Pierfrancesco Porena

Pierfrancesco Porena (1968) was graduated in Roman History at the Faculty of Humanities (Lettere e Filosofia) of the University of Rome «La Sapienza» (1994); PhD in "Political and Cultural History of the Ancient World" at the University of Florence [PhD Diss. on the Praetorian Prefecture in Late Antiquity (1996-1999)]. He was Examiner (Research Fellow) of Roman History at the Faculty of Humanities (Lettere e Filosofia) of the University of Rome La Sapienza (1996-2000). From 2000 he was Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Roman History at the Department of Classical Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara (2000-2010); Associate Professor of Roman History in the same University (2010-2014), then in Roma Tre University, Department of Humanities (2014-2017). Since October 1st, 2017 he is Full Professor of Roman History (L-ANT/03) at the Department of Humanities at Roma Tre University, where he is currently Coordinator of the PhD in "Civilisation and linguistic-literary cultures from Antiquity to Modernity".

He he taught Roman History also at the University of Cassino; Professeur invité à l’École Normale Supérieure, Paris (UMR 8546 - AOROC); Professeur invité at the University of Strasbourg (MIMA - dir. by prof. M. Humm); Professeur invité at Münster University.

Principaux thèmes de recherche

He teachs Latin Epigraphy and Roman History. His main research area are: Political and administrative history of the Roman and Late Roman Empire; the Constantinian Revolution; Roman Italy and the late antique city; roman social relations during the Empire and barbarian settlement (up to the VIth century). He published two books (the first one won the Special Prize of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Italy on September 2004) and many articles in peer-reviewed journals and volumes.

Books

1. Le origini della prefettura del pretorio tardoantica, Roma, (L’Erma di Bretschneider) 2003 (Collana: Saggi di Storia Antica, 20) [pp. 633]
2. L’insediamento degli Ostrogoti in Italia, Roma (L’Erma di Bretschneider) 2012 (Saggi di Storia Antica, 33) [pp. 300]

Projet de recherche Chaire Gutenberg

The project “Les préfets du prétoire de l’Empire romain tardif. Une élite face à la crise” (“The Praetorian Prefects in the Later Roman Empire: An elite in a crisis context”) analyses the profiles, careers and activities of the greatest civil servants of the late Roman Empire (284-602 AD). The field of research is the history of the later Roman Empire. The series of the praetorian prefects, mostly from 284 to 395 AD, has never been updated despite many epigraphic discoveries. The project aims to make an epigraphic database of the late antique praetorian prefects (284-395 A.D at a first step); to organize an International Conference in Strasbourg about these important imperial functionaries, and to publish publish the results of the research on the subject in a structured form.