Ancient History BA (Hons)

University of Exeter

The Ancient History programme at Exeter offers you the opportunity to develop an understanding of the history, societies and political ideas of the Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations that is both in-depth and wide-ranging. Studying Ancient History at Exeter consists of much more than just learning about dates, people and events. As members of a department recognised for its excellent teaching and world class research, you’ll be challenged to think holistically about the ancient world, historical sources, established orthodoxies and dogmas. In your first year, you will study the main issues of Greek and Roman History, consider the problems modern scholars face in accessing that history, and explore the ways in which the Greeks and Romans thought about their own past. You’ll also be able to explore the main issues in Greek and Roman society, politics, religion and philosophy. These modules contextualise the historical background by offering insights into how the Greeks and Romans thought about issues such as freedom, democracy, slavery, sexuality and gender, religion and the divine. To help you access the ancient world through the original texts, you will also study Latin or Greek in your first year, which you can choose to continue in your second and third years.

In your final year, you will study one of two central periods in the literary and political history of Greece or Rome. You will also select three ‘special subjects’, one of which may be a dissertation. Special subjects are offered by our academic staff in line with their research interests, and you’ll explore the cutting-edge research in these fields in small seminar groups.

No previous knowledge of Latin or Greek is required