Ancient History

Ancient History explores the societies and cultures of Greeks and Romans, tracing how they developed during a period of well over a thousand years. Societies and events of the Graeco-Roman world may appear distant but remain influential, even today, and have complex legacies.

This degree will introduce you to the theories and methodologies that will help you grasp the variety of lived experiences that resulted from the ancient world. You’ll be supported as you develop new skills step-by-step, building on practice in class and constructive feedback, to be able to investigate, analyse and present ancient evidence effectively.

We’ll introduce you to different historical approaches; thinking about ancient lives and livelihoods, ways in which people shaped their environment, and how they developed ideas to explain the world around them.

You can also learn about ancient societies’ interactions with their neighbours around the Mediterranean and nations further afield, from Britain to Persia and India. As we also offer Egyptology, you’ll have a unique chance to learn more about ancient Egypt and Sudan.

You’ll have opportunities to deal with archaeological sources such as ancient art, material remains and landscapes, and we’ll work together to interpret ancient texts, from literary works to inscriptions or graffiti. You can also choose to study Latin or ancient Greek to appreciate these sources as they were originally written.

There are many different ways to study the ancient world, enabling you to play to your strengths and follow your specific interests. The programme is designed to foster rigorous thinking, the ability to analyse complex material, and to communicate your ideas to different audiences; skills that will open exciting career opportunities in a wide range of professions.

We also have a study trip module which allows you to bolster your in-depth study of classical lands overseas by seeing one in real life. Closer to home, the first-year heritage module will, should you choose to do it, give you insight into the past in its place here in fertile and storied Wales.

If you have teaching in mind as a career, you can gain valuable experience with our Schools Placement module, in which you can, as part of your degree, instruct pupils in local schools in the culture of the classical world.

We are based on our stunning Singleton Park Campus, overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.

Course Modules

In year 1, you will study two compulsory and four optional modules, with a range of topics typically available, including Greek, Latin, Ancient Philosophy and Rhetoric, Medieval Europ and The Early Modern World

Year 2 consists entirely of optional modules, allowing you to shape your own learning, with topics typically including Archaic Greece, The Heirs of Rome, Gender in the Roman World, Plato’s Republic, and Alexander and the Hellenistic World. You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake a School’s placement module teaching history and ancient languages, and a guided research project.

Year 3 of your studies again gives you free choice to select your own modules, which can include advanced levels of Greek or Latin, as well as modules on the Ancient and Medieval Monarchy, Culture and Control in Roman Britain, all culminating in a Classics, Ancient History and Egpytology Dissertation.

If you decide to undertake a Year in Industry or a Year Abroad, these will take place between your second and third years of study, making your degree four years total.

For the full programme structure and module breakdown, please visit our webpage at: www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/classics-ancient-history-egyptology/ba-ancient-history

Your degree programme will be delivered through lectures, seminars and research supervision; we offer numerous creative and engaging modes of tailored assessment, including blog posts, presentations, and website design, alongside exams, essays, and the third-year dissertation.