Classical Studies at Lincoln offers the opportunity to explore and examine the history, culture, and language of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds to discover how they have influenced and shaped the society in which we live today.
BA (Hons) Classical Studies is an interdisciplinary degree programme. Students have the opportunity to study the ancient world alongside experts in history and archaeology, the history of art and architecture, heritage and conservation, literary and cultural studies, philosophy, and English and drama. The curriculum reflects the variety and richness of research and teaching within the School of History and Heritage, and the College of Arts more widely.
The city of Lincoln takes its name from Lindum Colonia: a Roman legionary fortress established in the middle of the first century AD which became a settlement for retired soldiers a generation later. Above and below ground it preserves traces of this history, from fragments of walls and aqueducts to the street plan itself. Traffic still travels through the Newport Arch, its third-century gate, while the University is situated on the Brayford Pool, an inland port with remains of the Roman-period waterfront, connected to the River Trent.
Staff at the University of Lincoln teaching on the Classical Studies programme work in exciting areas, from the making of Roman London to the fall of the Empire in the West, from the historiography of the Hellenistic world to language and literacy in the western Mediterranean. Research informs teaching on all our courses, and staff aim to support students as they access specialist resources for their own studies, such as the built environment of Lincoln itself and the excavated artefacts housed in The Collection, the city's archaeological museum to which we have privileged access.
Classical Studies at Lincoln offers the opportunity to explore and examine the history, culture, and language of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds to discover how they have influenced and shaped the society in which we live today.
BA (Hons) Classical Studies is an interdisciplinary degree programme. Students have the opportunity to study the ancient world alongside experts in history and archaeology, the history of art and architecture, heritage and conservation, literary and cultural studies, philosophy, and English and drama. The curriculum reflects the variety and richness of research and teaching within the School of History and Heritage, and the College of Arts more widely.
The city of Lincoln takes its name from Lindum Colonia: a Roman legionary fortress established in the middle of the first century AD which became a settlement for retired soldiers a generation later. Above and below ground it preserves traces of this history, from fragments of walls and aqueducts to the street plan itself. Traffic still travels through the Newport Arch, its third-century gate, while the University is situated on the Brayford Pool, an inland port with remains of the Roman-period waterfront, connected to the River Trent.
Staff at the University of Lincoln teaching on the Classical Studies programme work in exciting areas, from the making of Roman London to the fall of the Empire in the West, from the historiography of the Hellenistic world to language and literacy in the western Mediterranean. Research informs teaching on all our courses, and staff aim to support students as they access specialist resources for their own studies, such as the built environment of Lincoln itself and the excavated artefacts housed in The Collection, the city's archaeological museum to which we have privileged access.
Classics at Lincoln is ranked 2nd in the UK for student satisfaction*
The historic city of Lincoln provides the ideal backdrop to your studies
Privileged access to the city's archaeological museum, The Collection
A wide range of optional modules
Study abroad at one of our partner institutions around the globe
Undertake work placements to gain experience
*Complete University Guide 2025 (out of 23 ranking intuitions).
The first year of the degree is designed to provide a solid foundation in the study of the ancient world. It commences with introductory modules in Greek and Roman history and culture, Classical art, archaeology, literature, and the Latin language. These provide orientation in the handling of textual, visual, and material evidence from Antiquity, and particularly in the sensitive reading of written sources. Alongside modules in critical thinking, writing, and historiography, these foundation modules aim to develop the skills necessary for students to chart their own path through the balance of the degree programme.
In the second year, all students take an introductory module in Classical reception, while beginning their apprenticeship in detailed engagement with a Classical source and the design of an independent research project. In addition, there is a broad range of optional modules, based on the research specialisms of our academic staff, in the history, art, archaeology, and language of the Classical world (including Greek), as well as its varied cultural legacies in medieval, early modern and modern Europe, and beyond.
Third year students can engage in sustained study of and commentary on a text, object, or site from the Classical world, and produce an extended piece of independent research on a topic of their choice under the supervision of one of our team. In addition, there is a further selection of optional modules at a more specialist and research-intensive level. Students are encouraged to choose according to their interests.
The first year of the degree is designed to provide a solid foundation in the study of the ancient world. It commences with introductory modules in Greek and Roman history and culture, Classical art, archaeology, literature, and the Latin language. These provide orientation in the handling of textual, visual, and material evidence from Antiquity, and particularly in the sensitive reading of written sources. Alongside modules in critical thinking, writing, and historiography, these foundation modules aim to develop the skills necessary for students to chart their own path through the balance of the degree programme.
In the second year, all students take an introductory module in Classical reception, while beginning their apprenticeship in detailed engagement with a Classical source and the design of an independent research project. In addition, there is a broad range of optional modules, based on the research specialisms of our academic staff, in the history, art, archaeology, and language of the Classical world (including Greek), as well as its varied cultural legacies in medieval, early modern and modern Europe, and beyond.
Third year students can engage in sustained study of and commentary on a text, object, or site from the Classical world, and produce an extended piece of independent research on a topic of their choice under the supervision of one of our team. In addition, there is a further selection of optional modules at a more specialist and research-intensive level. Students are encouraged to choose according to their interests.
This module introduces some of the Classical literature from Greek and Roman times. Students have the opportunity to engage with a selection of texts to develop an understanding of Greek and Roman society, culture and thought. Texts also serve to illustrate how the Classical world was in some ways similar, and in others dramatically different, to our own, and highlights some of the themes which continue to make it fascinating and inspiring to modern observers.
This module surveys the political, social, economic and cultural history of the Roman world as a complex conversation amongst written, material and visual evidence, each not only supplementing the others but often contributing new and otherwise unheard voices. We will explore the experiences of living, dying, working and worshipping in the Roman world from the earliest evidence for the city of Rome to the diverse cultures of far-flung provinces. Through an examination of the dynamic and varied evidence of art, archaeology, architecture, epigraphy and ancient histories, we will discover and question what it meant to live under the rule of Rome.
This module offers an introduction to the art and archaeology of the Classical world. Students have the opportunity to examine methods, themes and evidence relating to the ancient world through materials such as objects, art/visuals, architecture and archaeological remains, and learn how these can be used to make interpretations of society in the Greek and Roman worlds.
Students have the opportunity to engage with some of the most significant examples of material culture from the ancient world, and develop an understanding of the characters and artistic styles of different cultures and periods such as Minoan, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Etruscan, Archaic/early Roman, Republican, Imperial and Late Antique.
This module offers an introduction to ancient Greek and Roman literature: it is designed to provide a taste of Classical literature and to equip students with the background information and critical skills that they need to be able to engage confidently and independently with Greek and Roman literature in translation. In lectures and seminars students will engage with a selection of texts, and through examining these cultural products of the Greeks and Romans will come to understand their significance within both their historical context and over the course of their transmission and reception. Students will also be exposed to the fundamental concerns of Greek and Roman society, culture and thought. The texts will also serve to illustrate how the classical world was in some ways similar, and in other dramatically different, to our own, and highlight some of the themes which continue to make it fascinating and inspiring to modern observers.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse with confidence. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
Please note: those students with A-Level Latin or equivalent, subject to successfully sitting a diagnostic Latin test before the first term of their first year, may choose to take ‘The Medieval World’ or ‘Empire and After: Colonialism and its Consequences’ instead of this module, however, they are required to continue their language studies in Elementary Latin II.
This module introduces students to the history of ancient Greece in the archaic and classical periods. Students will examine the emergence of Greek societies and city states (poleis), the various invasions of Greece by the Persians and their defeats at Marathon, Salamis and Plataea, competition between Athens and Sparta. The module emphasises how different primary sources can be applied to the study of the archaic and classical Greek world, as well as considering different scholarly interpretations of these periods.
The module aims to equip students with the skills necessary to communicate their learning in an academic environment and will also support students in adjusting to the demands of higher education. The core objective of the course will be to develop students’ research, critical thinking and writing skills. It is designed to enable students to use the library effectively, to think critically about sources and to understand the basic elements of argument. Students will be introduced to the critical essay structure and how to correctly reference sources using the prescribed method. Skills learned and dispositions developed on this module will prove vital for studying and writing throughout their degrees and afterwards.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide students with a survey of imperial histories, at the same time as introducing some key conceptual and analytical tools for understanding the history of colonialism in a variety of pre-modern and modern contexts, from the perspectives of both colonisers and colonised.
