials will vary case by case, but a current curriculum vitae should always be included. Letters to be submitted by post rather than electronically should have a stamped, addressed envelope included. Deadlines should be stated clearly.

3. Except in case of impossibility, please provide copies of project descriptions, curricula vitae, cover letters, writing samples, and other materials in printed form, not electronically.

4. I do not write new letters of recommendation during January-March, when I am in Egypt. Existing letters can be sent only electronically during this period. I cannot send letters when I am traveling at other times.

Syllabi for earlier courses

Ancient Studies V3995x: Senior Seminar -- Fall 2001
Ancient Studies W4000x: Introduction to Ancient Studies: Hellenistic and Roman Egypt -- Fall 1996
Ancient Studies W4000y: Introduction to Ancient Studies: The Hellenistic Period -- Spring 1998
Greek W1121x: Intensive Elementary Greek -- Fall 1999
Greek 4155y: Reading Course in Late Koine Texts -- Spring 2003 Greek G6246x: Greek Papyrology -- Fall 2001
Greek G6247y: Greek Papyrology -- Spring 2002
History W3802x: Cities and Kings in the Hellenistic World -- Fall 1999
History W3905x: Monasticism, Church, and Society -- Fall 1998
History 4004y: The Oases of Egypt -- Spring 2003
History W4015x: Roman Law -- Fall 2001
History W4015y: Roman Law -- Spring 2000
History W4015x: Roman Law -- Fall 1997
History 4040x: Alexander the Great -- Spring 1997
NT 355: The Social Context of Egyptian Christianity -- Fall 1998

Address: 

Jay Professor of Greek and Latin and Professor of History, Emeritus
c/o Institute for the Study of the Ancient World

15 East 84^th St.