Nikoletta Kanavou studied Classics at the Universities of Athens (BA 1999) and Oxford (MSt 2001, DPhil 2005). As a student, she received scholarships from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) and from the Foundations A.G. Leventis and Lilian Voudouri. Before moving to the University of Athens, she held a postgraduate scholarship from the Foundation for Education and European Culture (IPEP), an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship, and a fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG) at the University of Heidelberg. She has taught ancient Greek language and literature at the Universities of Oxford, Cyprus, Crete, Heidelberg, and at the Cypriot and Hellenic Open Universities. She has also worked as research assistant on the Oxford-based project ‘A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names’. She is currently Associate Professor at the University of Athens (Department of Classics), where she teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervises doctoral students on a variety of subjects. She also teaches at the BA Program in the Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece. She has presented papers at numerous conferences in Greece and abroad.
Research interests:
Fictitious prose narratives, archaic Greek poetry, comedy, literary theory, papyrology, epigraphy, onomastics.
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS (SINGLE-AUTHORED)
1. Philostratus’ Life of Apollonios of Tyana and its Literary Context. München (C.H. Beck, Zetemata) 2018.
2. The Names of Homeric Heroes: Problems and Interpretations. Berlin (Walter de Gruyter, Sozomena) 2015.
3. Αristophanes’ Comedy of Names: A Study of Speaking Names in Aristophanes. Berlin (Walter de Gruyter, Sozomena) 2011.
4. Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe & Clitophon: A Comic Romantic Novel (in preparation).
BOOKS (CO-AUTHORED)
5. Νόστος μελιηδύς: επιλογές από την Οδύσσεια του Ομήρου. Εισαγωγή – κείμενο – μετάφραση – σχόλια / The Homeric Odyssey: An Anthology (Introduction, Selected Texts and Commentary) (with Α. Κοroli, Ε. Μakrygianni and Α. Papathomas). Athens (Scriptio Continua) 2021.
6. Θεσπεσίη ἀοιδή: επιλογές από την Ιλιάδα του Ομήρου. Εισαγωγή – κείμενο – μετάφραση – σχόλια / The Homeric Iliad: An Anthology (Introduction, Selected Texts and Commentary) (with Ε. Μakrygianni, S. Matthaios and Α. Papathomas). Athens (Sillybos) 2020.
EDITED VOLUMES
7. Ancient Narrative Fiction: New Light from the Papyri. (Harassowitz, Philippika) (in preparation, with A. Papathomas).
8. LGPN VA: Coastal Asia Minor: Pontos to Ionia. Oxford (OUP) 2010 (editorial assistant).
ARTICLES / CHAPTERS
9. The story of Cyane (P.Berol. inv. 11 056), Ancient Narrative Fiction: New Light from the Papyri. Ed. Kanavou, N. & Papathomas, A. Wiesbaden (Harassowitz, Philippika) (in preparation).
10. Heliodorus and the Greek Novel, Heliodorus Aithiopika. Ed. Furley, W. (Aris & Phillips) (in preparation).
11. Σώφρων ἔρως / Sophron eros (submitted).
12. An Account of Jesus’ Burial, Resurrection and Descent into Hades Based on the Apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus: A New Edition of P. Vindob. G 19884 with Commentary (with A. Papathomas). Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik (forthcoming).
13. Some Thoughts on Slander in Philostratus, Literary Genres in Greek Literature of the Imperial Period. Ed. Karavas, O. & Liotsakis, V. Berlin / Boston (Walter de Gruyter) (forthcoming).
14. An Unpublished Illuminated Papyrus from the Heidelberg Collection, Proceedings of the 30th International Congress of Papyrology, Paris 25-30 July 2022 (Studia Papyrologica et Aegyptiaca Parisina) (forthcoming).
15. Το αρχαίο ελληνικό μυθιστόρημα και οι Έλληνες μελετητές του από τον 19ο ως τις αρχές του 20ού αιώνα / The Ancient Greek Novel and Greek Scholars of the 19th and the Early 20th Century. Η Κλασική Φιλολογία στη νεότερη Ελλάδα. Από τα χρόνια του Νεοελληνικού Διαφωτισμού ως τον Β΄ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο / Classical Scholarship in Modern Greece. From the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment to the Second World War. Ed. Β. Βερτουδάκης (forthcoming).
