History: Ancient History

The MA Ancient History is your opportunity to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the history of the Greek and Roman periods, with a focus on the mentality and social and economic history of the period between 400 B.C. and 400 A.D. This programme will give you a thorough grounding in several key periods of ancient history. These include: the complex history of the Roman Republic; civic life in Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt; Graeco-Roman religion; Late Antiquity; and the rise of early Judaism.

During the Ancient History programme you will collaborate with outstanding scholars from the Ancient History department, as well as those active in other fields of history or the related fields of the classics, ancient philosophy, classical archaeology, religious studies and near-eastern cultures.

The study of ancient sources

The Ancient History MA programme has a particularly strong focus on primary sources, offering a wealth of information about ancient Greek and Roman societies. You can pursue interests in documentary texts (inscriptions and papyri) and archaeological material. You will not need extensive knowledge of Latin and Greek because you can work with translations. Furthermore, you can study the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities and work alongside papyrologists at the Leiden Papyrological Institute.