Ancient History BA Honours

Course overview

Our wide-ranging and inclusive Ancient History degree focuses upon a period extending from the eighth-century BCE ‘beginnings’ of Greek history to the fall of Alexandria in 641 CE.

During your degree, you'll explore:

• a broad range of historical questions relating to Greek and Roman history
• the interactions of Greeks and Romans with neighbouring or conquered peoples
• a time of widespread mobility, intercultural contact, and exchange

The areas covered will include:

• the Mediterranean world
• Central and Northern Europe, including Britain
• beyond (e.g., Graeco-Roman Egypt, Babylon, or the steppe regions north of the Euxine/Black Sea)

You'll focus on ideas of power, identity, religion, and culture along with the histories and experiences of historically marginalized groups.

You'll learn how to work with a wide range of evidence, including:

• historical texts
• inscriptions
• papyri
• coins
• art
• architecture

You can also choose to study ancient Greek and Latin, from Beginners to Advanced level. You'll be learning and working alongside internationally recognised experts. That will provide you with the opportunity to specialise in the topics relating to our various areas of expertise.

Our areas of expertise include:

• the history of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Greece
• interactions between Greeks and non-Greek ‘barbarians’
• Alexander the Great
• Hellenistic kingship
• the Roman Republic and the High Empire
• Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
• Late Antiquity
• relations between pagans and Christians
• ancient literacy
• the experiences of immigrants, women, children, and slaves
• Greek and Roman religion
• Roman Law

Our dedicated research modules will enable you to develop and further hone a broad set of aptitudes and abilities including:

• a sense of empathy
• curiosity
• the ability to think creatively and reflexively
• working independently

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Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Your future

Join a network of successful graduates

You'll acquire and further develop a dynamic mix of practical, intellectual and transferable skills. These will enable you to thrive in a professional setting. You'll be able to take advantage of a wide range of career opportunities on completion of your studies.

Our Ancient History graduates have gone on to work in a diverse range of careers, including:

• law and legal services
• marketing
• financial services
• journalism
• teaching
• armed forces
• museum and heritage work
• academic research

You'll develop a mix of practical, intellectual and transferable skills desirable to employers. This will give you an excellent choice of further study and career opportunities open to you on completion of your studies.

You'll develop a mix of practical, intellectual and transferable skills desirable to employers. This will give you an excellent choice of further study and career opportunities open to you on completion of your studies.

Classics graduates find themselves in a diverse range of careers, including:

• research, information work and IT
• law and legal services
• journalism and marketing
• retail
• social work

Read more about our graduate career paths