This module explores the relevance of materials and artistic techniques in the understanding and analysis of art and material culture. The concept of materiality has an increasing prominence in the intellectual discourse of Art History, and this module will allow students to engage with this theoretical framework by exploring the relevance of materials and techniques, the processes through which artefacts are constructed. The last part of the module will introduce students to a selection of technologies (especially digital technologies) that assist scholars in the investigation of the past, such as photography, digital mapping and virtual heritage visualisation. In this way, students will be exposed to these technologies not only as investigation tools that they might use, but also as potential career pathways.
This module offers an introduction to the sources, approaches and methods necessary for the study of the medieval world. Lectures provide a survey of key moments in medieval history from 300-1500, structured around the research specialisms of the module teaching team. The module focuses on issues of religion and power in the Middle Ages, while there is a strong methodological focus on the materiality of the medieval period.
This module provides a survey of the history and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East between the reign of Alexander the Great and the death of Cleopatra VII after the Roman victory at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC. Students will have the opportunity to explore the political histories, power structures, cultural developments, economic processes and shifting ideologies associated with the major Hellenistic kingdoms and ending with the Roman conquest of the eastern Mediterranean region. Teaching also considers how the Hellenistic period was a time of innovation, cultural connectivity, even globalisation, laying the foundations of a Hellenized world of city-states which endured into and defined the Roman construction of a world empire in its aftermath.
This module aims to provide a framework for career planning and preparing for the world of work, and forms part of the University’s skills and capabilities curriculum at level 2. It provides the opportunity for students to develop the management skills needed for independent study, which is a compulsory part of level 3 study, and to begin to form a research strategy for the Classical Studies independent study later in the course.
This module surveys the history of the Roman Empire not as a succession of emperors and achievements, victories and defeats, but as a complex of experiments in government and of attitudes to governance. Beginning with the transition from representative republican rule to the domination of an imperial dynasty and its network of élite dependants in the early first century, and concluding with the incipient takeover of this system by a newly Christianised ruling class in the early fourth century, students can explore the role of the emperor in the Roman world and the patterns of communication between him and his subjects.
Renaissance monarchs often employed artistic display to project royal authority. Ruling elites commissioned pieces of art not only for the embellishment of their residences, but also as a suitable vehicle to display authority. Kings and Queens commissioned tapestries, sculptures, royal palaces, or lavishly decorated printed books that narrated their achievements and omitted their failures. This module examines the diverse ways rulers and their entourage imagined and created an image of kingship through the visual arts.
This module examines how and why the culture of Britain changed in the period of increasing contact with, and eventual incorporation into, the Roman Empire. Examining the key material, behavioural, ideological and structural changes to society in the period c. 100 BC to AD 450, it will question to what degree each aspect was a wholesale incorporation of ‘foreign’ ideas, technologies and goods, a local interpretation and adoption of these importations into an existing social system, or a local creation that was distinctly Romano-British, if often termed ‘Roman’.
Students can gain an introduction to the historical and archaeological sources, approaches and methods necessary for the study of the ancient world. Lectures provide a survey of key moments in history, 1000 BC-AD 400, structured around the research specialisms of the module teaching team.
Beginning with the Royal Historical Society’s “Race, Ethnicity and Equality Report” (published in 2018), which raises urgent questions on the diversity of staff, students and curricula at History departments in UK universities, the module analyses live debates on “Decolonising the Curriculum” in higher education. We critique how histories of Empire, colonialism and slavery have been taught in Anglo-American settings, and introduce postcolonial analysis on archives, as well as the “Global South” and “indigenous knowledge” that have often been marginalised in Eurocentric historiographies.
Turning towards the University as a key apparatus of power in the contemporary world, the module then reveals the complex legacies of slavery in the making of a number of UK and US institutions including Liverpool, Bristol, Oxford (#RhodesMustFall), SOAS, University of Virginia and others. Introducing the new field of “Critical University Studies” (CUS), students will learn about the emergence of universities in former colonies including India and South Africa, as well as the phenomenon of “transnational education” that entails the establishment, by prestigious European and American institutions, of satellite campuses around the world. The module then unpacks public understandings of colonial history via recent scholarship on nationalism, patriotism, museums and memories, and ends with a hopeful reflection on pedagogies that will be more inclusive and intersectional in terms of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. This module will be particularly suited to students who intend to develop careers in education.
The cultural heritage sector increasingly offers opportunities for the application of digital technologies as communication, research and recording tools. This module enables students to become familiar with some of these advanced recording techniques for the study and recording of objects.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse up to intermediate difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This helps develop a foundation for sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
Explore a wide range of cutting-edge digital approaches to studying the past through a significant and growing area of research, the digital humanities. By studying this module, you can focus on developing the practical skills, techniques, and methodologies that can play a vital role in your future studies and career.
The module provides opportunities to enhance, analyse, and interpret humanistic endeavours through approaches such as social network analysis, digital mapping, data visualisation, and textual analysis. You can also explore the impact and potential of artificial intelligence on the study of humanities in the digital worlds.
This student-led module allows students the opportunity to design a course of study equivalent to a 15-credit module. In collaboration with a lecturer in the School of History and Heritage, students can choose A. to produce an extended essay on a Classical Studies topic not specifically covered by current core or optional modules, B. gain a new skill, or C. undertake a creative project. Examples of A. might include ancient myth, epigrams, or drama; examples of B. might include digital drawing or epigraphic skills; examples of C. might include designing an exhibition.
This student-led module allows students the opportunity to design a course of study equivalent to a 15-credit module. In collaboration with a lecturer in the School of History and Heritage, students can choose A. to produce an extended essay on a Classical Studies topic not specifically covered by current core or optional modules, B. gain a new skill, or C. undertake a creative project. Examples of A. might include ancient myth, epigrams, or drama; examples of B. might include digital drawing or epigraphic skills; examples of C. might include designing an exhibition.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Caesar, Cicero and Livy, while commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. This is designed to provide experience in sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world as a foundation for original research.
Students can consolidate their knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, while commentary will focus on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. Students can acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Latin poetry.
This module introduces students to the understanding of exhibitions and curatorial practices. Following an introduction on the history of collections and museums, the course will explore the many issues related to the display of art and objects. It combines the study of theoretical approaches and the analysis of relevant case studies, and considers topics related to audiences for museums and exhibitions, the presentation and explanation of artefacts and artworks, and the new opportunities offered by digital technologies.
This module explores a broad sampling of major genres and authors, and aims to provide a basis for further study and enjoyment of Latin literature. Focusing on writers active between 90 BC and AD 14, often referred to as the Golden Age, we shall examine how the literature of this period bears witness to contemporary social, political and cultural transformations.
All texts will be read in English translation, though opportunities to read or translate from the original Latin will be available for interested students. This module is intended as a successor to the core first-year survey of Classical Literature.
How did people live and die in the middle ages? Drawing on the research expertise of the medievalists in the School, the module seeks to answer this question by addressing key themes relating to the life cycles of medieval people, from their childhood and education, via the roles that they took on in life (within families and in public; peaceful and violent), to their deaths. We will address primary sources that provide intimate insights into the everyday lives of medieval people: letters and autobiographies. Such sources will be contrasted with those that offer a more 'top-down' vision of how medieval society should function, such as rulebooks and conduct manuals. Finally, we will explore how people in the medieval period managed their material and spiritual interests through transactions recorded in documents such as charters and wills. A key aim of the module is to develop your research and writing skills by providing you with an opportunity to produce an extended piece of research. This, coupled with the intensive work with primary sources, will equip you to tackle a final year independent study in a wide range of medieval topics.
This module investigates the matter of sanctity during the middle ages, focusing in particular on two different aspects: the construction of the memory of saints, through texts, images and architecture, and the crucial role of their mortal remains. Spanning from the fourth to the fourteenth Century, this module offers not only a general approach to the phenomenon of sanctity, but also detailed analysis of different case studies, from early Christian saints and their commemoration in martyria to Romanesque shrines in France and Italy. The module then considers the phenomenon of new saints, through discussion of the celebrated site of Saint Francis’s burial, San Francesco, in Assisi. Students can explore the case of Saint Hugh of Lincoln, discussing how his memory was preserved in the text of his life and how his canonization was mirrored in the very fabric of Lincoln Cathedral.
