Classical Civilisation

Classical civilisation is the study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds in all their richness: their literature and philosophy, their history and politics, their art and architecture, their languages and social structures. It is a discipline that takes seriously the claim that these civilisations have shaped, in profound and enduring ways, the foundations of Western culture, law, thought, and aesthetic sensibility, while also examining those civilisations critically, on their own terms and in the light of what they reveal about power, gender, slavery, and the limits of different ideas of the good life.

At the University of Warwick, this flexible programme is devoted to studying the literature, history, philosophy, languages, art, and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. You will develop advanced skills in critical analysis, communication, and creative thinking through sustained engagement with primary sources, both in translation and in the original languages, and through the secondary scholarship that has accumulated around them. The programme's flexibility allows you to shape your studies around the dimensions of classical civilisation you find most compelling, whether that is ancient philosophy and ethics, Greek tragedy and Roman epic, the visual culture of the ancient world, or the political and social history of Athens and Rome.

The programme runs over three years and includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and encounter different scholarly traditions and approaches to classical civilisation.

Graduates from classical civilisation degrees move into careers in education, publishing, journalism, law, the civil service, museums and heritage, broadcasting, and many other fields where the analytical depth and communication skills the discipline develops are valued. The critical reading, argument construction, and interpretive skills cultivated through classical civilisation transfer exceptionally well to professional contexts. Postgraduate study in classical studies, ancient history, philosophy, or a related field is a natural route for those who wish to continue their research.