Ancient History

Ancient history is the study of the human past from the emergence of the earliest literate civilisations through to the end of the Roman Empire in the West, and it encompasses an extraordinarily rich range of societies, cultures and periods. From the city-states of ancient Greece and the empires of Rome and Persia to the civilisations of Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Near East, the discipline asks how these societies were organised, how they understood themselves and the world, how they rose and fell, and what legacy they left to later ages. It draws on written sources, material evidence, numismatics, epigraphy and a range of other forms of evidence, demanding both linguistic and analytical skill.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year programme develops your analytical, practical and research skills across the full breadth of the ancient world. You will engage with ancient texts in translation and, where language study forms part of your programme, in their original languages. You will learn how historians evaluate and interpret evidence, construct arguments and situate individual events within broader patterns of historical change.

A year abroad gives you the opportunity to study ancient history at an international partner institution, engaging with different scholarly traditions and environments.

Graduates in ancient history are well prepared for careers in cultural organisations, heritage management, museum work, education, media, publishing, the civil service and law. The research, analytical and communication skills developed through the degree are valued across many professional contexts, and Edinburgh's emphasis on preparing graduates for a range of sectors means you will leave with both subject expertise and transferable capabilities. Postgraduate study in ancient history, classical studies, archaeology or related areas is a natural route for those with research or curatorial ambitions.