New Perspectives
Classics alumna Giustina Monti translates ancient texts to uncover novel understandings of history
What could the dusty tomes of history, studied for millennia, still have left to teach us? It turns out, the answer is plenty.
While historical texts have long been read to ascertain ideologies and histories of ancient figures and civilizations, researchers are realizing that Greek and Latin texts previously understudied and underestimated can reveal novel insights into long-settled meanings.
糖心vlog alumna Giustina Monti is a specialist in demonstrating the contemporary relevance of ancient texts. In her book, 鈥淎lexander the Great: Letters: A Selection,鈥 published in 2023, she collected and translated the conqueror鈥檚 private letters to his mother and friends from ancient Greek into English 鈥 an innovative addition to the field of classical studies showcasing previously unknown aspects of his life, namely that the King of Macedonia, unlike his predecessors, sought to understand and engage with the cultures of places he conquered.
鈥淚 feel lucky to have uncovered details through my edition that were previously neglected,鈥 Monti said. 鈥淚t presents a completely different image of Alexander, and these additional reflections created by modern commentaries on a timeless text provide fresh literary and historical perspectives.鈥
Monti, who earned her master鈥檚 degree in Greek and Latin from FSU鈥檚 in 2015, is presently a senior lecturer and program leader for the bachelor鈥檚 program in classical studies at the University of Lincoln in Lincoln, England. In addition to her work on Alexander the Great鈥檚 letters, she works on the texts of ancient historians Herodotus and Polybius to gain new insights about their works while making information available to wider audiences.
鈥淕iustina stood out because of her work on the Alexander Letters, a complicated collection of Greek texts that she translated and commented on,鈥 said Andrea De Giorgi, FSU professor of classics and Monti鈥檚 graduate mentor. 鈥淗er first monograph stemmed from this body of work, and the reception has been nothing short of extraordinary. She鈥檚 now an authority in the field, and we couldn鈥檛 be prouder.鈥
鈥My research makes ancient texts, even those written thousands of years ago, available and accessible ... We can learn, and maybe make fewer mistakes, if we read more of these ancient authors and understand their nuanced lives.鈥
鈥 Giustina Monti
Before coming to FSU, Monti earned a combined bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree in classics and ancient history from the University of Bari Aldo Moro in Italy in 2005. She went on to receive her doctorate in ancient history from the same institution in 2009.
鈥淕rowing up in Southern Italy, I wanted to understand how ancient people viewed their circumstances and surroundings 鈥 how they conducted research and how they wrote,鈥 Monti said. 鈥淚 became interested in historiography, or how ancient people approached research to write history. After meeting FSU professor of classics [emeritus] John Marincola at a conference, I realized I wanted to pursue another master鈥檚 degree at FSU to enhance my knowledge in ancient historiography.鈥
Studying at FSU allowed Monti to work with faculty whom she calls monuments in the field, including her adviser Marincola, De Giorgi, and professor of classics and department chair Tim Stover. Becoming proficient in translating ancient languages further improved her ability to uncover new meanings in ancient history.
Monti鈥檚 present research explores the work of Polybius, known for his documentation of the rise of Rome in the Mediterranean in the third and second centuries B.C.E. and his perspectives on ethics in history-telling, an unstudied aspect of his work.
鈥淢y forthcoming book discusses how Polybius approaches the writing of history and what it means for him to write a true history,鈥 Monti said. 鈥淧olybius wrote that if one wants to approach the truth about a figure they鈥檙e studying, they must put themselves in the person鈥檚 shoes, like method acting.鈥
In 2024, Monti was named a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and received funding from the British Academy Research Projects, part of the United Kingdom鈥檚 national academy for the humanities and social sciences, for her Polybius research. This work, she said, has shaped her ideology surrounding history, emphasizing the importance of suspending preconceptions when researching and documenting a person or event.
Through studying these ancient figures, Monti鈥檚 translations help foster cross-cultural understanding and allow readers to engage with the past to better understand the present. She strives to make these pillars of history engaging for new audiences while unveiling untold stories in their entirety.
鈥淔or the ancient Greeks, the word 鈥榯ruth鈥 means 鈥榮omething that is not hidden,鈥欌 Monti said. 鈥淢y research makes ancient texts, even those written thousands of years ago, available and accessible, and it brings to light previously hidden, unknown or understudied aspects of history. We can learn, and maybe make fewer mistakes, if we read more of these ancient authors and understand their nuanced lives.鈥
Christine Watson is an FSU alumna who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in literature, media, and culture with a double major in international affairs in 2019.