Professional Summary
John Kunst is a first-year Ph.D. student specializing in Ancient History. He received his Bachelor's degree magna cum laude from Illinois State University in 2022. His undergraduate thesis, "Soldier-Engineers: Siege Warfare and Virtus in De Bello Gallico," is an assessment of the impact and implementation of siege technology by Julius Caesar in the conduct of the Gallic Wars, as well as of the relationship between the Roman concept of virtus and the ability of a commander to implement a particular siege tactic.
John's research interests are broadly concerned with Roman historiography from the Middle Republic to the Principate, and more specifically with the intersection of the military and culture, the relationship between technology and ideas of civilization, the political and military career of Julius Caesar, and the integration of the Gauls and other celtic peoples into the Roman social and political framework.