Cristiana Roffi holds a joint doctoral degree in Latin Literature from the University of Trento and the University of Augsburg. Her main research interests focus on the reception of classics, imperial Latin poetry and ecocriticism. Her fellowship research project is titled Mother Earth. Towards an ecofeminist approach to Ovid's Metamorphoses. Cristiana is one of our 2024-25 A&S Postdoctoral Fellows in Environmental Humanities.
What project are you working on at the JHI and why did you choose it?
At the JHI I am working on the association of Earth as a source of creation with femininity and motherhood in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, showing that Latin literature can help us better understand the stereotypical correlation between women and nature. Expressions like “Mother Earth”, “fertile fields”, “virgin lands”, and “raped Earth” have effectively equated women with nature, reflecting their cultural subordination and exploitation. This viewpoint has significantly influenced the social positioning of women over the past millennium and has impacted the ways in which humanity interacts with and represents nature. I chose this research topic because I aim to reinterpret nature not as a source of essentialism, but as a realm untouched by patriarchal culture and a battleground for various struggles for power and significance.
How has your JHI Fellowship experience been so far?
My fellowship has been an incredibly enriching experience so far. I am particularly enjoying this year’s theme, Underground/Underworld, and all the fellows’ presentations. I firmly believe that fostering connections with people outside our disciplinary boundaries is essential for cultivating curiosity and advancing the full diversity and complexity of Classics scholarship. While science moves closer to policy-making, humanities cannot be confined to narrow disciplines or kept within the borders of specific departments. We must go beyond disciplines if we want to make a difference and, especially, be heard. The JHI Fellowship is helping me achieve that. Lastly, staff members are one of the true gems of the Institute.
Why do you believe the humanities are important?
As a classicist, I am often asked this question. I will try to answer from a different perspective. Machiavelli, in a renowned letter to his friend and benefactor Francesco Vettori, introduces his most influential work, The Prince, while reflecting on his daily routine during the exile from Florentine politics. He describes a profound intimacy with ancient writers, and the pleasure he gains from this connection. Just as it was for Machiavelli, the relationship he experienced can save us from the injustices of our everyday lives. Engaging with ancient texts – and humanities more broadly – allows us to perceive our own struggles not as isolated experiences. Humanities are important because they invite us to explore the depths of our emotions and thoughts while keeping us grounded and aware of our shared humanity.
Can you share something you read/watched/listened to recently that you enjoyed/were inspired by?
I recently watched Parthenope, directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It’s a visual experience on beauty, disruption, and time that will either fascinate or leave you adrift. Filmed in Italy, between Napoli, Capri, and Posillipo, it will engulf your mind like a scattered dream – vague and ephemeral. The main character, Parthenope (played by Celeste Dalla Porta), is named for a mythical siren who once lent her name to the city of Naples. But in truth, Parthenope is less about one beautiful person than about our idea of beauty itself as it’s embodied and perceived. Eventually, death conquers us all. In making a film about the power of beauty, Sorrentino reminds us that, in our distant memories, we were all beautiful once.
What is a fun fact about you?
I love the outdoors. In another life, I would be sipping my morning coffee on a ranch’s porch in the prairies.