Students studying Renaissance Literature have the opportunity to look in detail at a range of texts from the late Elizabethan period to the mid-1630s, including work by Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson and Mary Wroth. They also have the chance to explore the historical and cultural contexts in which these texts were produced, and the effects that they had on the politics and culture of the British Isles in the period. Lectures aim to examine post-Reformation England and late humanism, patronage, gender relations, early modern literary theory, education and philosophy.
This module explores cultural renaissances in Europe and beyond. Students can examine the survival, imitation and revival of classical models from ancient Greece and Rome from late antiquity to the modern period. We engage with historical debates on the issue of periodisation and ask how and why cycles of decline and renewal continue to shape our understanding of the past.
Students taking Restoration Literature, the companion module to Renaissance Literature, can study in detail a range of texts written between the era of the English Civil War and the first decade of the eighteenth Century, including work by John Milton; Andrew Marvell; Aphra Behn; and John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester. Students have the opportunity to also study the historical and cultural contexts in which these texts were produced. Lectures aim to examine the origins and effects of the civil war, the ethics of rebellion and reform, the Restoration theatre, religious controversies, gender relations, developing philosophical thought and Restoration manners.
Concern with, and ideas about, the supernatural influenced all areas of life for medieval and early modern men and women, and cut across all levels of society. In an age where religion was a state concern, many of these concerns were articulated or shaped within the context of the Church, all across Western Europe, yet throughout our period religious life was characterised by its great diversity. This module examines changing religious practices and beliefs in Europe, although with a particular focus on England, from the early Middle Ages until the seventeenth century, charting continuity and change in people’s thinking about their relationship – both individually and collectively - with the divine. The module is divided into three blocks: (1) early medieval, in which we explore the adoption of Christianity as a state religion, the slow emergence of an institutional church, missionary and conversion activities, and campaigns against heresy; (2) high to late medieval where we examine the tension between the theology of the church and the beliefs of the individual in a time of increased attempts at centralisation by the Western Church; (3) early modern, from the Reformation, via the Civil War, to early eighteenth-century rational religion and alternative versions of spirituality, and their impact on attitudes to religious and other minority groups.
Classical Studies students have the opportunity to spend a term studying at one of the University’s partner institutions in North America or Europe where they undertake a course load of equivalent standard to that of the programme at Lincoln.
Studying abroad offers unique opportunities for personal development. It offers enhanced sporting, cultural, and other activities to enhance your overall profile, alongside experience of adapting to and working effectively within a different academic culture.
Students must obtain a 2:1 or higher at Level 1 in order to be considered for participation in the exchange. Students must complete a 500-word essay explaining why they wish to participate and may be required to attend an interview. A limited number of places will be available each year, and participation is at the discretion of the module coordinator and the Programme Leader.
Teaching History deepens students' understanding of the practice of teaching history in the classroom. The module encourages students, especially but not exclusively those who may be considering a career in education (or related industries), to think more deeply about pedagogic theory and teaching practice. Students will be given the opportunity to gain some practical experience in instructing their peers and online audiences. There will be a strong focus on reflecting on prior learning experiences and the module will begin by providing students with an overview of the history of history teaching. History teaching will be examined at primary and secondary level, and in other educational contexts.
This module examines Arthurian narratives, myths, and traditions within a variety of contexts and media, and traces a variety of themes associated with Arthur and his court, including history and national identity; violence; kingship and rule; loyalty and betrayal; and love, sex, and gender roles.
Students will be expected to assess the importance of a myth that spans more than a millennium and address how medieval texts made meaning within their specific socio-cultural situations, as well as how later periods make meaning through their deployment of the medieval in new contexts.
Almost all historians share the view that the social, economic and political structures of Europe in 1000 A.D. were significantly different to those that characterised the western superpower of Late Antiquity, the Roman Empire. In this challenging module, students will be encouraged to engage with a range of source material that will allow them to come to their own conclusions. Given this wide focus, students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating story of post-Carolingian Europe in such a way that they enhance their abilities to think comparatively, a crucial weapon in the historian’s armoury.
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the political, social and cultural history of Late Antiquity (150-750), with a particular focus on two world-changing religious developments: the rise of Christianity and Islam. Although the geographical focus of our studies will be on eastern Mediterranean lands of an empire ruled from Constantinople, known to later scholars as the Byzantine Empire, the geographical range of the module will be wide and include western Europe, including the western Mediterranean, Persia, Arabia, and ‘barbarian’ territories beyond the Roman frontiers on the Rhine and Danube.
This module is designed to introduce the basic skills of working with glass, ceramic and fine metalwork. It provides an opportunity to investigate the potential and limitations of working with various materials, processes and techniques, associated with the practice of object manufacture against a relevant historical background.
Between the 11th and the 12th centuries Europe went through some radical changes. This module will focus on case studies, such as Lincoln, London and Paris, among others. Students will have the opportunity to study how and why such centres grew from small towns to some of the greatest and most vibrant metropolis of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. For a comparative study, a range of primary sources will be taken into account, including contemporary descriptions of these cities and their inhabitants, historical records, art and architecture.
This module introduces students to the lives and experiences of women in the ancient world. By engaging with a wide range of material, visual and written evidence, students can investigate both the real historical circumstances of women’s lives and the ways in which they were constructed, represented and perceived.
The focus of this module is on the Roman world, and the material considered ranges in date from the Republican period to the end of the second Century AD. Material from Greece, especially where it affects Roman art, literature and ideas, will also be considered.
Every student on the BA (Hons) Classical Studies degree programme at the University of Lincoln must produce adissertation. This is an extended project which gives them the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the skills to undertake detailed and substantial subject-specific research and writing founded on critical inquiry and analysis. Students will have gained practice in designing and carrying out a research project of their own in the core CLS2003M module in Semester B of second year. They will begin third year by developing their interests and ideas into a workable basis for a dissertation. Over the course of the year, several lectures will be given which will guide students through important milestones in the process of preparing their independent study, supported by regular meetings with their individual supervisors. This first semester separates out the preparatory research to evaluate progress and ensure success in the second semester.
This module gives students the opportunity to analyse one text or author; object, assemblage or collection; structure or site, according to their own research interests (the evidence chosen will be agreed at the start of the term). Paired with a tutor, each student can examine the evidence closely, find and read related research publications, and discuss each week. This builds on the skills developed at Level 2 and provides students with the opportunity to direct their own learning, engage closely with primary sources, develop skills in analysis and critical thinking, and broaden their knowledge of the evidence and methods of studying the ancient world.
This compulsory extended piece of work gives students the opportunity to demonstrate they have acquired the skills to undertake detailed and substantial subject-specific research and writing, founded on critical inquiry and analysis.
This module aims to refine and extend students' mastery of the Latin language through focused reading of unadapted extracts from a single prose author. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set passages, while commentary will encompass points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary; peculiarities of authorial style in the context of other major writers; historical situation and significance; and major studies of the author and text.
This module aims to refine and extend students' mastery of the Latin language through focussed reading of unadapted extracts from a single verse author chosen according to available staff expertise and interest (e.g. Martial). Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set passages, while commentary will encompass: (1) points of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary; (2) questions of metre and scansion; (3) peculiarities of authorial style, in the context of other major writers and the rules of versification; (4) historical situation and significance; (5) major studies of the author and text. This will offer further practical experience of reading primary sources from the Classical world in the original for the purpose of original research in dialogue with relevant scholarship.
This module provides a survey of the history and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East between the reign of Alexander the Great and the death of Cleopatra VII after the Roman victory at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC. Students will have the opportunity to explore the political histories, power structures, cultural developments, economic processes and shifting ideologies associated with the major Hellenistic kingdoms and ending with the Roman conquest of the eastern Mediterranean region. Teaching also considers how the Hellenistic period was a time of innovation, cultural connectivity, even globalisation, laying the foundations of a Hellenized world of city-states which endured into and defined the Roman construction of a world empire in its aftermath.
