Interests
Apuleius
Ancient Egypt
Hieroglyphs
Ancient Novel
Second Sophistic
Gender and Sexuality
Classical Reception
Latin Paleography
Born on the shores of Lake Como, Umberto moved to Paris at the age of 19, where he studied Classical Philology at the Sorbonne Université and the École normale supérieure, receiving a four-year competitive government scholarship. In August 2021, he moved to the United States to teach French, Latin, and Classical Mythology at Harvard University.
His research interests lie in the Greek and Latin literature of the Roman Empire and in the circulation of cultural and religious knowledge between Egypt and the Greco-Roman world. He focuses mainly on the ancient novel, especially Apuleius, and the reception of Egyptian religion and culture in imperial literature. His dissertation, “Metamorphoses of Meaning: The Egyptian Poetics of Apuleius’ Golden Ass” (supervised by Ellen Morris and Katharina Volk), examines how Apuleius’ Metamorphoses can be read sylleptically, that is, through both Platonic and Egyptian interpretive frameworks. He is also interested in the reception of Egyptian hieroglyphs in the Graeco-Roman world and beyond.
Umberto enjoys cooking (especially from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking), reading and writing, walking, and wandering in nature in his free time. Umberto is always eager to meet new people and excited to learn something unexpected and new every day.
Books
Apuleio. Metamorfosi. vol. III (Books VII-IX), commented by Silvia MATTIACCI (b. 7), Lara NICOLINI (b. 8, 1–14), Luca GRAVERINI (b. 8, 15–31), Francesco GROTTO (b. 9, 1–21), Umberto VERDURA (b. 9, 22–42). Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, Mondadori. (forthcoming 2027).
Articles
U. Verdura. 2027. “(Re)Queering the End of the Ephesiaca: Did Hippothoos Adopt Clisthenes? A New Interpretation of Xen. Ephes. 5.14.4.” Accepted for publication and forthcoming in Hermes - Zeitschrift für klassische Philologie.
U. Verdura. 2027. “The Bloom of Life: A Reexamination of The Lotus Flower with Buds Hieroglyph (M2B) after Personal Names in the New Kingdom.” Accepted for publication and forthcoming in Zeitschrift für Ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde.
U. Verdura. 2026. “Homosocial Horace: Ode 4.1, the Rivalry for Ligurinus, and the Male Book.” Accepted for publication and forthcoming in Studi italiani di filologia classica (SIFC).
U. Verdura. 2026. “Textual and Exegetical Notes on Book 9 of Apuleius’ Metamorphoses.” Accepted for publication and forthcoming in Segno e Testo. International Journal of Manuscript and Text Transmission.
U. Verdura. 2026. “A Dancing Hoof: A Peculiar Writing of F25.” Hieroglyphs – Studies in Ancient Hieroglyphic Writing 3 [http://cipl-cloud37.segi.ulg.ac.be/index.php/hieroglyphs/article/view/40].
U. Verdura. 2025. “Embodiment of Antiquity: Introduction, Text, Translation, and Commentary of Beroaldo’s Oratio habita in enarratione Lucii Apuleii.” Accepted for publication and forthcoming in Traditio. Studies in Ancient and Medieval History, Thought, and Religion.
U. Verdura. 2024. “Citro or cedro reficit? On an Emendation to a Fragment of Varro’s De bibliothecis (fr. 54 GRFF).” Classical Quarterly 74.1.
U. Verdura. 2023. “Quis ille? An Example of Playful Allusion in ut ait ille… (Apul. mund. 24, 1–2).” Rivista di filologia e istruzione classica 151.2:291–306.
U. Verdura. 2023. “L’Âne d’or d’Apulée: un roman de l’excès? Surplus de sens et possibilités d’interprétation dans les Métamorphoses.” In P. Guisard, C. Laizé, and A. Contensou eds., Cultures antiques. Mesure et excès, 346–70. Paris.
U. Verdura. 2023. “New Perspectives on the Meaning of cum galeare ursici (Char. Gramm. 1.80 = GL I 80.9 = Barwick 101.5–6).” Classical Philology 118.4:552–56.
U. Verdura. 2023. “Quid sit deus meus, taceo: le discours apophatique dans l’œuvre d’Apulée.” Latomus 83.2:332–66.
U. Verdura. 2022.“Note sul De bibliothecis di Varrone.” Bollettino di studi latini 52.1:89–115.
A. Magni, U. Verdura & G. Tassinari. 2021. “Sub signo Capricorni: The image of Capricorn on glyptics: literary sources, intaglios, impressions and drawings.” Artl@s Bulletin 10:13–25.
