Micah Myers joined Kenyon in 2013. He previously held positions at North Carolina State University and Indiana University, Bloomington. Myers teaches Latin and Greek language courses, as well as courses in translation on ancient literature and culture. His research focuses on Latin poetry and on travel in the ancient world. Read more at kenyon.academia.edu/MicahMyers.
Areas of Expertise
Latin literature, ancient travel, Greek lyric poetry.
Education
— Doctor of Philosophy from Stanford University
— Bachelor of Arts from Univ of California Santa Cruz
Courses Recently Taught
CLAS 101
Greek Civilization
CLAS 101
This course introduces students to the masterpieces of the ancient Greek world in English translation and to the extraordinary civilization that produced them. We will explore the development of Greek civilization through celebrated texts -- for example, Homer's "Iliad"and "Odyssey"; the poetry of Sappho; plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides; and Plato's philosophical dialogues -- as well as through lesser known but still fascinating works. We will work toward a better understanding of the texts themselves, the people and the culture that produced them and the enduring relevance they hold for us today. No prerequisite. Offered every other year.
CLAS 130
Classical Mythology
CLAS 130
It is impossible to understand the cultures of the West without some knowledge of classical mythology. Not only are some myths wildly entertaining, they permeate popular imagination and life to this day. This course focuses on the evidence from ancient Greece and Rome but may also include material from other traditions. Class discussion will explore some of the overarching themes contained within the myths themselves and also how these stories have influenced modern culture through literature and art. At the same time, students will have a chance to observe how the treatment of different myths changes from author to author, thus revealing what issues were important to the people who told them. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
CLAS 225
The Ends of the Earth in the Ancient Imagination
CLAS 225
What did the ancient Greeks and Romans imagine faraway places and peoples were like? What were the social, religious, military, and economic factors that led them to contemplate and travel to distant locales? How did ancient notions of the periphery and the "Other" shape post-Classical perceptions of the world's fringes during, for example, the Age of Discovery? In this course we will study ancient descriptions of journeys to far-off places, ethnographic texts, the causes of human movement in the classical world and the development of views on the structure and dimensions of the earth that led to the achievements of early geographers. We will investigate Greek and Roman travel through archaeological and historical evidence, as well as through seminal texts ranging from Homer's "Odyssey" and Herodotus' "Histories" to Tacitus' descriptions of Britain and Germany. The course will consist mainly of discussion. No prerequisite. Offered occasionally.
GREK 201
Intermediate Greek: Prose
GREK 201
The goal of this course is to cultivate students' skills as readers of continuous Greek prose. To this end, students will expand their vocabulary as well as review and refine their understanding of the morphology and syntax of Ancient Greek. Upon completing this course, students will read Greek prose with greater precision, nuance and speed. Authors read with some regularity in this course include Herodotus and Lysias; however, the particular text or texts will vary from year to year and may be complemented with a portion of a tragedy or comedy. Offered every fall.
GREK 202
Intermediate Greek: Homer
GREK 202
It is a great pleasure to read Homer in Greek, and this course seeks to help students do so with accuracy and insight. Students will acquire a working knowledge of Homer's vocabulary and syntax and will explore some of the key literary and historical questions that have occupied his readers. Offered every spring.
GREK 302
Advanced Greek
GREK 302
Students will improve their skills in reading Greek and discuss scholarship on the author or authors being read that semester. Each semester the readings change, so that GREK 301 and 302 can be taken, to the student's advantage, several times. Students are encouraged to inform the instructor in advance if there is a particular genre, author or theme they would especially like to study. The list of authors taught in this course includes, to name just a few, the lyric poets; the playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes; and great prose stylists such as Plato and Thucydides. Offered every spring.
