She specializes in ancient Greek literature, with particular interests in epic, drama and prose fiction, along with work in gender criticism, and the relationship between art and text in the context of the visual culture of antiquity.
[3] Froma Zeitlin was born in New York, and grew up on the Upper West Side, where she was educated in a public girls' high school.
[6] Froma Zeitlin was one of the first Classicists to apply methods from Structuralism, Semiotics, and Gender Studies to Ancient Literature.
[4] She has also been considered particularly influential for her role in creating links between European theorists (such as Jean-Pierre Vernant) and the field of Classics in America.
[9][10][11] She has written numerous essays and monographs dealing with overarching cultural themes, many of which have influenced the creation of significant new approaches or debates.