Ancient History and Latin

Ancient History and Latin is one of the classic joint honours combinations in the humanities, uniting the study of the ancient world through its material and textual evidence. Ancient History examines the political, social and cultural development of Greece and Rome and their neighbours, from the beginnings of Greek urbanism in the eighth century BCE through to the collapse of the western Roman empire in the fifth century CE. Latin gives you direct access to the literary and documentary evidence through which much of that history is known, including poetry, philosophy, oratory, law, history and inscription, and the ability to read those texts in the original transforms your understanding of the ancient world.

At the University of St Andrews this four-year full-time MA (Hons) develops your Latin language skills alongside a comprehensive engagement with ancient history across the Mediterranean world, at times stretching from the Persian Gulf to northern Britain and from the Crimea to the Sahara. You will build the linguistic and analytical tools needed to engage with Latin texts directly, while also developing your skills in historical analysis and the interpretation of a wide range of evidence types. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to develop your classical studies in an international academic context.

Graduates from Ancient History and Latin degrees go on to careers in teaching, publishing, archival work, heritage and museum education, classical scholarship and academic research. The rigorous analytical and linguistic training the degree provides is also valued in law, the civil service, journalism and a range of professional contexts where intellectual precision and clear writing are important. Postgraduate study in classics, ancient history, classical archaeology, Latin or comparative literature is a natural continuation for those pursuing academic careers.