Dr. Martina Russo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Classics
Hello! My name is Martina Russo. I'm from Italy, and I'm here at Columbia as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Classics. Welcome to #ISSOstories.
Tell us about your research or projects at Columbia.
My current project, entitled Powerful Words: Imperial Speeches of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, investigates the importance of language as a political tool to construct and/or deconstruct the public image of the princeps/emperor. Currently, I am completing the first database of all speeches attributed to the Julio-Claudians in the literary sources. I'm also writing my second monograph. On one hand, it focuses on the creation of a new political language crafted by Augustus; on the other hand, it examines the extent to which his successors adhered to the official political rhetoric set by Augustus. At Columbia, I am working mostly on Emperor Tiberius, Augustus’s successor. I have always been interested in the relationship between people with power and their subjects. My first book, entitled Flattery in Seneca the Younger: Theory and Practice analyzes the phenomenon of flattery as a new strategy of speaking with powerful people. And I think that this topic is especially relevant today.
My current project, entitled “Powerful Words: Imperial Speeches of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty,” investigates the importance of language as a political tool to construct a public image of the princeps. On the other hand, I'm working on my second book that is about the importance of language, and I will investigate some speeches attributed to Julio-Claudians and now working on the Emperor Tiberius. I am more interested in the relationship between people with power and the subjects. And my first book, entitled “Flattery,” investigates the importance of the phenomenon of flattery as a new way of speaking with powerful people. And I think that this topic is especially relevant today.
Writing a book is such a, like, a long path. And I started- My first book is the product of my PhD, so I started my PhD in 2016 in the UK and finished 2020. And my book was published by Oxford University Press in 2024. So two years ago there was a long path, but yeah, it was worth it.
Being a researcher at Columbia, of course, it's incredible for my CV, but also it makes me happy and proud of being part of a very international community. And the fact that every day I had the opportunity to share my own research, my own interest with a lot of people.
I want to, if I can, thank ISSO, and this is not flattery, because I think that your office gave us the opportunity to really create a kind of real community. Because when you do research, sometimes you feel a bit isolated because it's just you. ISSO was behind us. You always offer kind of support. And I think that this is very important. I'm also grateful to ISSO because I had the opportunity to attend so many good events. Living in a city like New York is such a great opportunity. So the fact that ISSO helped us to do this, I think that is a great thing.
Daily life and habits. Okay, yeah! “What does a typical weekday look like for you right now?” My typical weekday starts early. I wake up normally at 6, 6:30, and I try to go to bed very early, around 10, 10:30. I'm very active. So I mean, I run every day because when I run I free my mind and I feel more productive. I have such a privilege now that I'm living just a few blocks away from Central Park and Riverside Park. So, I mean, it's impossible not to go. Then I go back home, I have a shower, a very good breakfast, high in protein. And then I go to the office where normally I spend the entire day. Sometimes, especially Fridays, I used to go to the Met because it closes late. Or I also love going to the Whitney Museum that is in the town. This is my daily routine.
What was your journey to becoming an author?
Writing a book is a long path. My first book was the product of my PhD, which I started in 2016 in the UK and finished in 2020. My book was published by Oxford University Press in 2024, so two years ago, but all that time spent writing was worth it!
What is something you are proud of during your time at Columbia?
Being a researcher at Columbia, of course, enhances my CV, but it also makes me happy and proud to be part of a very international community. Here, every day, I have the opportunity to share my own research and interests with many scholars from different backgrounds.
How has Columbia helped shape your experience in New York?
If I can, I desire to thank ISSO, - and this is not a demonstration of shameful flattery - because I think that your office gave us the opportunity to create a real community. When you do research, sometimes you feel a bit isolated because it's just you. But here, ISSO was always behind us. You always offered exceptional support. And I think that this is very important to every international scholar. I'm also grateful to ISSO because I had the opportunity to attend so many excellent events. Living in a city like New York is such a great opportunity, and the fact that ISSO helped us to enjoy the city made all the difference!
The ISSO office gave us the opportunity to create a real community. When you do research, you feel a bit isolated because it's just you. But here, ISSO was always behind us.
What does a typical weekday look like for you right now?
My typical weekday starts early. I wake up normally at 6/6:30 and I try to go to bed very early, around 10/10:30. I'm very active, so I run every day. When I run, I free my mind and I feel more productive. I have such a privilege to be living just a few blocks away from Central Park and Riverside Park, so it's impossible not to go. Then I go back home, I have a shower, a very good high protein breakfast, and then I go to the office, where I normally spend the entire day. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, I would go to the Met, because it closes late, or the Whitney Museum. This is my daily routine.
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