Peter Van Nuffelen is Professor for the Cultural History of the Ancient World in the History Department of Ghent University. With training in ancient history, philosophy and patristics, his main research interests are (1) the history of religion in the ancient world, in particular the ruler cult, philosophical views of religion, and early Christianity; (2) literature and history of Late Antiquity (AD 250-800), especially historiography and social interactions in the public sphere (such as petitions); (3) the cultural history of Late Antiquity, including toleration, violence, and generally intellectual changes in this period. Recently, he has worked on concepts of space in Late Antiquity. In his work, he combines philological approaches with wider interpretations, relying on texts in Greek, Latin, and oriental languages.
Before coming to Ghent in 2009, Peter Van Nuffelen held positions in Leuven and Exeter, besides numerous visiting fellowships. He is Laureate of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (2011), was awarded the Prix Franz Cumont (2012) and is Korrespondierendes Mitglied des Deutschen
Archäologischen Instituts. Kommission für Alte Geschichte und Epigraphik, Munich.
He is Ghent representative in the board of OIKOS, the Dutch research school for Classics.
