Professor Tobias Reinhardt

Academic Background

I grew up in Germany and obtained my first degree at the University of Frankfurt. While I was a student, the work of two Oxford scholars caught my attention. It was because of them that I applied to Oxford for a place to do graduate work, and I was fortunate to end up being jointly supervised by them. After my doctorate I did a tour of Oxford: starting at Corpus, I went to Merton for a year as a Junior Research Fellow, was then Fellow and Tutor in Latin and Greek at Somerville for six years, and then returned to Corpus.

Research Interests

My research interests are in Latin prose, ancient rhetoric and literary criticism, Latin didactic poetry, the borderline area between classical literature and ancient philosophy, as well as Latin textual criticism. In my work I try to combine close philological analysis with broader interests in intellectual history and Greco-Roman culture. Among other things, I am interested in arguments, in the circumstances in which they count as good or relevant (e.g. public debate, philosophical discourse, legal casuistry), and in how they are expressed in Latin and Greek; in the way in which 'theory' (rhetorical, philosophical, legal) made an impact on real life, by informing attitudes on everyday matters and shaping the perception and solution of practical problems; and in the way in which philosophical and rhetorical doctrine was used to articulate traditional or intuitively held views and convictions. 

Research Keywords

Latin literature, ancient philosophy, Latin textual criticism.

Teaching

I am happy to advise graduate students in my areas of interest and welcome approaches from prospective applicants.

Publications

Full Publications: Professor T Reinhardt 2021-2022

Selected Publication: