kittmer was born in sussex in 1967. from the years 1978—1985, he was educated at hymers college, an independent day school in hull in the east riding of yorkshire in northern england, where he was taught ancient greek by larry trewartha and gerald thompson. kittmer then attended christ's college at the university of cambridge, where he obtained a ba in classics (1988), king's college london where he obtained an ma in greek studies (2007), and magdalen college at the university of oxford, at which he also studied classics.