School of History, Classics
Undergraduate - Ancient History

Ancient History 2A: The Past and Present in the Ancient World

The course is an introduction to the study of ancient historiography, itself a crucial element of the study of history, past and present. I.e. the course encourages students to analyse a good number of ancient historians and histories, especially the key figures and key texts in the development of the practice we call history, including Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Polybius, Livy, Cassius Dio, Tacitus, Ammianus Marcellinus, and others. The selection of authors to be studied in any one year depends on the research expertise of staff teaching the course so as to allow maximum scope for cutting-edge teaching based on new research undertaken by staff at Edinburgh .
Students should thus gain a sound understanding of the creation and evolution of the writing of history, and in particular a clear understanding of the beginnings of the practice of history writing - and thus of the foundations of the modern practice.
In studying important historical writings and their authors, students will explore the concept of 'history' in comparing different ancient and modern approaches to this concept. Students will thus be challenged to consider and reconsider their own and others' assumptions of what history is and how history is (to be) written.
In sum: whilst the past remains unchanged, history is always changing, and this course is concerned to examine how the past and present have been continuously interpreted and reinterpreted in antiquity through the exercise that we call history. It explores the sources and methods by which history is constructed in antiquity, looking at the roles different types of evidence can play, as well as how different historians aim to change the history of a particular geography, period or topic.
This course builds upon the first year survey courses in Classics with the intention to deepen students' understanding of ancient history as well as their understanding of how history is written.

Ancient History 2B: Themes and Theories in Ancient History

History', 'economic modelling', 'literary criticism', etc.) to a range of significant aspects of ancient life ('Themes' - e.g. 'Sexuality', 'Democracy', 'Religion', 'Childhood', 'Economy', 'Slavery', 'Warfare', etc.). I.e. the course will focus on how crucial facets of ancient life can be studied today and how they have been approached in the past.
This is a problem-based course, designed to introduce students to key models and theories used in the study of ancient history, as well as to (the evidence for) major 'staples' of ancient life. In practice, the teaching programme will focus on three themes each year; the selection of themes to be studied in any one year depends on the research expertise of staff teaching the course so as to allow maximum scope for cutting-edge teaching based on new research undertaken by staff at Edinburgh. These key themes will act as case studies for the exploration of important interpretive models and theories used in the study of ancient history, as well as for an exploration of ancient approaches to the studied themes, therewith challenging students to consider the historical and historiographical debt of modern approaches to the ancient world.
Students will be required to consider, alongside a range of methodologies, as wide a range of source material as possible, including archaeological artefacts, literary texts, inscriptional evidence, legal writings, etc.
This course builds upon the first year survey courses in Classics, and expands on the skills gained in Ancient History 2a, with the intention of deepening students' understanding of ancient history as well as their understanding of how history is written .