Ancient and Medieval History

Drawing on expertise from our Classics and History departments, Ancient and Medieval History offers the opportunity to study the history of Greece and Rome in the Classical period (600 BCE - 700CE) and how that world developed into the Medieval period (c. 600 CE - 1400 CE). The course brings together the two key periods of pre-modern history, offering students the opportunity to compare and contrast pre-modern social and political systems and to develop the knowledge, theories and methodologies necessary for the study of these periods of history.

Taught by a variety of internationally recognised experts, Ancient History allows you will delve into the politics, events and developments underpinning our understanding of many aspects of historical societies and, indeed, our own culture. You will explore themes, key periods and problems in Greek and Roman history, such as the emergence (and fall) of democracy and the rise, decline and fall of Empires.

As a student of Ancient History you will be part of our Classics Department, where the quality of research that informs our teaching and a friendly, individual approach which shapes the way we guide our students combine to create an unbeaten academic experience. A thriving Classics Society contributes to the friendly and sociable atmosphere of the Classics department.

Studying Medieval History within the Department of History is exciting and rewarding; it encourages you to appreciate the human experience in other places and at other times, in a world whose consequences are with us still, be it through the development of international relations, the formation of geopolitical regions (Christendom/ the Islamic world), or the development of town life.

Our internationally renowned academics are developing the very latest thinking on historical problems; this cutting edge knowledge informs the curriculum and will enhance your learning experience. By studying History at one of the largest and most influential departments in the country you will be able to choose from an exceptionally broad range of subjects.

Course Modules

Core Modules

Year 1

• History in the Making

• Greek History and the City State

• Key Themes in Roman History

Year 2

• All modules are optional

Year 3

• Extended essay (dissertation) in either ancient or medieval history

Optional Modules

Below is a taster of some of the exciting optional modules that students on the course could choose from during this academic year. Please be aware these do change over time, and optional modules may be withdrawn or new ones added.

Year 1

• Introduction to Greek Literature

• Roman Literature of the Republic

• Roman Literature of the Empire

• Introduction to Ancient Philosophy

• Individual and Community

• Greek History and the City State

• Key Themes in Roman History

• Studying Classical Antiquity

• Introduction to Greek Archaeology

• Introduction to Roman Archaeology

• Republics, Kings and People: The Foundations of European Political Thought from Plato to Rousseau

• From Renaissance to Revolutions: Europe and the World, 1500-1800

• Rome to Renaissance: An Introduction to the Middle Ages

Year 2

• Greek History to 404 BC

• Greek History to 322 BC

• Spinning the Past: Greek Historiography from Herodotos to Diodoros

• Historiography of the Roman World

• Gender in Classical Antiquity

• Greek Law and Lawcourts

• Greek History to 322 BC

• Augustus: Propaganda and Power

• The Roman Republic: A Social and Economic History

• The Rise of the Roman Empire: An Economic and Social history

• The Later Roman Empire

• Byzantium and its Neighbours, 641-1081

• London Urban Society, 1400-1600

• The Crusades and the Eastern Mediterranean, 1095-1291

• Medicine and Society in Medieval Europe

• The Rise and Fall of the Roman Republic

• Rome and its Empire from Augustus to Commodus

• The Pursuit of Power: Europe 1000-1250

• Politics, Pestilence and War in Late Medieval Europe, 1300 to 1500

• The Silk Road I: Genghis Khan and the Mongol Legacy in Western Asia (1200-1500)

• Everyday Life in the Italian Renaissance

• Religion, Culture and Society in Europe, 1000-1250

• The Sacred and Profane: Cultural Life in Renaissance Europe

• The Silk Road II: The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires (1500-1700)

• Independent Research Project

Year 3

• Extended Essay (Dissertation)

• Greek Law and Lawcourts

• Augustus

• The Roman Republic: A Social and Economic History

• The Rise of the Roman Empire: An Economic and Social history

• Alexander the Great

• The City from Augustus to Charlemagne: The Rise and Fall of Civilisation

• Christians and Pagans from Constantine to Augustine (AD 306-430)

• Heresy, Crusade and Inquisition in Southern France, c.1140 to c.1300

• Faith and Fire: Religious Culture in England, c.1375 to 1525

• The City and the Conqueror: The Fall of Constantinople (1453)

• Genghis Khan and His Empire, 1150-1300

• Further Latin for Historians

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/studying-here/undergraduate/classics/ancient-and-medieval-history/

The course has a modular structure, whereby students take 12 course units at the rate of four whole units per year. At least four course units of Ancient History must be taken over the three years of the degree, one at year 3 level and 3 course units of Medieval History, at least one at year 3 level. You will be able to mix Ancient and Medieval courses as suits your particular interests and develop your own specialisms within the flexible provision on offer.

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials, depending on the subjects studied. Much of your work will be outside class: reading in the library or via e-learning resources (we have a comprehensive e-learning facility called Moodle). You will also be preparing for seminars and lectures, working on essays, and undertaking group projects and wide-ranging but guided independent study.

In your final year we provide ongoing support for your dissertation work, which usually includes:

• Lectures and practical sessions on Dissertation Research Methods e.g. planning your topics, carrying out research, using specialist resources, finding information in print and online, and managing your search results and references. These sessions are run in conjunction with the Library Service and are generally also open to second year students.

• Short departmental writing ‘surgeries’, in which academic staff offer general writing support if you experiencing problems and/or those who have specific queries.

Assessment takes place by a flexible combination of essays, projects, examinations and tests, various methods being employed depending on the nature of the course unit and the intended learning outcomes. In the third year, you complete a guided and extended piece of independent research, a 10,000 word dissertation on a historical subject.