Olga Levaniouk (she/her)

Professor of Classics
Graduate Program Coordinator
Olga Levaniouk photo

Contact Information

Denny M262B
Office Hours
by appointment

Biography

Ph.D. Harvard
M.A. University of Colorado
B.A. University of Colorado (Classics at the Lomonosov Moscow State University)
Curriculum Vitae (135.56 KB)

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

Courses Taught

Affiliations

Home Department
Professional Affiliations
Society for Classical Studies, Archaeological Institute of America, Women's Classical Caucus, Classical Association of the Pacific Northwest,

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