Elaine Fantham
Elaine Fantham (née Crosthwaite, 25 May 1933 – 11 July 2016) was a British-Canadian classicist whose expertise lay particularly in Latin literature, especially comedy, epic poetry and rhetoric, and in the social history of Roman women. Much of her work was concerned with the intersection of literature and Greek and Roman history. She spoke fluent Italian, German and French and presented lectures and conference papers around the world—including in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Argentina, and Australia. Her commentaries on Senecan tragedy, Lucan, and Ovid's "Fasti" in particular led to renewed interest in these subjects. Likewise  her articles on aspects of the representation and realities of women at Rome remain a foundation for academic work in these areas. She was also classics commentator on NPR's "Weekend Edition". Fantham was Giger Professor of Latin at Princeton University from 1986 to 1999. Education. Fantham studied at Somerville College, Oxford, where she read "Literae Humaniores" and received a first class BA in 1954, converted to an MA in 1957. She held a Leverhulme Research Fellowship at the University of Liverpool 1956–58. She completed her PhD at the University of Liverpool in 1965. Its thesis was entitled 'A Commentary  on the "Curculio" of Plautus', and was examined by R. B. Austin and O. Skutsch. Career. Fantham taught in a secondary school for girls in St Andrews, Scotland, for seven years, and briefly at the University of St Andrews. She moved to Indiana University Bloomington, and was a Visiting Lecturer for two years (1966–68). Following this, Fantham moved to Toronto where she taught at the University of Toronto for eighteen years (1968–86), being also appointed a Visiting Professor at Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio in 1983. She was chair of the Department of Classics at Princeton University from 1989  to 1992. In 1986 the university appointed her Giger Professor of Latin, a position which she held until her retirement in 2000. After retiring from Princeton University, Fantham lived in Toronto with her daughter, and continued to make significant contributions to the department of Classics at the University of Toronto. She taught an annual course there from 2003. She was active as a mentor across Canada and around the world. Classical associations and editorial committee roles. Between 1976 and 1979 Fantham was a member of the editorial committee of "Phoenix," a journal of the Classical Association of Canada and did  much to establish the international reputation of the journal. Fantham was Vice-President of the Classical Association of Canada from 1982 to 1984, and Vice-President and later President of the Canadian Society for the History of Rhetoric (1983–1986). From 2003 to 2004 Fantham was President of the American Philological Association and, from 2001 to 2006, she was Honorary President of the Classical Association of Canada. Awards. On 5 January 2008 Fantham was given the Distinguished Service Award of the American Philological Association. In 2012 she was made an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, University of Toronto. In May 2015  Fantham was awarded the Classical Association of Canada's Award of Merit. Personal life. Elaine Fantham was born in Liverpool, United Kingdom. She was married to the mathematician Peter Fantham and had two children, Julia and Roy.