This module explores a key resource for understanding the thoughts, feelings and conversations of ancient people. Graffiti in Greek and Latin (and other languages) were marked onto fixed and portable surfaces throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, and their informal and non-official nature offers a unique window into the lives and worldviews of people often invisible or marginal in standard documentary, literary and material sources
This module will give students an opportunity to engage in close philosophical study of texts by the most influential ancient philosophers. Texts will be studied in English translation. They will include works by Plato and Aristotle, as well as by less familiar philosophers of the ancient world (c. 500 BC-500 AD Greece and Rome). The focus of the module will be philosophical, not interpretive or historical: students will be expected assess the credibility of the positions and arguments advanced by Plato, Aristotle and others and to develop their own views in dialogue with these thinkers.
The victories of Arab armies over the forces of the Byzantine and Persian Empires in the seventh century were of monumental importance. Not only did they signal the decline of the two great superpowers of the late ancient world but they were accompanied, some scholars would argue caused, by the rise of a new monotheistic world religion: Islam. The first half of the module seeks to understand the conquests of the Arab armies and the emergence of Islam historically and culturally, in two specific contexts: (1) political conflict between the Persian and Byzantine Empires, during which Arabia often acted as a military frontier and different Arab groups as allies to one side or another; (2) contact and competition between Christianity, Judaism and other religious traditions in Arabia. The second half of the module explores how, after the initial victories over the Byzantine and Persian Empires, the new Islamic polity renewed itself, rolled forward further conquests, and focuses in particular on how an ‘Islamic’ culture was formed.
This module examines how and why the culture of Britain changed in the period of increasing contact with, and eventual incorporation into, the Roman Empire. Examining the key material, behavioural, ideological and structural changes to society in the period c. 100 BC to AD 450, it will question to what degree each aspect was a wholesale incorporation of ‘foreign’ ideas, technologies and goods, a local interpretation and adoption of these importations into an existing social system, or a local creation that was distinctly Romano-British, if often termed ‘Roman’.
This module examines both the birth and development of the concept of chivalry in the Middle Ages. Students can use a wide range of primary sources, as well as medieval and contemporary historiography, to explore how the role, image and function of medieval knights evolved over time.
The module will give students experience of volunteering (e.g. teaching students Latin or Greek, volunteering for an archaeological project, etc.) and/or of relevant training (e.g. curatorial, archaeological), and/or of work (e.g. an internship in a museum). It is expected that students will define, plan and undertake a specific project, which must be approved by the Module Coordinator.
Clio, the muse of History, had many and diverse children. This module examines both the birth and development of historiography in Ancient Greek Literature. Students will use a wide range of primary sources together with secondary sources and engage with diverse types of writing, ranging from military historians to ethnographers, biographers, geographers, and female historians.
This module will enable students to engage in the research and development of displays through the process of curating an exhibition for the museum or heritage sector. Students will select objects and structure this selection through an appropriate narrative. They will propose modes and examples of interpretation such as gallery text, audio or visual aids. The emphasis will be on developing knowledge and understanding of the role and responsibilities of the curator, and the project will enable students to evidence a focused and critically rigorous curatorial rationale.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse up to intermediate difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This helps develop a foundation for sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
By the late twelfth century, England’s rulers – the Angevin kings - were among the wealthiest and most powerful in Western Europe. At the time of his accession, King Richard the Lionheart ruled over a vast collection of territories (later known as the Angevin Empire), which stretched from the borders with Scotland in the North to the Pyrenees in the South. Yet, at the time of his brother King John’s death in 1216, most Angevin possessions on the continent had been lost and baronial rebels had overrun more than half of England. Using medieval records and chronicles in English translation, this module explores the dramatic reigns of King Richard and King John, and their reputations as rulers, asking whether the former really was a legend in his own lifetime, and whether the latter deserves to be remembered as one of our most disastrous medieval monarchs. Together we will consider King Richard’s participation in the Third Crusade, the impact of his absence on his English subjects, and his struggle to retain Angevin territories on the Continent. We will also analyse the loss of Normandy under King John, John’s violent quarrel with Pope Innocent III over the appointment of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, the growth of opposition to John in England, the birth of Magna Carta, and the outcome of the civil war that was still raging on John’s death (including the Battle of Lincoln of 1217).
Historian, journalist, political commentator and gossip columnist Matthew Paris, monk of St Albans, wrote what is still one of our main sources for British history of the thirteenth century. This module looks at Matthew Paris’s Great Chronicle, considering both Matthew himself and what he tells us about thirteenth-century English society. Students have the opportunity to think about what history was in the thirteenth-century and about attitudes to foreigners and national identity; power and poverty; propaganda and fiction; and time, space and the apocalypse.
One of the ways in which early modern monarchs and rulers legitimised their authority and projected their power was through architecture and urban design. In this period capital cities across Europe, America and Asia were embellished with architecture and urban design inspired by Renaissance ideals of social order. This module examines the ways rulers imagined and built a number of imperial capital cities across Europe, America and Asia.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of and comfort with the principles of the Greek language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set texts in Attic dialect by Xenophon, Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle. Commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as historical context and significance.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of and comfort with the principles of the Greek language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts in Attic dialect by Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes, and in Ionic dialect by Homer. Commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as historical context and significance. Students can also acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Greek poetry.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Caesar, Cicero and Livy, while commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. This is designed to provide experience in sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world as a foundation for original research.
Students can consolidate their knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, while commentary will focus on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. Students can acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Latin poetry.
This module explores the world of Latin epistolary culture from the late Republic to the early Patristic period of the fourth Century AD. The preservation of documentary letters on materials such as stone and papyrus offer a complementary perspective on the lives, experiences and concerns of ordinary men and women across the Mediterranean. Students can consider a wide range of letter types, including about trade and agriculture, introductions and recommendations (literary and otherwise), and epistolary poetry.
Making Militants explores the role of violent teaching practices of various sorts in the making of men and women in Late Antiquity. Focusing on the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries, it addresses a pivotal period in the transition from the ancient to the medieval world, surveying the multiple small-scale arenas that made up the Late Antiquity – the household, the schoolroom, the barracks and the monastery. By close reading of letters, biographical accounts, rulebooks, speeches and a wide range of other sources, we consider how violent educative practices made people who were capable of operating in a changing, unpredictable and often dangerous world. The men and women who were made in such spaces were the products of a society that was fundamentally violent, their own violence a product of long-established socialisation practices rather than acts of anti-social deviance.
This module will explore the significance of time (the past, present, and future), belief, and power in landscapes of early historical Britain (c. 200 BC to c. AD 800). Landscape was the largest and most visible medium that people could use to communicate who they were and to negotiate their place in the world. Landscape will be discussed as material culture writ large whereby the features and meanings of the past confront and constitute the creation of landscape in any given present. The significance of, for example, Neolithic cursus monuments, Bronze Age barrows, Iron Age 'hillforts', and Romano-Celtic temples will be examined in how they endured and were (re)interpreted in later periods to create complex significances and communicate aspects of group identities. The module will challenge boundaries by encouraging students to consider the complexity of relationship between past, present, and future, as well as between different 'site types', periods, and types of material.
This module will investigate the history of imperial Britain through material culture. The objects of study will range from trophies looted in battle and a drum transported with slaves to Virginia, to African sculpture depicting Europeans. Historians increasingly recognise the fresh insights that objects offer to major themes in imperial history such as gender, race and class. This module responds to these new academic developments and will use objects and their biographies to study key phases and themes in the history of the British Empire. Tracing the long history of such objects can enable us to explore how objects change meanings as they move through various colonial and post-colonial contexts.
How can history and heritage be more inclusive of LGBTIQ+ lives and experiences? And how can queer perspectives help us to better understand the complexities of the past? This module responds to these questions by examining queer histories from the Ancient World to the present day. Taking a global view, the module investigates how concepts such as sex, sexuality, gender, the body, friendship, and family have been organised in diverse ways across different times and places. In addition to considering how particular sexual and gender identities have emerged, the module also engages with ideas of queer history as a method for historical enquiry: one that is sceptical about binary analyses and linear narratives of progress.
Although early modern England was a kingdom, governed by a monarch, many historians have claimed that there was a strong ‘republican’ undercurrent to Tudor and Stuart political thought. This module introduces students to the key approaches and methodologies of the history of ideas by focusing upon the various ways in which scholars have studied and conceptualised republicanism in early modern England and the ongoing debate surrounding the origin, content and influence of republican ideas in the period 1500-1700.
