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).
Books by Christopher Bungard
Explore Latin Ludi Scaenici
- 8792
- 978-0-86516-879-4
Explore the world of ancient drama—entirely in Latin! Using just over one-hundred unique Latin words, this Explore Latin reader offers an immersive introduction to the theater, particularly comedy, of Greece and Rome. Discover the connections between theater and religion; consider how architecture could enhance theatrical productions; meet some ancient playwrights as well as the stock characters that appear in their work. Copious color photographs support the Latin text, helping to make information readily comprehensible to novice learners.
The topics introduced in Explore Latin: Ludi Scaenici, of interest in their own right, also prepare readers to transition to more complex Latin in the Encounter Latin novella series.
Titus and the Lost Mask, Titus et Persona Amissa
- 8814
- 978-0-86516-881-7
Encounter ancient Roman comedy—entirely in Latin!
Every year, Titus eagerly awaits the festival of Magna Mater, when the Romans celebrate the Great Mother goddess by performing comic plays. This year, Titus wakes up early—he doesn’t want his father and two sisters to leave for the festivities without him! They settle into good seats, hoping to watch a new play by Plautus. But when the actors reveal that they have lost the mask used for the most important character in the play, Titus wonders if the show will go on.
We're Going to the Show
- 8806
- 978-0-86516-880-0
Encounter ancient Roman comedy—entirely in Latin!
Titus, named after Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, lives with his parents and sisters on the Aventine Hill in Rome. Without much time for leisure, everyone in the family looks forward to festival days. Titus in particular eagerly awaits the ludi scaenici, special celebrations when plays are performed. But when it’s time to honor Magna Mater, the Great Mother goddess, with a comedy, Titus wakes up late! Can he catch up with his father and sisters and find a seat in time to watch the show?
