Christopher Bungard

Christopher Bungard hails from the Buckeye State, where he earned a BA from Denison University and both his MA and PhD at The Ohio State University. He is a Professor of Classical Studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, where he has taught a range of Latin author courses and classes in translation on ancient law and ancient drama since 2008. He also serves the university as Assistant Director of Faculty Development. Dr. Bungard's research looks broadly at humor and theater from the ancient world. He has published on laughter in the Homeric Hymn to Hermes as well as several articles in English and Italian on the role of clever slaves in the comedies of the second-century BCE playwright Plautus. He is also interested in the ways that ancient theater continues to speak to the modern world, such as the enduring themes of Medea's story, connecting her experience with music in the modern world. His interest in humor stems from its ability to encourage us to think about gaps in a world that we may think is perfectly whole. Humor exposes our values and prejudices, and it allows us to find alternatives when discussions founder along the lines of beliefs that may seem “natural” and “normal.” A National Endowment for the Humanities grant resulted in the development of the first year seminar, “Why Is It Funny?” Bungard is the author of Explore Latin: Ludi Scaenici (2021) and the Encounter Latin title We’re Going to the Show: Adimus ad Ludos (2022).