BA Ancient History / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

"I got interested in Classics and Ancient History after I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan when I was at primary school.

"The course at Manchester had a lot more freedom [to study different subjects] than other universities. I loved that I would be able to take a Religions and Theology module and a History module alongside my compulsory course units."

Araddhna Patel / 2017 graduate

Explore the ancient civilisations of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece on this BA Ancient History course, which brings these worlds to life by examining their culture, language and literature. 

A staff of world-renowned tutors will expand your knowledge of subjects such as the Greek City, the Roman Army, Alexander the Great and the Roman Family.  You'll have a truly multidisciplinary learning experience and will have the chance to immerse yourself in ancient ideas on subjects ranging from slavery to medicine. 

You can choose to study ancient Greek and Latin from beginner level upwards, as well as Archaeology, Egyptology, Greek and Roman Literature and Ancient Philosophy.  Further options are available in other areas that complement your subject including Modern History, Religions and Theology, and History of Art. 

Throughout this course you'll develop a range of transferable skills, including logical and imaginative thinking, effective communication, the ability to formulate ideas and theories, and information and data interpretation and evaluation. 

You will also undertake independent study units which will allow you to carry out research on the topics that interest you most.

Special features

"The lecturers here are absolutely phenomenal.

"They inspire you to go further and push you on to subject areas that you'll particularly enjoy."

Cameron Mackenzie / BA Ancient History Student
Placement year option

Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.

Study abroad

You can apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2, with exchange partners including those in Europe as well as the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Explore world-class collections

Enjoy unique opportunities to explore special archived material and carry out research in a wide range of archives, libraries, museums and other research institutions in Manchester and beyond.

Flexible Honours

Flexible Honours may allow you to study an additional arts, languages or cultures subject.

Teaching and learning

You'll learn through a variety of methods. Lectures will introduce and survey the main issues, supported by small group tutorials and seminars.

Language classes are taught intensively, with group sizes capped to encourage participation.

You are encouraged to involve yourself, under guidance, in independent study and original research.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment procedures in different course units vary, but our basic objective is to achieve a good balance between formal examinations, continuous assessment and project work which develop a range of skills for future employment or study. 

Course content for year 1

You'll be introduced to the historical study of the Greek and Roman worlds.  You'll also have the chance to take units in ancient literature and Greek or Latin language, Archaeology, Egyptology and later periods of history.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Constructing Archaic Greek History CAHE10011 20 Mandatory
From Republic to Empire: Introduction to Roman History, Society & Culture 218-31BC CAHE10022 20 Mandatory
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs  CAHE10032 20 Optional
The Odyssey CAHE10101 20 Optional
The Making of the Mediterranean CAHE10132 20 Optional
Discoveries and Discoverers: Sights and Sites CAHE10282 20 Optional
Virgil's Aeneid CAHE10422 20 Optional
Doing Archaeology 1 CAHE10501 20 Optional
Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt CAHE10651 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Mapping the Medieval ENGL10051 20 Optional
Histories of the Islamic World HIST10172 20 Optional
An Introduction to the Medieval World HIST10261 20 Optional
New Testament Greek RELT10120 20 Optional
Bible in Ancient and Modern Worlds RELT10711 20 Optional
Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Foundations for Study in The Arts SALC10002 20 Optional
Ice Age to Baroque: Artworks in History SALC10041 20 Optional
Climate change and societal response: Lessons from the past SALC11011 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 23 course units for year 1

