The Power of Emotion
How do ancient texts influence their readers? What insights do Roman love elegies offer with regard to emotions and social change? And how can Latin teaching today be made relevant and meaningful? These and other questions are the focus of research fellow Clemens Wurzinger, who works in both Classics and Latin Studies and specialises in the impact of texts, literary theory and didactics.
Textual Impact and Emotion
At the heart of his research lies the question of how texts, particularly those from antiquity, affect their readers and what emotional and social changes they can trigger. In his work, Mr Wurzinger combines literary theory – in particular, performativity theory and emotional studies – to examine how ancient authors such as Tibullus renegotiate themes such as war, peace and gender roles in Roman love elegies. His doctoral thesis explores the impact of these texts in the context of the Augustan Peace and analyses how literary strategies and emotional appeals influence readers both then and now.
Resonance and World Relations
A key project was Clemens Wurzingers’ involvement in the research consortium ‘Resonant World Relations in Socio-Religious Practices in Antiquity and the Present’ (Graz, Erfurt), which is based on Hartmut Rosa’s theory of resonance. Here, he investigated how ancient texts function as spaces of resonance and shape or transform relationships between the individual and the world. The findings of this work formed a key part of his doctoral thesis ‘How Literature Moves Us: On Immersion and Transformation in Tibullus’ (Graz, Erfurt: 2025), which he is currently preparing for publication.
Teaching Methods and Innovation in Latin Education
Alongside his research, Clemens Wurzinger is committed to innovative approaches to teaching Latin. As part of the Sparkling Science project LIDAL (“SISTE VIATOR. Latin on Stone 2.0. Latin Inscriptions for Digital and Extracurricular Learning”) led by Univ. Prof. Ursula Gärtner (Graz), he worked with pupils to create a digital platform on Latin inscriptions that provides translations and teaching materials. Its aim is to facilitate access to original texts, foster an appreciation of literature, and make Latin lessons contemporary and analytical, moving beyond the mere teaching of grammar.
Clemens Josef Wurzinger is a Assistent Professor (postdoc) at the Department of Classics and conducts research into the impact of ancient texts, particularly Roman love elegies and inscriptions. He combines modern literary theory with classical philology and is actively involved in teaching, organising conferences and workshops, and the ‘Antike Labor’ (under the direction of Associate Professor Margit Linder), which offers workshops on the ancient world to the general public.