Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Nina Papathanasopoulou is a Professor of Classical Studies specializing in Greek drama, mythology, and their reception. She earned her BA from the University of Athens in 2003 and her PhD from Columbia University in 2013. From 2013 to 2019 she was Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics at Connecticut College, where she taught Greek, Latin, Classics and Theater courses and was deeply involved in outreach programming for Classics. In January 2020 she joined the Classics faculty at College Year in Athens, where she teaches Ancient Greek mythology, religion, and literature courses and runs field trips all over Greece for US students who are studying abroad. Since January 2019 Nina also serves as the Public Engagement Coordinator for the Society for Classical Studies. There she oversees their initiative, “Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities”, which supports interdisciplinary and public-facing projects related to the ancient Mediterranean. A captivating speaker and passionate traveler, Nina leads field trips for many institutions and organizations, and has given lectures at numerous conferences and public venues in the USA, Greece, the UK, France, and Portugal.

Nina’s current research explores the role of Greek myth and tragedy in the work of the revolutionary 20th century dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham. As part of her effort to make the study of the Ancient Greek World accessible and relevant to the broad public, Nina created “Martha Graham and Greek Myth,” a project combining classical philology and live dance to explore Martha Graham’s use of Ancient Greek mythology in her work. The project highlights the immense influence of the Ancient Greeks on American culture and the arts. More information can be found on her website at ninapapathanasopoulou.com