This module explores the history, archaeology, visual and material culture of Roman Lincoln (Lindum Colonia), within the context of the provinces of Roman Britain. It is designed to provide students with the opportunity to handle and analyse objects from the Lincolnshire Archives and The Collection museum, to engage with the evidence that is visible in the modern city, to engage with excavation reports as primary evidence, and to consider how a military and urban centre was connected to rural sites, towns and the forts beyond.
This module explores the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious history of two capitals of the Roman empire: Rome and Constantinople, or Old Rome and New Rome as they came to be called in the East. These were imperial cities where the most powerful figures - emperors and patriarchs, popes and saints - of Antiquity and the Middle Ages constructed and destroyed, appropriated and reorientated spaces, buildings, and structures. In this module we shall look at palaces and fortifications, hippodromes and churches, triumphal arches and mausolea, fora and harbours, discovering and discussing not only how and why they were built and maintained, but also their perception and remembrance over the centuries from 200 to 1200. Students will gain knowledge of the evolving configuration of Rome and Constantinople, and have the opportunity to prepare a cultural biography of a monument of their choice from one of these two cities of empire.
This module investigates the nature of rulership during the middle ages, exploring how images and architecture served to visually define and articulate the authority of kings and rulers during the Middle Ages. The module will discuss in depth three different case studies: Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire; the Norman rulers of Southern Italy; Louis IX and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
This module concentrates on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, with a particular emphasis on The Canterbury Tales, perhaps Chaucer’s most famous work. Students will have the opportunity to examine the General Prologue and a variety of tales in relation to their historical context and literary antecedents, and, throughout, specific attention will be given to questions of genre (ranging from fable and epic to satire and romance), literary authority, narrative construction, and medieval aesthetics.
Slavery was fundamental to the society and economy of Late Antiquity, as it was throughout much of the ancient world. This module explores the different ways in which slavery and dependency structured how the people of the late ancient world lived, as far as possible focusing on the experiences of the enslaved themselves. Drawing on laws, literary texts, religious writings and material and visual culture, students will gain a deep understanding of the complexities of slavery, will develop their vocabulary for talking about enslavement as social and cultural praxes, and will learn how to use a range of research resources for examining the social worlds of Late Antiquity. The module will be assessed through the production of a series of blog posts, so that students will also learn the valuable skills of writing for the web and creating interesting and engaging digital content.
Teaching History deepens students' understanding of the practice of teaching history in the classroom. The module encourages students, especially but not exclusively those who may be considering a career in education (or related industries), to think more deeply about pedagogic theory and teaching practice in History. Students will be given the opportunity to gain some practical experience in instructing their peers and online audiences. There will be a strong focus on reflecting on prior learning experiences and the module will begin by providing students with an overview of the history of history teaching. History teaching will be examined at primary and secondary level, and in other educational contexts.
This module surveys the history of the Roman Empire not as a succession of emperors and achievements, victories and defeats, but as a complex of experiments in government and of attitudes to governance. Beginning with the transition from representative republican rule to the domination of an imperial dynasty and its network of élite dependants in the early first century, and concluding with the incipient takeover of this system by a newly Christianised ruling class in the early fourth century, students can explore the role of the emperor in the Roman world and the patterns of communication between him and his subjects.
To the citizens of the Roman world, civility (civilitas) – right conduct of government, sound behaviour of individuals, citizenship itself – was a function of the city (civitas), which constituted the centre of the Roman state and society. This module will take students on a guided tour of the Roman city, using each stop along the way as a point of entry into one or more aspects of the politics, society, economy, and culture of Rome and its empire. Students will be challenged to reimagine urban life via a detailed engagement with a representative array of written, material, and visual sources and the main lines of the secondary literature.
Before the Roman invasion of AD 43, everyone in Britain lived in ‘the countryside’, for the simple reason that there were no cities or towns. Indeed, throughout the four centuries of Roman rule which followed, the vast majority of people still lived outside of urban and military centres. The core objective of this module is an archaeological exploration of the great diversity of evidence, analysing the significance of the changing nature of rural society and the creation of rural landscapes and identities, focusing on Britain from the late pre-Roman Iron Age, through the Roman period, to its sub-Roman aftermath (c. 100 BC–AD 500).
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the political, social and cultural history of Late Antiquity (150-750), with a particular focus on two world-changing religious developments: the rise of Christianity and Islam. Although the geographical focus of our studies will be on eastern Mediterranean lands of an empire ruled from Constantinople, known to later scholars as the Byzantine Empire, the geographical range of the module will be wide and include western Europe, including the western Mediterranean, Persia, Arabia, and ‘barbarian’ territories beyond the Roman frontiers on the Rhine and Danube.
This module aims to explore the intellectual and cultural achievements of the Renaissance, as well as its historiographic context. The period of transition from 'medieval' to 'modern' society that the Renaissance represents (or has been characterised as representing) is one of the most challenging areas of historical study, profoundly influencing historiography. Students have the opportunity to examine in depth to what extent the historical periodisation of the 'Renaissance' has been a deliberate, although sometimes contentious, means to better understand events of the past, particularly in relation to cultural analysis.
The module is designed to give students practical experience of the workplace. It is expected that students will define, plan and undertake a specific project. Students have the opportunity to gain experience and skills in a range of tasks appropriate to sector-specific professional roles.
Please note if you choose to undertake a work placement, preferably during the first term of the third year, both of your optional choices in the second term must be Classical Studies modules (excluding Medieval, Early Modern, Conservation, and Digital Heritage modules).
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
This module introduces some of the Classical literature from Greek and Roman times. Students have the opportunity to engage with a selection of texts to develop an understanding of Greek and Roman society, culture and thought. Texts also serve to illustrate how the Classical world was in some ways similar, and in others dramatically different, to our own, and highlights some of the themes which continue to make it fascinating and inspiring to modern observers.
This module surveys the political, social, economic and cultural history of the Roman world as a complex conversation amongst written, material and visual evidence, each not only supplementing the others but often contributing new and otherwise unheard voices. We will explore the experiences of living, dying, working and worshipping in the Roman world from the earliest evidence for the city of Rome to the diverse cultures of far-flung provinces. Through an examination of the dynamic and varied evidence of art, archaeology, architecture, epigraphy and ancient histories, we will discover and question what it meant to live under the rule of Rome.
This module offers an introduction to the art and archaeology of the Classical world. Students have the opportunity to examine methods, themes and evidence relating to the ancient world through materials such as objects, art/visuals, architecture and archaeological remains, and learn how these can be used to make interpretations of society in the Greek and Roman worlds.
Students have the opportunity to engage with some of the most significant examples of material culture from the ancient world, and develop an understanding of the characters and artistic styles of different cultures and periods such as Minoan, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Etruscan, Archaic/early Roman, Republican, Imperial and Late Antique.
This module offers an introduction to ancient Greek and Roman literature: it is designed to provide a taste of Classical literature and to equip students with the background information and critical skills that they need to be able to engage confidently and independently with Greek and Roman literature in translation. In lectures and seminars students will engage with a selection of texts, and through examining these cultural products of the Greeks and Romans will come to understand their significance within both their historical context and over the course of their transmission and reception. Students will also be exposed to the fundamental concerns of Greek and Roman society, culture and thought. The texts will also serve to illustrate how the classical world was in some ways similar, and in other dramatically different, to our own, and highlight some of the themes which continue to make it fascinating and inspiring to modern observers.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse with confidence. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
Please note: those students with A-Level Latin or equivalent, subject to successfully sitting a diagnostic Latin test before the first term of their first year, may choose to take ‘The Medieval World’ or ‘Empire and After: Colonialism and its Consequences’ instead of this module, however, they are required to continue their language studies in Elementary Latin II.
This module introduces students to the history of ancient Greece in the archaic and classical periods. Students will examine the emergence of Greek societies and city states (poleis), the various invasions of Greece by the Persians and their defeats at Marathon, Salamis and Plataea, competition between Athens and Sparta. The module emphasises how different primary sources can be applied to the study of the archaic and classical Greek world, as well as considering different scholarly interpretations of these periods.
The module aims to equip students with the skills necessary to communicate their learning in an academic environment and will also support students in adjusting to the demands of higher education. The core objective of the course will be to develop students’ research, critical thinking and writing skills. It is designed to enable students to use the library effectively, to think critically about sources and to understand the basic elements of argument. Students will be introduced to the critical essay structure and how to correctly reference sources using the prescribed method. Skills learned and dispositions developed on this module will prove vital for studying and writing throughout their degrees and afterwards.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide students with a survey of imperial histories, at the same time as introducing some key conceptual and analytical tools for understanding the history of colonialism in a variety of pre-modern and modern contexts, from the perspectives of both colonisers and colonised.
