Hi, I’m Livia!
I’m here to help you learn Latin and explore ancient literature.
I earned my Ph.D. in Classical Philology from Harvard University a few years ago. Now I am an Assistant Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures at Smith College.
This means that I teach Latin, Greek, and Classics courses at Smith. In my spare time I love sharing the ancient world online with readers like you!
On this site you will find answers to your burning questions about Latin. There are some things textbooks don’t cover – or don’t cover in enough detail.
Maybe you’re struggling with Latin and looking for beginner-friendly explanations.
Maybe you want to go a bit deeper into the details of Latin grammar and syntax.
Or maybe you’re interested in learning Latin, and you don’t know where to begin!
You have come to the right place. As a Classics professor, I give students advice every day. From specific grammatical tips to general study strategies, I’ve got you covered!
You’ll also find guides to Greek and Roman literature so you can dive into the texts that influenced native Latin speakers.
Why should you trust me?
Languages are my passion, and I’ve been a proud language nerd for almost 20 years.
In high school I spent all my time studying Latin, Polish, and Spanish, so no one was surprised when I decided to make languages my career.
I mean, I was the girl who carried around shoeboxes – yes, literal shoeboxes! – of flashcards.
In May 2023 I earned my PhD in Classical Philology from Harvard University, so now I am officially a doctor! I even have the funny hat to prove it.
After graduating from Harvard, I was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics at Kenyon College (2023-2024) and then a Visiting Lecturer in Classical Studies at Wellesley College (2024-2025).
Now, as I mentioned up above, I am an Assistant Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures at Smith College in Northampton, MA. You can look me up under my real name, Rebecca Deitsch, if you would like – here’s my official academia page.
My Language & Classics Qualifications
Still wondering why you should pay attention to anything I say about Latin, language learning, classical literature, and Classics in general? Here’s some more details.
In addition to studying numerous languages on my own, I have . . .
- taught courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Classics at Harvard (and received multiple awards for teaching excellence)
- taught courses in Latin and Classics at Kenyon College and Wellesley College
- tutored Spanish at the University of Dallas and for the homeschooling community
- taken university-level courses in 9 languages (Akkadian, Ancient Greek, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Old English, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and Sumerian)
- participated in language intensives in three countries (U.S., Poland, and Russia)
- completed a graduate seminar at UMass Boston dedicated to Second Language Acquisition theory and how to put scientific research into practice in the language classroom
So I have a lot of experience with languages, language teaching, and language learning strategies. And my goal is to share all of that with you on this blog.
But Classics isn’t just about learning languages. It’s also about exploring all aspects of the ancient world – literature, material culture, history, philosophy, etc. While my area of expertise is language and literature, I will share many aspects of Classics with you on this site.
Now that we have dealt with all the heavy stuff, let’s move on to 7 fun facts about me!
7 Fun Facts About Me
#1 – I wrote my PhD dissertation about goddesses in Roman epic. Diana and Minerva are my favorites!
#2 – I was homeschooled from first grade up until university. Thanks for getting me on the right path, Mom!
#3 – I have studied four ancient languages: Latin, Ancient Greek, Sumerian, and Akkadian. Latin and Ancient Greek are my job, and Sumerian and Akkadian are just cool – I mean, ancient Mesopotamia is amazing, right?
#4 – I speak four modern languages: English, Spanish, Russian, and Polish. Since my husband is Peruvian, my life is pretty bilingual. We like switching back and forth between English and Spanish and confusing everyone.
#5 – I love teaching, and in my 6 years at Harvard I taught Latin and Ancient Greek as well as thematic courses. At Kenyon College I continued the trend with more Latin classes plus a course on women and power in the Roman Empire, and at Wellesley I enjoyed teaching Latin and classical mythology.
#6 – I’m a philologist (a language and literature specialist), but material culture also fascinates me. I have excavated at Gabii in Italy and Sardis in Turkey. You can read all about my Sardis experience here.
#7 – I have been to 42 US states and 21 countries on 4 continents. I love to travel, and in fact I also run a travel blog.
Why is my pen name Livia?
My blogger name – Livia – comes all the way from ancient Rome. I’m a classicist, so a Roman name makes sense for me personally. And it is perfect for this Latin-themed site!
So who was the original Livia? There were lots of Livias in ancient Rome, but the most famous was Livia Augusta, wife of Augustus Caesar and first Roman empress. Livia was deified after her death and honored by generations of Julio-Claudian emperors.
The photo shows a 1st-century marble bust of Livia from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The wreath on her head symbolizes her role as priestess of her deified husband, Augustus.
And there you go. Now you know who I am and why I write under the name Livia . . . and I hope you’ll stick around and be part of my learning world.
It’s time to go explore Books ‘n’ Backpacks.
The amazing world of Latin and Classics is out there waiting for you, and I can’t wait to share the lessons I’ve learned over the years. Click on one of the buttons below to get started!
