Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Pedar W. Foss is Professor of Classical Studies at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he has worked since 1999. As Dean of Academic Life from 2009-13, his duties included oversight of student advising, academic support, off-campus and service learning, and career services. As a teacher, he conducts courses in Latin, ancient history and literature, and art and archaeology. He received his B.A. in Chemistry and Classics from Gustavus Adolphus College, and his Ph.D. in Classical Art and Archaeology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; he subsequently taught at the University of Cincinnati and at Stanford. Dr. Foss has edited for the Journal of Roman Archaeology, was co-editor of the book reviews for the American Journal of Archaeology, and co-edited the volume The World of Pompeii (Routledge 2007). He has now published Pliny and the Eruption of Vesuvius (Routledge 2022), a complete re-assessment of the AD 79 disaster.  His research centers on the relationships between ancient peoples and their landscapes. He has lived, led tours, and studied throughout the Mediterranean, working at such sites as Kavousi and Corinth (Greece), Carthage (Tunisia), Troy, Hacımusalar, and Çaltılar (Turkey), Pompeii, Rieti, and Castiglione del Lago (Italy). He maintains a professional blog at: http://quemdixerechaos.com.