This module explores the relevance of materials and artistic techniques in the understanding and analysis of art and material culture. The concept of materiality has an increasing prominence in the intellectual discourse of Art History, and this module will allow students to engage with this theoretical framework by exploring the relevance of materials and techniques, the processes through which artefacts are constructed. The last part of the module will introduce students to a selection of technologies (especially digital technologies) that assist scholars in the investigation of the past, such as photography, digital mapping and virtual heritage visualisation. In this way, students will be exposed to these technologies not only as investigation tools that they might use, but also as potential career pathways.
This module offers an introduction to the sources, approaches and methods necessary for the study of the medieval world. Lectures provide a survey of key moments in medieval history from 300-1500, structured around the research specialisms of the module teaching team. The module focuses on issues of religion and power in the Middle Ages, while there is a strong methodological focus on the materiality of the medieval period.
This module provides a survey of the history and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East between the reign of Alexander the Great and the death of Cleopatra VII after the Roman victory at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC. Students will have the opportunity to explore the political histories, power structures, cultural developments, economic processes and shifting ideologies associated with the major Hellenistic kingdoms and ending with the Roman conquest of the eastern Mediterranean region. Teaching also considers how the Hellenistic period was a time of innovation, cultural connectivity, even globalisation, laying the foundations of a Hellenized world of city-states which endured into and defined the Roman construction of a world empire in its aftermath.
This module aims to provide a framework for career planning and preparing for the world of work, and forms part of the University’s skills and capabilities curriculum at level 2. It provides the opportunity for students to develop the management skills needed for independent study, which is a compulsory part of level 3 study, and to begin to form a research strategy for the Classical Studies independent study later in the course.
This module surveys the history of the Roman Empire not as a succession of emperors and achievements, victories and defeats, but as a complex of experiments in government and of attitudes to governance. Beginning with the transition from representative republican rule to the domination of an imperial dynasty and its network of élite dependants in the early first century, and concluding with the incipient takeover of this system by a newly Christianised ruling class in the early fourth century, students can explore the role of the emperor in the Roman world and the patterns of communication between him and his subjects.
Renaissance monarchs often employed artistic display to project royal authority. Ruling elites commissioned pieces of art not only for the embellishment of their residences, but also as a suitable vehicle to display authority. Kings and Queens commissioned tapestries, sculptures, royal palaces, or lavishly decorated printed books that narrated their achievements and omitted their failures. This module examines the diverse ways rulers and their entourage imagined and created an image of kingship through the visual arts.
This module examines how and why the culture of Britain changed in the period of increasing contact with, and eventual incorporation into, the Roman Empire. Examining the key material, behavioural, ideological and structural changes to society in the period c. 100 BC to AD 450, it will question to what degree each aspect was a wholesale incorporation of ‘foreign’ ideas, technologies and goods, a local interpretation and adoption of these importations into an existing social system, or a local creation that was distinctly Romano-British, if often termed ‘Roman’.
Students can gain an introduction to the historical and archaeological sources, approaches and methods necessary for the study of the ancient world. Lectures provide a survey of key moments in history, 1000 BC-AD 400, structured around the research specialisms of the module teaching team.
Beginning with the Royal Historical Society’s “Race, Ethnicity and Equality Report” (published in 2018), which raises urgent questions on the diversity of staff, students and curricula at History departments in UK universities, the module analyses live debates on “Decolonising the Curriculum” in higher education. We critique how histories of Empire, colonialism and slavery have been taught in Anglo-American settings, and introduce postcolonial analysis on archives, as well as the “Global South” and “indigenous knowledge” that have often been marginalised in Eurocentric historiographies.
Turning towards the University as a key apparatus of power in the contemporary world, the module then reveals the complex legacies of slavery in the making of a number of UK and US institutions including Liverpool, Bristol, Oxford (#RhodesMustFall), SOAS, University of Virginia and others. Introducing the new field of “Critical University Studies” (CUS), students will learn about the emergence of universities in former colonies including India and South Africa, as well as the phenomenon of “transnational education” that entails the establishment, by prestigious European and American institutions, of satellite campuses around the world. The module then unpacks public understandings of colonial history via recent scholarship on nationalism, patriotism, museums and memories, and ends with a hopeful reflection on pedagogies that will be more inclusive and intersectional in terms of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. This module will be particularly suited to students who intend to develop careers in education.
The cultural heritage sector increasingly offers opportunities for the application of digital technologies as communication, research and recording tools. This module enables students to become familiar with some of these advanced recording techniques for the study and recording of objects.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse up to intermediate difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This helps develop a foundation for sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
Explore a wide range of cutting-edge digital approaches to studying the past through a significant and growing area of research, the digital humanities. By studying this module, you can focus on developing the practical skills, techniques, and methodologies that can play a vital role in your future studies and career.
The module provides opportunities to enhance, analyse, and interpret humanistic endeavours through approaches such as social network analysis, digital mapping, data visualisation, and textual analysis. You can also explore the impact and potential of artificial intelligence on the study of humanities in the digital worlds.
This student-led module allows students the opportunity to design a course of study equivalent to a 15-credit module. In collaboration with a lecturer in the School of History and Heritage, students can choose A. to produce an extended essay on a Classical Studies topic not specifically covered by current core or optional modules, B. gain a new skill, or C. undertake a creative project. Examples of A. might include ancient myth, epigrams, or drama; examples of B. might include digital drawing or epigraphic skills; examples of C. might include designing an exhibition.
This student-led module allows students the opportunity to design a course of study equivalent to a 15-credit module. In collaboration with a lecturer in the School of History and Heritage, students can choose A. to produce an extended essay on a Classical Studies topic not specifically covered by current core or optional modules, B. gain a new skill, or C. undertake a creative project. Examples of A. might include ancient myth, epigrams, or drama; examples of B. might include digital drawing or epigraphic skills; examples of C. might include designing an exhibition.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Caesar, Cicero and Livy, while commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. This is designed to provide experience in sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world as a foundation for original research.
Students can consolidate their knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, while commentary will focus on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. Students can acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Latin poetry.
This module introduces students to the understanding of exhibitions and curatorial practices. Following an introduction on the history of collections and museums, the course will explore the many issues related to the display of art and objects. It combines the study of theoretical approaches and the analysis of relevant case studies, and considers topics related to audiences for museums and exhibitions, the presentation and explanation of artefacts and artworks, and the new opportunities offered by digital technologies.
This module explores a broad sampling of major genres and authors, and aims to provide a basis for further study and enjoyment of Latin literature. Focusing on writers active between 90 BC and AD 14, often referred to as the Golden Age, we shall examine how the literature of this period bears witness to contemporary social, political and cultural transformations.
All texts will be read in English translation, though opportunities to read or translate from the original Latin will be available for interested students. This module is intended as a successor to the core first-year survey of Classical Literature.
How did people live and die in the middle ages? Drawing on the research expertise of the medievalists in the School, the module seeks to answer this question by addressing key themes relating to the life cycles of medieval people, from their childhood and education, via the roles that they took on in life (within families and in public; peaceful and violent), to their deaths. We will address primary sources that provide intimate insights into the everyday lives of medieval people: letters and autobiographies. Such sources will be contrasted with those that offer a more 'top-down' vision of how medieval society should function, such as rulebooks and conduct manuals. Finally, we will explore how people in the medieval period managed their material and spiritual interests through transactions recorded in documents such as charters and wills. A key aim of the module is to develop your research and writing skills by providing you with an opportunity to produce an extended piece of research. This, coupled with the intensive work with primary sources, will equip you to tackle a final year independent study in a wide range of medieval topics.
This module investigates the matter of sanctity during the middle ages, focusing in particular on two different aspects: the construction of the memory of saints, through texts, images and architecture, and the crucial role of their mortal remains. Spanning from the fourth to the fourteenth Century, this module offers not only a general approach to the phenomenon of sanctity, but also detailed analysis of different case studies, from early Christian saints and their commemoration in martyria to Romanesque shrines in France and Italy. The module then considers the phenomenon of new saints, through discussion of the celebrated site of Saint Francis’s burial, San Francesco, in Assisi. Students can explore the case of Saint Hugh of Lincoln, discussing how his memory was preserved in the text of his life and how his canonization was mirrored in the very fabric of Lincoln Cathedral.
