Ariana Natalie Myers joined the Department of History in 2025. Her research focuses on conversion between Islam and Christianity and its connection to the medieval slave trade in the Crown of Aragon. She works with sources in Latin, Catalan, Arabic, and other languages to develop a multifaceted understanding of the past.
Prior to Kenyon, she served as a lecturer in the History Department and director of the LGBTQ+ Resource Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Areas of Expertise
The medieval Mediterranean, medieval Europe, interfaith history
Education
2022 — Doctor of Philosophy from Princeton University
2016 — Master of Arts from Princeton University
2014 — Bachelor of Arts from Ripon College
Courses Recently Taught
This course surveys the history of the early Middle Ages. Relying mainly on primary sources, it traces the broad contours of 800 years of European and Mediterranean history. The course covers the gradual merging of Roman and Germanic cultures, the persistence of Roman ideas during the Middle Ages, the slow Christianization of Europe, monasticism, the rise of Islam, and Norse society. Readings include Augustine's "Confessions," a scandalous account of the reign of the Emperor Justinian, the "Rule of St. Benedict," a translation of the Qur'an and Bede's "Ecclesiastical History." This counts toward the premodern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.
This course surveys the history of the later Middle Ages in Europe and the Mediterranean. Relying mainly on primary sources, the course covers the renaissance of the 12th century, mendicant and monastic spiritualities, scholasticism, the rise of universities and the devastation of the Black Death. Readings include Christian, Jewish and Muslim accounts of several crusades; a saga about a hard-drinking, poetry-loving Norseman; and letters written by two ill-fated 12th-century lovers. This counts toward the premodern and Europe/Americas requirements for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every year.