16. ‘Fake News’ in the Novels of Chariton and Achilles Tatius, Fake News in Ancient Greece: Forms and Functions of ‘False Information’ in Ancient Greek Literature. Εd. De Brasi, D., Papathomas, A. & Tsiampokalos, T. Berlin (De Gruyter) (forthcoming, 2025).
17. The Virgin of P.Köln 13.511, Rheinisches Museum für Philologie (forthcoming, 2024).
18. Satirizing Christianity in Lucian’s Peregrinus and Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Clitophon. Novum Testamentum (forthcoming, 2024).
19. Διαβάζοντας ερωτικά μυθιστορήματα στην ύστερη αρχαιότητα / Reading Love Novels in Late Antiquity. Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν / Yearbook of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens 48 (2023-24) (forthcoming, 2024).
20. On the Nomenclature of the Greek Romantic Novels: Names of Main Heroes and Heroines, Revue des Études Anciennes 126.1 (2024) 177-195.
21. Wasps: Rhetoric and the Law, Blackwell Companion to Aristophanes, 149-164. Εd. Farmer, Μ. C. & Lefkowitz, J. B. Hoboken NJ (Wiley Blackwell) 2024.
22. A Homeric Echo in Herodotus 1.43, Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν / Yearbook of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens 47 (2022-23) 45-50.
23. Νίνος· Μητίοχος & Παρθενόπη· Ιωσήφ και Ασενέθ / Ninos; Metiochos & Parthenope; Joseph & Aseneth, Ελληνιστική Γραμματεία. Επιλογές ελληνιστικής πεζογραφίας και ποίησης. Εισαγωγή – Κείμενο – Μετάφραση – Σχόλια / An Anthology of Hellenistic Literature, with Introduction and Commentary. Ed. Papathomas, Α. Athens (Scriptio Continua) 2023.
24. Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe as a puella docta, La realidad de la mujer en el universo de la ficción antigua (The Reality of Women in the Universe of the Ancient Novel), 199-207. Εd. López Martínez, M. P., Sánchez-Moreno Ellart, C. & Zaera García, A. B. Amsterdam / Philadelphia (John Benjamins) 2023.
25. Xenophon the Cypriot and his Novel, Cyprus in Texts from Graeco-Roman Antiquity, 326-338. Εd. Carvounis, K., Gavrielatos, A., Karla, G. & Papathomas, A. Leiden (Brill) 2023.
26. «Μηδένα προ του τέλους μακάριζε»: εμφανίσεις ενός διάσημου ρητού / Contexts of a Famous Saying, Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν / Yearbook of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens 46 (2021-22) 23-31.
27. Textual Notes on Achilles Tatius, Classical Quarterly 72 (2022) 347-354.
28. Some Thoughts on the Eusyene Fragment (P.Oxy. LXXXIII 5356), Proceedings of the 29th International Congress of Papyrology, Lecce 28 July-3 August 2019, I-II, 608-616. Εd. Capasso, M., Davoli, P., Pellé, N., Lecce 2022.
29. Παρατηρήσεις στα Ἐρωτικὰ του Κλεάρχου του Σολέα / Remarks on the Erotika of Clearchus of Soli, Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν / Yearbook of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens 45 (2020-21) 93-102.
30. Two Rare Names from Inscriptions in the Archaeological Museum of Messenia, Arctos 54 (2020) 197-200.
31. Reflections on the Relationship between the Life of Saints Galaktion and Episteme and the Ancient Greek Novel, Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik 70 (2020) 209-220.
32. Παμφίλη η Επιδαυρία / Pamphile of Epidaurus, Ἐπιστημονικὴ Ἐπετηρὶς τῆς Φιλοσοφικῆς Σχολῆς τοῦ Πανεπιστημίου Ἀθηνῶν / Yearbook of the School of Philosophy of the University of Athens 44 (2019-20) 85-103.
33. The Prose Narrative of P.Freib. IV 47: Some Textual and Interpretive Notes, Archiv für Papyrusforschung 66/1 (2020) 22-31 (with Α. Papathomas).
34. Πολλαλέγων and Πασιχάρηα (Alcman PMGF 107), Ἤματα πάντα. Τιμητικός τόμος στον καθηγητή Ανδρέα Ι. Βοσκό / Studies on Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Literature, Philosophy and Culture in Honour of Prof. Andreas I. Voskos, 119-126. Εd. Papathomas, A., Karla, G., & Stamatis, D. Athens (Kardamitsa) 2020.
