A graduate of Colgate University, Peter Aicher received his Ph.D. in Classics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently professor of classics at the University of Southern Maine, where his teaching and research interests match the broad humanities curriculum. The tradition of epic literature from Homer to Joyce is a special interest, as is the city of Rome, about which he has published numerous articles and two books: Guide to the Aqueducts of Ancient Rome and Rome Alive: A Source-Guide to the Ancient City, a two-volume guide based on ancient Greek and Roman writings about the capital.

Aicher frequently collaborates with the Maine Humanities Council, leading seminars for teachers, facilitating discussions for book groups, and lecturing to various audiences.He has led the Council’s Community Seminar in Falmouth since 2001. In March 2009 he will lead an MHC-sponsored trip to Rome to explore architectural expressions of power in imperial, papal, and modern Rome.