Garrett George Fagan, Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Penn State University, passed away on March 11th, 2017 after a four-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. The youngest son of the late Cecil and Maire Fagan, Garrett is survived by his sons George and Emmet, sister Linda, brother Mark, partner Julia, former spouse Katherine, sisters-in-law Maggie and Daniela, brother-in-law Pieter, nieces Fiona and Chloe, nephew Conor, and a large circle of friends, colleagues, and students.

Garrett earned his BA and an MLitt from Trinity College, Dublin, and a PhD from McMaster University, Canada. He began teaching at Penn State in 1996, where he was promoted to Professor of Ancient History in 2011. As a young scholar, he never dreamed he’d be Professor of Ancient History at a large research institution such as Penn State, nor did he foresee the incredible opportunities that would open up to him: appearing in PBS’s Secrets of Lost Empires: Roman Bath, lecturing on five-star cruise ships throughout the Mediterranean, filming several lecture series for The Teaching Company, and working as Professor In Charge of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome. He was happiest when he shared these experiences with friends and family.

Chief among his many publications on Roman social and political history and on the ancient world in general are his books: Bathing in Public in the Roman World (University of Michigan Press, 1999), and The Lure of the Arena: Social Psychology and the Crowd at the Roman Games (Cambridge University Press, 2011). He also edited and co-edited several volumes of collected essays: Archaeological Fantasies: How Pseudoarchaeology Misrepresents the Past and Misleads the Public (Routledge, 2006); New Perspectives on Ancient Warfare (Brill, 2010); The Topography of Violence in Classical Antiquity (University of Michigan Press, 2016). At the time of his illness he was actively involved in the editing of The Cambridge World History of Violence.

A public service to celebrate Garrett’s life will be held at Eisenhower Chapel, University Park, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2017. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to The Garrett Fagan Memorial Fund c/o Katherine Fagan at 2428 Setter Run Lane, State College PA, 16801.