Fields of Interest
Biography
At the center of my research is Homer as part of the song culture of Ancient Greece. My interests include myth, ritual, lyric poetry, drama, comparative and historical linguistics, oral traditional poetry and poetics in Greece and beyond, and a comparative approach to all of the above. I am particularly interested in comparative work involving Indic and Slavic poetry, and have also made forays into working with Turkic epic. I have at various points studied Sanskrit, Avestan, and Hittite and retain various degrees of competency (and unflagging interest!) in these languages. On the myth side of things, I have a long-standing interest in mythological variation and local mythologies. On the poetic side, I have a particular interests in women's songs, especially laments and wedding songs.
My first book, Eve of the Festival: Making Myth in Odyssey 19, is a study of myth in Homer on the example of the first dialogue between Penelope and Odysseus.
My current project is a comparative study of Greek weddings focusing on the performances by the bride, her mother, and her age-mates.
Research
Selected Research
- Olga Levaniouk "The Song of the Bed Revisited". In: A. Papachrysostomou, A. Antonopoulos et al., eds.Γερα: Studies in Honor of Professor Menelaos Christopoulos, Classisc@25
- Olga Levaniouk. "The dreams of Barčin and Penelope." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 112 (2023) 1-34. Download PDF (348.82 KB)
- Olga Levaniouk. "“Seeking Agariste.” In: M. Christopoulos , A. Papachrysostomou and A. Antonopoulos, eds.Myth and History: Close Encounters. De Gruyter 2022
- Olga Levaniouk. "Mystery Cows: Bovine Subplots in Initiation Narratives" In: M. Christopoulos , A. Papachrysostomou, M. Meyer,eds Unveiling the Hidden Face of Antiquity: Mysteries and Cryptic Cults, Phoibos Verlag 2022
- “Homer and Indo-European Myth.” In C. Pache, ed. Cambridge Homer Encyclopedia. 2020.
- “Homer and Indo-European Myth.” In C. Pache, ed. Cambridge Homer Encyclopedia.
- “Did Sappho and Homer Ever Meet? Comparative Perspectives on Homeric Singers.”
- Olga Levaniouk. "Oὐ χρώμεθα τοῖς ξενικοῖς ποιήμασιν: Questions about Evolution and Fluidity of the Odyssey." Homeric Contexts: Neoanalysis and the Interpretation of Oral poetry. Walter de Gruyter: 2012. 369-409.
- Olga Levaniouk. Eve of the Festival: Making Myth in Odyssey 19. Cambridge, Mass.: 2012.
- “Seeking Agariste.” Mythical History, Historical Myth. De Gruyter, MythosEikonPoiesis
- “The dreams of Barchin and Penelope." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 113 (forthcoming)
Research Advised: Undergraduate Senior Essays
- Jocelyn Hicks. "Hunting Metaphors for Love and War" Senior Essay, 2023
- Melissa Barker. "Patroclus as Heartthrob: Why Do We Love Him? A Meta-Analysis of Patroclus" Senior Essay, 2023
- Peter Schultz-Rathbun. "The Tapestry of Time: A Cunning Weaving of Fate and Free Will in the Iliad," Senior Essay, 2021
- Ruichen Tang. "The Relationship between Epic Heroes and Their Special Companions," Senior Essay, 2021
- Scott Yonek. "πολύτροπος and the Homeric Proem," Senior Essay, 2021
- Allison Ross. "Getting around in De rerum natura and Twelfth Night." Senior Essay, 2014.
Research Advised: Undergraduate Honors Theses
- James P. Piper. "Ankles and Vulnerability in Greek Thought: A Study of Connotations." Honors Thesis, 2015.
- Molly Ostheller. "Truth and Authority: Homer, Hesiod, and the Challenge of Early Philosophy." Honors Thesis, 2013.
- Anysia Dumont. "A Song of Deadly Desire: The Evolution of the Sexy Siren in Late Antique Allegory." Honors Thesis, 2012.
Research Advised: Graduate Dissertations
Courses Taught
Spring 2024
Winter 2024
Spring 2023
Autumn 2022
Summer 2022 Full-term
Spring 2022
Spring 2021
Winter 2021
Winter 2019
Autumn 2018
Spring 2018
Winter 2018
Autumn 2017
Spring 2017
Winter 2017
Spring 2016
Winter 2016
Autumn 2015
Winter 2015
Autumn 2014
Spring 2014
Winter 2014
Spring 2013
Winter 2013
Autumn 2012
Spring 2012
Winter 2012
Autumn 2011
Affiliations
News & Events
Related News
- “Psyche and Cupid” Film Features Cast and Crew from UW Classics - August 12, 2022
- Prof. Levaniouk interviewed on Ancient Greece Declassified - February 13, 2020
- Words and Time: A Brief Introduction to a Concise Inventory of Greek Etymologies - February 21, 2016
- Olga Levaniouk joins roundtable discussion at conference on Gabriel Fauré's Pénélope - November 3, 2015
- Professor Levaniouk reports on the Homer Multitext Project - November 11, 2013
- Prof. Levaniouk reports on the work of Classics undergraduates for the Homer Multitext Project - September 17, 2012
- Professor Levaniouk reports on her work on the Kyklos project at the Center for Hellenic Studies - May 22, 2012
Related Events
- Greek Myth in a Global Context - February 10, 2024 - 9:00am
- Q&A Session about UW Classics Graduate Programs - December 11, 2023 - 11:00am
- Classics of Translation = Translation of Classics [UW Translation Studies Hub Colloquium] - October 9, 2020 - 1:00pm