Darryl Phillips

Darryl Phillips is a historian of ancient Rome, focusing on the culture and history of Rome in the late Republic and early Principate. His research and teaching interests have always been interdisciplinary, encompassing history, law, religion, art and architecture, and topography. His approach to the period is to privilege continuity over change while considering cultural practices in their topographical and historical contexts.

Recent projects have focused on the civic function of buildings in Rome in the early Augustan period. He is currently working on a book-length philological and historical commentary on the 2nd century A.D. Roman biographer Suetonius' Life of Augustus, under contract with Oxford University Press. The book will be part of the new series Oxford Greek and Latin College Commentaries.

Phillips teaches courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, as well as Classics courses on such topics as "Roman Political Culture" and "Ancient Greece."

Recent publications

"The Civic Function of Agrippa’s Pantheon." Latomus 75 (2016) 650-677.

"Reading the Civic Landscape of Augustan Rome: Aeneid 1.421-429 and the Building Program of Augustus." In A. Kemezis, ed. Urban Dreams and Realities in Antiquity: Remains and Representations of the Ancient City. Brill (2015) 229-245. 

Other articles have been published in the journals Studies in Latin Literature and Roman History, Phoenix, Historia, Vergilius, Syllecta Classica, Ancient History Bulletin, and Annals of Anatomy.

Recent presentations

“Colleagues of the Princeps: Shared Governance in the ‘Age of Augustus.’” Mediterranean Studies Association, 22nd Annual International Congress, Rethymnon, Crete. June 2019.

“Caryatids and Their Cultural Meaning: From the Erechtheion’s Maidens to Disney’s Seven Dwarfs.” Classical Association of New England, Summer Institute, Brown University. July 2017.

“Revolution or Evolution? Perspectives on Political Change in Rome in the 20s BC.” Mediterranean Studies Association, 20th Annual International Congress, Valletta, Malta. June 2017.

"Innovation or Imitation? Reassessing the Pantheon of Agrippa in Rome." Classical Association of New England, Summer Institute, Brown University. July 2016.

"Captive Women and Military Honors in the Principate of Augustus." Mediterranean Studies Association, 19th Annual International Congress, Palermo, Italy. May 2016.

"Some Problems with Biography as History: The Case of Suetonius’ Life of Augustus." Mediterranean Studies Association, 18th Annual International Congress, Athens, Greece. May 2015.

Phillips is a member of the Society for Classics Studies (SCS/APA), Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and Mediterranean Studies Association. He serves on the editorial board of the journal Mediterranean Studies.

Before joining the faculty of Connecticut College, Phillips served for 16 years on the faculty at the College of Charleston where he served for five years as Chair of the Department of Classics, German, Italian, Japanese and Russian and a term as Speaker of the Faculty. At Connecticut College, Phillips has served on the Strategic Planning Committee, Educational Planning Committee, and ConnCourse Pilot Group.

Visit the Classics Department website and view "Majoring in Classics."