Students studying Renaissance Literature have the opportunity to look in detail at a range of texts from the late Elizabethan period to the mid-1630s, including work by Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson and Mary Wroth. They also have the chance to explore the historical and cultural contexts in which these texts were produced, and the effects that they had on the politics and culture of the British Isles in the period. Lectures aim to examine post-Reformation England and late humanism, patronage, gender relations, early modern literary theory, education and philosophy.
This module explores cultural renaissances in Europe and beyond. Students can examine the survival, imitation and revival of classical models from ancient Greece and Rome from late antiquity to the modern period. We engage with historical debates on the issue of periodisation and ask how and why cycles of decline and renewal continue to shape our understanding of the past.
Students taking Restoration Literature, the companion module to Renaissance Literature, can study in detail a range of texts written between the era of the English Civil War and the first decade of the eighteenth Century, including work by John Milton; Andrew Marvell; Aphra Behn; and John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester. Students have the opportunity to also study the historical and cultural contexts in which these texts were produced. Lectures aim to examine the origins and effects of the civil war, the ethics of rebellion and reform, the Restoration theatre, religious controversies, gender relations, developing philosophical thought and Restoration manners.
Concern with, and ideas about, the supernatural influenced all areas of life for medieval and early modern men and women, and cut across all levels of society. In an age where religion was a state concern, many of these concerns were articulated or shaped within the context of the Church, all across Western Europe, yet throughout our period religious life was characterised by its great diversity. This module examines changing religious practices and beliefs in Europe, although with a particular focus on England, from the early Middle Ages until the seventeenth century, charting continuity and change in people’s thinking about their relationship – both individually and collectively - with the divine. The module is divided into three blocks: (1) early medieval, in which we explore the adoption of Christianity as a state religion, the slow emergence of an institutional church, missionary and conversion activities, and campaigns against heresy; (2) high to late medieval where we examine the tension between the theology of the church and the beliefs of the individual in a time of increased attempts at centralisation by the Western Church; (3) early modern, from the Reformation, via the Civil War, to early eighteenth-century rational religion and alternative versions of spirituality, and their impact on attitudes to religious and other minority groups.
Classical Studies students have the opportunity to spend a term studying at one of the University’s partner institutions in North America or Europe where they undertake a course load of equivalent standard to that of the programme at Lincoln.
Studying abroad offers unique opportunities for personal development. It offers enhanced sporting, cultural, and other activities to enhance your overall profile, alongside experience of adapting to and working effectively within a different academic culture.
Students must obtain a 2:1 or higher at Level 1 in order to be considered for participation in the exchange. Students must complete a 500-word essay explaining why they wish to participate and may be required to attend an interview. A limited number of places will be available each year, and participation is at the discretion of the module coordinator and the Programme Leader.
Teaching History deepens students' understanding of the practice of teaching history in the classroom. The module encourages students, especially but not exclusively those who may be considering a career in education (or related industries), to think more deeply about pedagogic theory and teaching practice. Students will be given the opportunity to gain some practical experience in instructing their peers and online audiences. There will be a strong focus on reflecting on prior learning experiences and the module will begin by providing students with an overview of the history of history teaching. History teaching will be examined at primary and secondary level, and in other educational contexts.
This module examines Arthurian narratives, myths, and traditions within a variety of contexts and media, and traces a variety of themes associated with Arthur and his court, including history and national identity; violence; kingship and rule; loyalty and betrayal; and love, sex, and gender roles.
Students will be expected to assess the importance of a myth that spans more than a millennium and address how medieval texts made meaning within their specific socio-cultural situations, as well as how later periods make meaning through their deployment of the medieval in new contexts.
Almost all historians share the view that the social, economic and political structures of Europe in 1000 A.D. were significantly different to those that characterised the western superpower of Late Antiquity, the Roman Empire. In this challenging module, students will be encouraged to engage with a range of source material that will allow them to come to their own conclusions. Given this wide focus, students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the fascinating story of post-Carolingian Europe in such a way that they enhance their abilities to think comparatively, a crucial weapon in the historian’s armoury.
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the political, social and cultural history of Late Antiquity (150-750), with a particular focus on two world-changing religious developments: the rise of Christianity and Islam. Although the geographical focus of our studies will be on eastern Mediterranean lands of an empire ruled from Constantinople, known to later scholars as the Byzantine Empire, the geographical range of the module will be wide and include western Europe, including the western Mediterranean, Persia, Arabia, and ‘barbarian’ territories beyond the Roman frontiers on the Rhine and Danube.
This module is designed to introduce the basic skills of working with glass, ceramic and fine metalwork. It provides an opportunity to investigate the potential and limitations of working with various materials, processes and techniques, associated with the practice of object manufacture against a relevant historical background.
Between the 11th and the 12th centuries Europe went through some radical changes. This module will focus on case studies, such as Lincoln, London and Paris, among others. Students will have the opportunity to study how and why such centres grew from small towns to some of the greatest and most vibrant metropolis of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. For a comparative study, a range of primary sources will be taken into account, including contemporary descriptions of these cities and their inhabitants, historical records, art and architecture.
This module introduces students to the lives and experiences of women in the ancient world. By engaging with a wide range of material, visual and written evidence, students can investigate both the real historical circumstances of women’s lives and the ways in which they were constructed, represented and perceived.
The focus of this module is on the Roman world, and the material considered ranges in date from the Republican period to the end of the second Century AD. Material from Greece, especially where it affects Roman art, literature and ideas, will also be considered.
Every student on the BA (Hons) Classical Studies degree programme at the University of Lincoln must produce adissertation. This is an extended project which gives them the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired the skills to undertake detailed and substantial subject-specific research and writing founded on critical inquiry and analysis. Students will have gained practice in designing and carrying out a research project of their own in the core CLS2003M module in Semester B of second year. They will begin third year by developing their interests and ideas into a workable basis for a dissertation. Over the course of the year, several lectures will be given which will guide students through important milestones in the process of preparing their independent study, supported by regular meetings with their individual supervisors. This first semester separates out the preparatory research to evaluate progress and ensure success in the second semester.
This module gives students the opportunity to analyse one text or author; object, assemblage or collection; structure or site, according to their own research interests (the evidence chosen will be agreed at the start of the term). Paired with a tutor, each student can examine the evidence closely, find and read related research publications, and discuss each week. This builds on the skills developed at Level 2 and provides students with the opportunity to direct their own learning, engage closely with primary sources, develop skills in analysis and critical thinking, and broaden their knowledge of the evidence and methods of studying the ancient world.
This compulsory extended piece of work gives students the opportunity to demonstrate they have acquired the skills to undertake detailed and substantial subject-specific research and writing, founded on critical inquiry and analysis.
This module aims to refine and extend students' mastery of the Latin language through focused reading of unadapted extracts from a single prose author. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set passages, while commentary will encompass points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary; peculiarities of authorial style in the context of other major writers; historical situation and significance; and major studies of the author and text.
This module aims to refine and extend students' mastery of the Latin language through focussed reading of unadapted extracts from a single verse author chosen according to available staff expertise and interest (e.g. Martial). Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set passages, while commentary will encompass: (1) points of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary; (2) questions of metre and scansion; (3) peculiarities of authorial style, in the context of other major writers and the rules of versification; (4) historical situation and significance; (5) major studies of the author and text. This will offer further practical experience of reading primary sources from the Classical world in the original for the purpose of original research in dialogue with relevant scholarship.
This module provides a survey of the history and archaeology of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East between the reign of Alexander the Great and the death of Cleopatra VII after the Roman victory at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC. Students will have the opportunity to explore the political histories, power structures, cultural developments, economic processes and shifting ideologies associated with the major Hellenistic kingdoms and ending with the Roman conquest of the eastern Mediterranean region. Teaching also considers how the Hellenistic period was a time of innovation, cultural connectivity, even globalisation, laying the foundations of a Hellenized world of city-states which endured into and defined the Roman construction of a world empire in its aftermath.
