Classics, 1934-2026

This thesis analyzes three groups of ancient Roman latrones (bandits)—rural robbers, guerilla leaders, and political rivals—through the lens of modern criminological theory. In each case, I find that modern criminological theory advances our understanding of the origins of latrocinium (banditry). In addition, a modern criminological approach illuminates the ways in which latrocinium was received and mobilized by Roman writers for political purposes. Lastly, increased attention to authorial intent illustrates that historical bandits possessed no unified or objective identities; therefore, each account of latrocinium must be understood within the genre of its wider text.

This thesis examines the reception and reinterpretation of Perseus and Medusa told in Ovid's Metamorphoses through three key sculptural works spanning the Renaissance to the 21st century. By analyzing Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1545–1554), Camille Claudel’s Perseus and the Gorgon (late 19th century), and Luciano Garbati’s Medusa with the Head of Perseus (2008), the study traces how classical myth is reimagined in response to evolving historical, political, and gendered discourses. Drawing on feminist theory, classical reception studies, and art historical analysis, the thesis explores how sculpture operates as a medium of mythopoetic transformation, translating Ovid’s themes of gendered violence, divine injustice, and metamorphosis into physical form. It argues that these three statues collectively function as a transhistorical dialogue on power, identity, and artistic agency. The project ultimately situates myth not as a static cultural inheritance, but as a dynamic site of resistance, reflection, and reinterpretation within public and artistic spaces.