35. Legal Narratives from a Late Antique Codex and the Ancient Novel Tradition, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 214 (2020) 80-86.
36. A Declamation on a Sopatrian Model: P.Hamb. II 134 Reconsidered, Symbolae Osloenses 94.1 (2020) 157-168 (with Α. Papathomas).
37. Επίκτητος, Διατριβαί· Φλάβιος Φιλόστρατος, Βίοι σοφιστῶν· Αχιλλεύς Τάτιος, Τὰ κατὰ Λευκίππην καὶ Κλειτοφῶντα· Φλάβιος Φιλόστρατος, Τὰ ἐς τὸν Τυανέα Ἀπολλώνιον· Λουκιανός, Ἀληθῆ διηγήματα, Μεταγενέστερη ελληνική γραμματεία. Αυτοκρατορικοί χρόνοι – ύστερη αρχαιότητα – πρώιμο βυζάντιο. Εισαγωγή – κείμενο – μετάφραση – σχόλια / Later Greek Literature: Selected texts with introduction and commentary, 50-56· 190· 327· 360-366· 404-415· 484-492· 493-500. Athens (Sillybos) 2019.
38. P.Philammon, “Law Cases” 1-6 (= BGU IV 1024, pp. 3.1-6.2): Some Textual Notes, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 56 (2019) 275-286 (with Α. Papathomas).
39. P.Oxy. VI 866: Fragment of Comedy or Historical Prose? Philologus 163.1 (2019) 156-160.
40. Iamblichos’ Babyloniaka, the Greek Novel and Satire, Ancient Narrative 15 (2018) 109-131.
41. New Remarks on the Panionis (P.Oxy. LXXI 4811), Archiv für Papyrusforschung 64/1 (2018) 13-31.
42. Ομηρικοί ήρωες στο Λουκιανό και στο Φιλόστρατο: μια ανάγνωση με βάση την ερμηνευτική θεωρία του Ronald Dworkin / Homeric Heroes in Lucian and Philostratus: A Reading Based on the Interpretive Theory of Ronald Dworkin, Μεθοδολογικά ζητήματα στις κλασικές σπουδές: παλαιά προβλήματα και νέες προκλήσεις / Methodological Perspectives in Classical Studies. Old Problems and New Challenges, 263-276. Εd. Tamiolaki, M. Ηράκλειο (Πανεπιστημιακές Εκδόσεις Κρήτης) 2017.
43. Sōphrosynē and Justice in Aristophanes’ Wasps, Greece & Rome 63.2 (2016) 175-191.
44. An Alexandrian Murder Case Revisited (P.Philammon [= BGU IV] 1024, pp. 6.3-8.21), Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 200 (2016) 453-469 (with Α. Papathomas).
45. The Vocabulary of Chaste Love in the Ninus Fragments, Classical Philology 111.3 (2016) 276-282.
46. Ronald Dworkin and the Classics, Arethusa 49 (2016) 93-117.
47. Notes on the Blemyomachia (P.Berol. 5003 + P.Gen. inv. 140 + P.Phoib. fr. 1a/6a/11c/12c), Tyche 30 (2015) 55-60.
48. A Husband is More Important Than a Child: The Ending of Chariton’s Callirhoe Revisited, Mnemosyne 68 (2015) 937-955.
49. Μύθος ή ιστορία; Ο Αριστοφάνης και η ρευστότητα των ορίων / Myth or History? Blurring Boundaries with Aristophanes, Μυθοπλασίες: χρήση και πρόσληψη των αρχαίων μύθων από την αρχαιότητα μέχρι σήμερα (Proceedings of the international conference: Reception of ancient myth in Greek history, literature and art from antiquity to the present. Delphi (European Cultural Centre), 28-30 January 2010), 29-44. Εd. Efthymiadis, S. & Petrides, A. K. Athens (Ion) 2015.
50. Ο «πολιτικός μύθος» στον Αριστοφάνη: μια άλλη μορφή κωμικής σάτιρας; Κωμικός στέφανος: νέες τάσεις στην έρευνα της αρχαίας ελληνικής κωμωδίας / Comic Wreath: New Trends in the Study of Ancient Greek Comedy, 45-59. Εd. Tamiolaki, M. Ρέθυμνο (Εκδόσεις Φιλοσοφικής Σχολής Κρήτης) 2014.
51. Negative Εmotions and Greek Names, Emotions in Greece and Rome: Texts, Images, Material Culture, 167-189. Εd. Chaniotis, A. & Ducrey, P. Stuttgart (Franz Steiner Verlag) 2013.
