BA in Ancient History

Year 1

In the first year, all students take an introductory module on ancient historiography:

• The Craft of the Ancient Historian

Moreover, in the first year, all students take two interdisciplinary modules that serve to give everyone grounding in the central periods of Greek and Roman culture:

• Remembering Athens
• Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus

Other previous first-year optional modules include:

• Beginners’ Latin and Greek
• Intermediate Latin and Greek for those with an A level or equivalent
• Greek Art and Architecture
• Early Greek Philosophy
• Socrates and the Socratics

Year 2

Many of the modules in the second year are broad surveys, for example of a historical period or a literary genre.

Students of Latin and Greek may carry on to a higher level in the second year, where the level depends on whether they took Beginners’ language in the first year or came in with an A level.

Historical offerings have previously included:

• Archaic Greece
• Athens, Sparta and the Greek World
• History of the Hellenistic Age
• Crisis of The Roman Republic
• Emperors and Dynasties.

Cultural surveys have previously included:

• The Ancient Novel
• Traditions of Epic
• Greek Literature and The Near East
• Interpreting Greek Tragedy Today
• Creation and Cosmology
• Being Human: Classical Perspectives
• The Literary and Political Culture of The Roman Republic.

Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a Year Abroad)

All students write a Dissertation in the third year. You choose a topic at the end of your second year in consultation with an advisor, with whom you will meet regularly for guidance throughout year three. Students of Latin and Greek will proceed to the next level, with the texts becoming more difficult or fragmentary. Most other modules in the third year cover specific topics that arise out of the research interests of the members of staff.

Historical modules have previously included:

• Law and Society in Classical Athens
• Roman Syria
• Writing Alexander
• The Later Roman Empire

Cultural topics have previously included:

• The Gods in Greek Literature
• Ancient Literary Criticism
• Love and Sex in Ancient Poetry
• Knowledge and Doubt in Hellenistic Philosophy.

N.B. For this course the study of ancient languages is not required, though it is permitted as an option; and each year at least half of your modules must be on historical topics.

We review course structures and core content (in light of e.g. external and student feedback) every year and will publish finalized core requirements for 2019 entry from September 2018.

Study Abroad

Classics and Ancient History

Single Honours courses include an optional European Studies element as part of the ERASMUS scheme, whereby students may spend the third year of a four-year course studying at a European university. We currently have ERASMUS exchange links with universities in Belgium (Liege), France (Bordeaux), Germany (Tubingen, Munich), Greece (Athens), Italy (Bologna, Rome, Milan, Vercelli), the Netherlands (Free University, Amsterdam, Groningen), Spain (Seville) and Switzerland (Fribourg), with further to come. Students interested in studying abroad should apply to transfer to the European Studies course after their first year of study.