Ailsa Hunt

Before coming to Birmingham I held a temporary lectureship at the University of Cambridge and a fellowship at Newnham College, Cambridge (2015-2017), before which I was a Junior Research Fellow at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (2012-2015).

My major research interests are in Roman religion and in questions about how Romans thought about the world around them. At present I am particularly interested in Roman conceptions of the natural world and in the theology which informs the naming of gods in the Roman world. I like to approach an idea or question from a multitude of disciplinary angles, using literature, epigraphy, material and visual culture to inform my understanding of the Romans and their ideas.

Currently I am working on an article which explores the meaning of the slippery Latin word numen, within the context of a colourful history of scholarly arguments built on this word. Soon I will begin work on a new monograph which will explore the theology which informs the naming of gods in the Roman world.