52. Το όνομα του Αχιλλέα: μύθος, ιστορία και προοπτικές / Achilles’ Name: History, Myth, and a New Perspective, Ονόματα (Revue Onomastique) 20 (= Ονοματολογικά Φθιώτιδας, Πρακτικά Ε΄ Ονοματολογικού Συνεδρίου, Λαμία, 3-5 Οκτωβρίου 2008) (2013) 173-182.
53. Political Myth in Aristophanes: Another Form of Comic Satire? Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 51 (2011) 382-400.
54. Πάρ’τον στο γάμο σου...: Φιλόγελως 72 / May All Your Weddings Be Happy Ones! Philogelos 72, Αριάδνη / Ariadne 16 (2010) 117-135.
55. Κorinna fr. 654 PMG and a Modern Greek Folk-Song, Αρχαιογνωσία / Archaiognosia 15 (2010) 41-54.
56. Onomastic Research Then and Now: An Example From the Greek Novel, Onomatologos: Studies in Greek Personal Names Presented to Elaine Matthews, 609-619. Εd. Catling, R.W.V. & Marchand, F. Oxford (Oxbow Books) 2010.
57. A Comedy of Names: How Personal Names ‘Speak’ in Aristophanes’ Acharnians, Ἀντιφίλησις: Studies on Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Literature and Culture in Honour of J.-Th. A. Papademetriou, 212-222. Εd. Karamalengou, E. & Makrygianni, E. Stuttgart (Franz Steiner Verlag) 2009.
58. Hikesios Son of Lykinos of Kolophon, Victor in the Boys Wrestling at Olympia, and Pausanias VI 17.4, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 165 (2008) 109-110 (with R.W.V. Catling).
59. Hermesianax the Olympic Victor and Goneus the Ambassador: A Late Classical – Early Hellenistic Family from Kolophon, Epigraphica Anatolica 40 (2007) 59-66 (with R.W.V. Catling).
60. Τhe Gravestone of Meniketes Son of Menestheus: IPrusa 1028 and 1054, Ζeitschrift für Ρapyrologie und Εpigraphik 163 (2007) 103-117 (with R.W.V. Catling).
61. Dionysikles Son of Posideos from Teos, Ζeitschrift für Ρapyrologie und Εpigraphik 163 (2007) 118-120 (with R.W.V. Catling).
62. Personal Names in the Vita Aesopi (Vita G or Perriana), Classical Quarterly 56 (2006) 208-219.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA ENTRIES
63.1 Odios, 2 Oicles, 3 Onetor, 4 Ophelestes, 5 Opheltios, 6 Opites, 7 Ops, 8 Oresbios, 9 Ormenos, 10 Orsilochos, 11 Othryoneus, 12 Peisistratos, 13 Peisidice, 14 Polyxene, 15 Polyxenos, Dizionario Etimologico della Mitologia Greca (DEMGOL), http://demgol.units.it/index.do (2013-2016)
64.1 Αgamemnon, 2 Ajax, 3 Orestes, 4 Iphigeneia, Encyclopaedia of Ancient History (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell), σε έντυπη και ηλεκτρονική μορφή, www.encyclopediaancienthistory.com (2012)
65. Ιωνική διάλεκτος – Ionic dialect, Ελληνική Μικρασιατική Εγκυκλοπαίδεια (ΕΜΕ) του Ιδρύματος Μείζονος Ελληνισμού, www.egiklopedia.gr (2006)
BOOK REVIEWS
66. Manuel Baumbach and Manuel Sanz Morales, 2021, Chariton von Aphrodisias, Kallirhoe: Kommentar zu den Büchern 1-4. Heidelberg (Winter). ExClass 26 (2022) 302-310.
67. Ralph M. Rosen and Helene P. Foley (eds.), (2020) Aristophanes and Politics. New Studies (Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition vol. 45). Leiden; Boston: Brill. Polis 38.2 (2021) 340-345.
68. De Temmerman, K. and Demoen, K. (eds) 2016, Writing Biography in Greece and Rome: Narrative Technique and Fictionalization, Cambridge, CUP. Bryn Mawr Classical Review (https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2018/2018.01.35/)
69. De Temmerman, K. 2014, Crafting Characters: Heroes and Heroines in the Ancient Greek Novel, Oxford, OUP. Mnemosyne 68 (2015) 855-859.