He received his BA in Latin (Hons) and MA in Classical Studies (Distinction) at the University of Nottingham (1991-1995); and his PhD in Classics at the University of Manchester (1999). Prior to that, he taught Classics at Universities in England, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland, and his most recent post was as Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds from 2004-2013 and Head of Department from 2010-2013.