Course content for year 2

Specialist course units on Greek and Roman history are a central element of the second year.  You'll also have the chance to take units in ancient literature and Greek or Latin language, and further period and thematic-specific modules in archaeology, Egyptology and later periods of history.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
The Roman Empire 31BC - AD313 Rome's Golden Age CAHE20052 20 Mandatory
Politics and Society in Classical Greece CAHE20061 20 Mandatory
The World of Late Antiquity: Europe and the Med from the Severan Dynasty to the Rise of Islam CAHE20022 20 Optional
The Conquering Hero: The Life, Times and Legacy of Alexander The Great CAHE20041 20 Optional
Social Life in Ancient Egypt  CAHE20072 20 Optional
Literature, Literacy, and Textual Transmission in Pharaonic Egypt  CAHE20091 20 Optional
Thinking Archaeology CAHE20111 20 Optional
From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World CAHE20142 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
The Emergence of Civilisation: Palaces, Peak Sanctuaries, and Politics in Minoan Crete CAHE20221 20 Optional
Greco-Roman Society and Technology  CAHE20261 20 Optional
Artefacts and Interpretation CAHE20362 20 Optional
Doing Archaeology 2 CAHE20502 20 Optional
Roman Women in 22 Objects CAHE20532 20 Optional
Greek Tragedy CAHE21012 20 Optional
Ovid: the Mythological Poems CAHE21261 20 Optional
National Identity and the Roman Past CAHE23022 20 Optional
Men, Beasts and Marvels: the Limits of Nature in Classical Antiquity  CAHE23361 20 Optional
Nature, Poetry, and Art: Ancient Pastoral and its Reception CAHE24201 20 Optional
Education and Schools in the Greek and Roman Worlds CAHE25211 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 2 CAHE30210 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 2 CAHE30220 20 Optional
The Stuff of History: Objects Across Borders, 1500-1800 HIST21151 20 Optional
Histories of the Islamic World HIST21192 20 Optional
Silk Roads: Eurasian Connections from the Mongols to Manilla, 1200-1800 HIST21242 20 Optional
Revolutionary Cities: The Urban World of the Middle Ages HIST21252 20 Optional
Biblical Hebrew RELT20140 20 Optional
New Testament in Greek II RELT20151 20 Optional
Data Literacy in a Digital World SALC20081 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 34 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

In your final year there will be a range of specialist options in Greek and Roman history, focusing on aspects of the subjects. 

You'll also research and write a dissertation on an ancient historical topic of your choice, under the guidance of a specialist supervisor. 

There will be further opportunities to take course units in History, Archaeology, and Greek and Latin.

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology Dissertation CAHE30000 40 Mandatory
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
The World of Late Antiquity: Europe and the Med from the Severan Dynasty to the Rise of Islam CAHE30022 20 Optional
Social Life in Ancient Egypt  CAHE30072 20 Optional
Literature, Literacy, and Textual Transmission in Pharaonic Egypt  CAHE30091 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Neolithic Britain CAHE30131 20 Optional
From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World CAHE30142 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 2 CAHE30210 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 2 CAHE30220 20 Optional
The Emergence of Civilisation: Palaces, Peak Sanctuaries, and Politics in Minoan Crete CAHE30221 20 Optional
Greco-Roman Society and Technology  CAHE30261 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 3 CAHE30310 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 3 CAHE30320 20 Optional
Artefacts and Interpretation CAHE30362 20 Optional
The Roman Army and the North-West Frontiers CAHE30882 20 Optional
Greek Tragedy CAHE31012 20 Optional
Ovid: the Mythological Poems CAHE31261 20 Optional
National Identity and the Roman Past CAHE33022 20 Optional
Men, Beasts and Marvels: the Limits of Nature in Classical Antiquity  CAHE33361 20 Optional
Nature, Poetry, and Art: Ancient Pastoral and its Reception CAHE34201 20 Optional
Education and Schools in the Greek and Roman Worlds CAHE35211 20 Optional
The Normans in the Mediterranean World (1000-1200) HIST31991 20 Optional
Science and Islam RELT30521 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 28 course units for year 3

Facilities

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Classics and Ancient History

The John Rylands Library

At The John Rylands Library , you'll have exclusive access to our internationally significant collections, including papyri, medieval manuscripts and early printed books such as very early copies of the Homeric poems.

Manchester Museum

The UK's leading university museum has more than four million objects spanning millennia, including one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK. Go behind-the-scenes to handle, analyse and interpret rare artefacts, including exclusive material specific to ancient history.

Visit our facilities page to find out more.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk