2022-23 Graduate Student Research Fellow
About
As a PhD candidate in Ancient History, Catherine Schenck primarily studies Roman ritual, religion, and women. Her dissertation, tentatively titled “Rituals and Remedies: Lovesickness in the Roman Empire,” explores the intersection of ancient magic, religion, and medicine through the framework of curative rituals. Using the rituals associated with curing lovesickness as a case study, she hopes to better understand the social factors contributing to how individuals, such as patients, physicians, magicians, priests, and poets, participated in the curative marketplace of the Roman Empire.
Research Plan: During the fellowship period, Schenck plans to continue her dissertation work. She will draft chapters on the specific rituals associated with curing lovesickness and how ritual authority is constructed and wielded.
