Dr Jacqui Butler
About
Having held various roles in my working life, I began studying Classical Studies part time in 2011 with the Open University. I came to Warwick in 2018 to study the MA in Ancient Visual and Material Culture, followed by a PhD which I completed in 2026, with a thesis titled ‘Exemplary Heroines in Roman Art: Andromeda, Iphigenia and Alcestis’. I have been a sessional tutor on various modules (‘Encounters with Material Culture: Objects and Archaeology’, ‘Roman Culture and Society’ and ‘The Hellenistic World’). In 2024 and 2026, I convened and taught the ‘Retelling Myths in Greek and Roman Art’ module and have led various seminars and visits at the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum. I am currently working part-time as the Administrator of the Herculaneum Society, responsible for the day-to day running of the society.
Research interests
My PhD thesis explored the visual representation of specific mythological characters on a variety of media over time, from the Greek archaic period through to late antiquity, and also comparing imagery with literary or dramatic versions of the narratives. The main focus of the thesis was on the Roman period, contextualising the imagery against the societal ideal of exemplarity in Roman society, and evaluating the potential viewer interaction with the imagery in domestic space. A large part of my work focussed on wall paintings in Campania which feature Andromeda, Iphigenia and Alcestis and their spatial contexts. However, as the characters are widely depicted on different media across the Roman empire, the thesis also evaluated mosaics and sculpture as well as smaller objects such as oil lamps and intaglios. I am beginning to develop articles from the thesis for publication.
More widely I am particularly interested in the visual representation of women (mythological and historical) in Roman art, particularly in the provincial context. I have a keen interest in Roman art, particularly mosaics in Roman Britain and am a Trustee of the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics (ASPROM) in the UK.
Public Engagement
I am always keen to bring the ancient world to life for a wider audience and have been involved with a variety of Warwick Classics Network and outreach projects over the past 7 years, including presenting on ‘Women in Pompeii’ and ‘Myth in Campanian Wall Paintings’ at Ancient Worlds Day in 2024. I am a co-editor of the Material Musings blog which I co-founded in 2021 and was a Fellow of the Warwick Institute of Engagement from 2021-2024. The Material Musings blog aims to highlight some aspects of research work on material culture in the department and make this accessible to a wider audience. I also volunteer at the British Museum as an ‘eye-opener’ tour guide.
Publications
(2024) ‘The mosaic depiction of Cassiopeia – a new addition’ in Mosaic, Vol. 51, pp. 43-50.
Material Musings blog articles
(2026) 'On a silver platter- the Seuso Treasure'
(2025) ‘Beauty and the Beast: Polyphemus and Galatea, a love story?’ with Elena Claudi.
(2023) ‘Magnificent and Modest – Mosaic Musings’
(2022) 'Faces from the past – "Aline" and her children' and 'Dea Senuna – a goddess revealed'
(2021) 'A Roman cosmetic from Southwark' and 'Fortuna and a legate's wife in Roman Britain'
Qualifications
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BA, Classical Studies (Open University)
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MA, Ancient Visual and Material Culture (Warwick)
- PhD (Warwick)