LATN 101Y
Elementary Latin
LATN 101Y
Knowledge of Latin opens the door to direct engagement with some of the greatest and most influential writings in Western culture without the obscuring filter of translation. The study of Latin also enhances students' ability to think analytically and to use the English language with greater understanding and sophistication. The benefit of these skills extends far beyond the study of Latin to all areas of life that demand critical thinking or effective oral and written communication. The aim of this yearlong course is twofold: (1) to give students a thorough knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary employed by Roman writers of the second century BCE through the second century CE, and (2) to have students read increasingly unadapted passages from those writers. After completing this course, students will be prepared to read with good comprehension the works of great Roman writers such as Cicero and Vergil. Faithful attendance and timely completion of all work are essential to success in this course. There will be daily assignments to prepare and frequent written homework, including translations from English to Latin. Classroom work will focus on understanding and practicing grammar and on reading Latin. Students also will be introduced to the literary and cultural context of the readings. Progress will be assessed by regular tests and frequent quizzes. There also will be a three-hour final examination in May. This course presumes no prior study of Latin. Students enrolled in this course will be automatically added to LATN 102Y for the spring semester. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
LATN 102Y
Elementary Latin
LATN 102Y
Knowledge of Latin opens the door to direct engagement with some of the greatest and most influential writings in Western culture without the obscuring filter of translation. The study of Latin also enhances students' ability to think analytically and to use the English language with greater understanding and sophistication. The benefit of these skills extends far beyond the study of Latin to all areas of life that demand critical thinking or effective oral and written communication. The aim of this yearlong course is twofold: (1) to give students a thorough knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary employed by Roman writers of the second century BCE through the second century CE, and (2) to have students read increasingly unadapted passages from those writers. After completing this course, students will be prepared to read with good comprehension the works of great Roman writers such as Cicero and Vergil. Faithful attendance and timely completion of all work are essential to success in this course. There will be daily assignments to prepare and frequent written homework, including translations from English to Latin. Classroom work will focus on understanding and practicing grammar and on reading Latin. Students also will be introduced to the literary and cultural context of the readings. Progress will be assessed by regular tests and frequent quizzes. There also will be a three-hour final examination in May. This course presumes no prior study of Latin. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
LATN 302
Advanced Latin
LATN 302
In this course, students will improve their skills in reading Latin and discuss scholarship on the author or authors being read during the semester. Each semester the readings change, so that LATN 301 and 302 can be taken, to the student's advantage, several times. Students are encouraged to inform the instructor if there is a particular genre, author or theme they would especially like to study. The list of authors regularly taught in this course includes, to name just a few, Horace and Ovid, the comic poet Plautus, and great prose stylists such as Livy, Tacitus, Petronius and Augustine. Offered every spring.
Academic & Scholarly Achievements
2019
“From Cumae to the Po: Italian Itineraries in Vergil’s Underworld.” Dictynna 16 (2019): 1-21.
2019
“Lascivus Puer: Cupid, Hermes, and Hymns in Ovid’s Metamorphoses,” in J. F. Miller and J. S.Clay (eds.), Tracking Hermes, Pursuing Mercury. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019): 141-56.
2017
“Import/Export: Empire, Circulation, and the Gallus Papyrus from Qasr Ibrim,” in M. P. Loar, C. MacDonald, and D. Padilla Peralta (eds.), Rome, Empire of Plunder: The Dynamics of Cultural Appropriation. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017): 214-36.
2015
2011
“Lucan’s Poetic Geographies: Center and Periphery in Civil War Epic,” in P. Asso (ed.), Brill’s Companion to Lucan.(Leiden: Brill, 2011): 399-416.
2008
Translations of Plutarch Life of Alexander 26, Pausanias Description of Greece 1.6.7-81.7.6-10, 1.9.3, Eusebius Life of Constantine 3.42, and Egeria Peregrinatio 21-3 in m. cooke, E. Göknar, and G. Parker (eds.), Mediterranean Passages: Readings from Dido to Derrida (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2008): 81-3, 87-92.
2008
Review of F. Cairns, Sextus Propertius: The Augustan Elegist. (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2006). CW 102.1 (2008): 78-9.
2007
“Footrace, Dance, and Desire: The χορός of Danaids in Pindar’s Pythian 9.” SIFC 5.2 (2007): 230-47.