Mike Fontaine

Professor

Overview

I'm a Latinist with broad interests in Ancient Rome, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment. In recent years I held a variety of leadership roles in Cornell's central administration. My latest work is a book on breakups and another on addiction and bullying, both for Princeton University Press. Previous books covered wine, swine, grief, mind, and a good laugh. Next up, free speech through the ages, with projects on Plato, Plutarch, Lucian, and the Enlightenment. Oh, and I was also recently parodied on Saturday Night Live (really! see it here.)

At Cornell, I teach courses on Ancient Rome, Greek Mythology, Wine Culture, and Latin literature of all time periods. For business executives worldwide, I teach eCornell courses on leadership from Ancient Rome and the effective use of humor in the workplace.

Cornell students: click here for current course syllabi.
Exec ed students: click here for course information.

Publications

For a complete list, click here. Book reviews are here. Popular press writings are here.

Latest Books

1. 2024. Ovid. How to Get Over a Breakup: An Ancient Guide to Moving On. Princeton University Press.

2. 2025. Plutarch and Prudentius. How to Have Willpower: An Ancient Guide to Not Giving In. Princeton University Press.

3. 2025/6. Plato. How to Speak Freely: An Ancient Guide for Modern Dissenters. Princeton University Press.

Latest Articles

2023. “The Stanford Prison Experiment of 200 BC – The Lucifer Effect in Plautus’ Prisoners.” In Gregor Vogt-Spira and Bernhard Zimmermann (eds.), Plautus Revisited: Problemstellungen und Perspektiven der Plautusforschung (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht), 344-358.
2023. “Ut Pictura Po(e)sis? Wine, Women, and Song in Plautus’ Gorgylio (Curculio).” In Gregor Vogt-Spira and Bernhard Zimmermann (eds.), Plautus Revisited: Problemstellungen und Perspektiven der Plautusforschung (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht), 375-391.
2024. "L'arte del prologo." In: Orietta Rossini, Salvatore Monda, and Lucia Spagnuolo (eds.), Teatro: Autori attori e pubblico nell’antica Roma. Rome: L'Erma di Bretschneider, pp. 99-105.
2024. “Verba Genuina: Parole autentiche e parole “cheeky” in Plauto.” ClassicoContemporaneo.
In press. “How to Make a Joke Without Getting Cancelled: Plutarch’s Survival Guide to Jesting Safely.” (On some passages in Table Talk and Macrobius' Saturnalia).
In press. "Humour as a Calculated Risk."