Dr. Lorenzo Livorsi

Fields of Interest

Late Latin Poetry
Late antique hagiography
Papal epistolography

Lorenzo studied Classical Philology and Ancient History at the University of Pisa and, jointly, at the Scuola Normale Superiore. He then followed his doctoral supervisor in a wandering PhD in the UK with a thesis on Venantius Fortunatus’s epic Life of St Martin. He focused on the portrayal Fortunatus’s portrayal of Martin as opposed to previous literature about Martin (Sulpicius Severus and Paulinus of Périgueux) and discussed the influence of earlier praise literature (such as poetry and prose panegyrics in honour of Roman emperors, high officials, and bishops) in the characterization of Martin as a powerful patron saint.

He has also held research fellowships in Vienna and in Hamburg, lastly in the context of the RomanIslam DFG Center for Advanced Study.

His research interests include, but are not limited to, late Latin poetry, reception of the Latin classics in Late Antiquity, panegyrical literature, papal epistolography. He is passionate about Latin paleography and manuscript tradition.

Employed since April 2022, he focuses on the philological, literary, linguistic, and stylistic aspects of the unabridged constitutions.

Education and Career

2010-2013: Università di Pisa, BA in Humanities / Classics
2013-2015: Università di Pisa, MA in Classical Philology and Ancient History
2010-2015: Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), Specialized Diploma in Classical Philology and Ancient History
2016-2021: PhD in Classics and Ancient History, University of Kent / University of Reading / University of Bristol
2019-2020: Visiting research fellow, Institut für Griechische und Lateinische Philologie Universität Hamburg
2020-2021: Visiting research fellow, Institut für Klassische Philologie, Mittel- und Neulatein, Universität Wien
2021-2022: Postdoctoral fellow, RomanIslam Center for Advanced Study, Universität Hamburg

Scholarships and Awards

2010-2015: Full BA and MA scholarship, Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa)
2016: Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Kent
2016-2018: Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Reading
2018-2019: Graduate Teaching Assistantship, University of Bristol
2019-2020: DAAD One-Year Grant, Universität Hamburg
2020-2021: OeAD Ernst Mach Grant - worldwide, Universität Wien
2021-2022: Postdoctoral Fellowship, RomanIslam Center Universität Hamburg

2016: Prize MA Thesis in Latin Philology (“Premio di laurea Angelo Corsetti”), Università di Pisa
2019: Travel bursary IPIW - international promovieren in Wuppertal, Universität Wuppertal
2021: Bursary International Medieval Congress, Leeds

Publications

a) Articles and essays

A “Vicious” Interpolation in Horace’s First Epistle, Hermes 146 (2018), 122-129.(doi:10.25162/hermes-2018-0011)

Laudantes Elegi: Ovid’s Exile and the Metamorphoses of Praise, Friendship and Love in

Late Latin Poetry, Interfaces: A Journal of Medieval European Literatures 2 (2016), 12-33. (doi:10.13130/interfaces-7006)

‘Πλατωνικὸς Ἄρης: Echi neoplatonici nell’Inno Omerico VIII’, in Riccardo Di Donato (ed.), Comincio a cantare: contributo allo studio degli Inni Omerici, Pisa, ETS, 2016, 49-64.

'Un wandering poet cristiano? Venanzio Fortunato', in Francesco Reali (ed.), Ricerche a confronto: Dialoghi di Antichità Classiche e del Vicino Oriente (Bologna-Pisa 2014), Bologna, ed. Saecula, 2020, 201-232.

b) Review

A Commentary on Venantius Fortunatus’ Life of St. Martin’, The Classical Review 70 (2020), 406-408 (doi:10.1017/S0009840X2000133X) [Review of: N. M. Kay (ed., trans.), Venantius Fortunatus: Vita Sancti Martini. Prologue and Books I-II (Cambridge Classical Texts and Commentaries 59), Cambridge University Press, 2020].

c) Editorial activity

Regesta Pontificum Romanorum: Iberia Pontificia vol. VII: Hispania Romana et Visigothica, Göttingen, Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 2022