This module explores a key resource for understanding the thoughts, feelings and conversations of ancient people. Graffiti in Greek and Latin (and other languages) were marked onto fixed and portable surfaces throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, and their informal and non-official nature offers a unique window into the lives and worldviews of people often invisible or marginal in standard documentary, literary and material sources
This module will give students an opportunity to engage in close philosophical study of texts by the most influential ancient philosophers. Texts will be studied in English translation. They will include works by Plato and Aristotle, as well as by less familiar philosophers of the ancient world (c. 500 BC-500 AD Greece and Rome). The focus of the module will be philosophical, not interpretive or historical: students will be expected assess the credibility of the positions and arguments advanced by Plato, Aristotle and others and to develop their own views in dialogue with these thinkers.
The victories of Arab armies over the forces of the Byzantine and Persian Empires in the seventh century were of monumental importance. Not only did they signal the decline of the two great superpowers of the late ancient world but they were accompanied, some scholars would argue caused, by the rise of a new monotheistic world religion: Islam. The first half of the module seeks to understand the conquests of the Arab armies and the emergence of Islam historically and culturally, in two specific contexts: (1) political conflict between the Persian and Byzantine Empires, during which Arabia often acted as a military frontier and different Arab groups as allies to one side or another; (2) contact and competition between Christianity, Judaism and other religious traditions in Arabia. The second half of the module explores how, after the initial victories over the Byzantine and Persian Empires, the new Islamic polity renewed itself, rolled forward further conquests, and focuses in particular on how an ‘Islamic’ culture was formed.
This module examines how and why the culture of Britain changed in the period of increasing contact with, and eventual incorporation into, the Roman Empire. Examining the key material, behavioural, ideological and structural changes to society in the period c. 100 BC to AD 450, it will question to what degree each aspect was a wholesale incorporation of ‘foreign’ ideas, technologies and goods, a local interpretation and adoption of these importations into an existing social system, or a local creation that was distinctly Romano-British, if often termed ‘Roman’.
This module examines both the birth and development of the concept of chivalry in the Middle Ages. Students can use a wide range of primary sources, as well as medieval and contemporary historiography, to explore how the role, image and function of medieval knights evolved over time.
The module will give students experience of volunteering (e.g. teaching students Latin or Greek, volunteering for an archaeological project, etc.) and/or of relevant training (e.g. curatorial, archaeological), and/or of work (e.g. an internship in a museum). It is expected that students will define, plan and undertake a specific project, which must be approved by the Module Coordinator.
Clio, the muse of History, had many and diverse children. This module examines both the birth and development of historiography in Ancient Greek Literature. Students will use a wide range of primary sources together with secondary sources and engage with diverse types of writing, ranging from military historians to ethnographers, biographers, geographers, and female historians.
This module will enable students to engage in the research and development of displays through the process of curating an exhibition for the museum or heritage sector. Students will select objects and structure this selection through an appropriate narrative. They will propose modes and examples of interpretation such as gallery text, audio or visual aids. The emphasis will be on developing knowledge and understanding of the role and responsibilities of the curator, and the project will enable students to evidence a focused and critically rigorous curatorial rationale.
This module aims to provide an introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can gain the ability to translate and interpret sentences and short passages in prose and verse up to intermediate difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Greek for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This helps develop a foundation for sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
This module aims to provide a continued introduction to the basics of Latin for students with little to no prior experience of the language. Students can refine their ability to translate and interpret sentences and short to medium-length passages in prose and verse up to advanced difficulty. This can aid sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world in translation, as well as in the original at higher levels of study.
By the late twelfth century, England’s rulers – the Angevin kings - were among the wealthiest and most powerful in Western Europe. At the time of his accession, King Richard the Lionheart ruled over a vast collection of territories (later known as the Angevin Empire), which stretched from the borders with Scotland in the North to the Pyrenees in the South. Yet, at the time of his brother King John’s death in 1216, most Angevin possessions on the continent had been lost and baronial rebels had overrun more than half of England. Using medieval records and chronicles in English translation, this module explores the dramatic reigns of King Richard and King John, and their reputations as rulers, asking whether the former really was a legend in his own lifetime, and whether the latter deserves to be remembered as one of our most disastrous medieval monarchs. Together we will consider King Richard’s participation in the Third Crusade, the impact of his absence on his English subjects, and his struggle to retain Angevin territories on the Continent. We will also analyse the loss of Normandy under King John, John’s violent quarrel with Pope Innocent III over the appointment of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, the growth of opposition to John in England, the birth of Magna Carta, and the outcome of the civil war that was still raging on John’s death (including the Battle of Lincoln of 1217).
Historian, journalist, political commentator and gossip columnist Matthew Paris, monk of St Albans, wrote what is still one of our main sources for British history of the thirteenth century. This module looks at Matthew Paris’s Great Chronicle, considering both Matthew himself and what he tells us about thirteenth-century English society. Students have the opportunity to think about what history was in the thirteenth-century and about attitudes to foreigners and national identity; power and poverty; propaganda and fiction; and time, space and the apocalypse.
One of the ways in which early modern monarchs and rulers legitimised their authority and projected their power was through architecture and urban design. In this period capital cities across Europe, America and Asia were embellished with architecture and urban design inspired by Renaissance ideals of social order. This module examines the ways rulers imagined and built a number of imperial capital cities across Europe, America and Asia.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of and comfort with the principles of the Greek language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of set texts in Attic dialect by Xenophon, Thucydides, Plato and Aristotle. Commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as historical context and significance.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of and comfort with the principles of the Greek language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes will be structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts in Attic dialect by Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes, and in Ionic dialect by Homer. Commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as historical context and significance. Students can also acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Greek poetry.
This module aims to consolidate students' knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of prose authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Caesar, Cicero and Livy, while commentary focuses on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. This is designed to provide experience in sensitive reading of primary sources from the Classical world as a foundation for original research.
Students can consolidate their knowledge of the principles of the Latin language through sustained reading of substantial extracts from a variety of verse authors. Classes are structured around guided translation and interpretation of select set texts by Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, while commentary will focus on points of grammar, syntax and vocabulary, as well as of historical context and significance. Students can acquire a familiarity with metre and scansion in Latin poetry.
This module explores the world of Latin epistolary culture from the late Republic to the early Patristic period of the fourth Century AD. The preservation of documentary letters on materials such as stone and papyrus offer a complementary perspective on the lives, experiences and concerns of ordinary men and women across the Mediterranean. Students can consider a wide range of letter types, including about trade and agriculture, introductions and recommendations (literary and otherwise), and epistolary poetry.
Making Militants explores the role of violent teaching practices of various sorts in the making of men and women in Late Antiquity. Focusing on the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries, it addresses a pivotal period in the transition from the ancient to the medieval world, surveying the multiple small-scale arenas that made up the Late Antiquity – the household, the schoolroom, the barracks and the monastery. By close reading of letters, biographical accounts, rulebooks, speeches and a wide range of other sources, we consider how violent educative practices made people who were capable of operating in a changing, unpredictable and often dangerous world. The men and women who were made in such spaces were the products of a society that was fundamentally violent, their own violence a product of long-established socialisation practices rather than acts of anti-social deviance.
This module will explore the significance of time (the past, present, and future), belief, and power in landscapes of early historical Britain (c. 200 BC to c. AD 800). Landscape was the largest and most visible medium that people could use to communicate who they were and to negotiate their place in the world. Landscape will be discussed as material culture writ large whereby the features and meanings of the past confront and constitute the creation of landscape in any given present. The significance of, for example, Neolithic cursus monuments, Bronze Age barrows, Iron Age 'hillforts', and Romano-Celtic temples will be examined in how they endured and were (re)interpreted in later periods to create complex significances and communicate aspects of group identities. The module will challenge boundaries by encouraging students to consider the complexity of relationship between past, present, and future, as well as between different 'site types', periods, and types of material.
This module will investigate the history of imperial Britain through material culture. The objects of study will range from trophies looted in battle and a drum transported with slaves to Virginia, to African sculpture depicting Europeans. Historians increasingly recognise the fresh insights that objects offer to major themes in imperial history such as gender, race and class. This module responds to these new academic developments and will use objects and their biographies to study key phases and themes in the history of the British Empire. Tracing the long history of such objects can enable us to explore how objects change meanings as they move through various colonial and post-colonial contexts.
How can history and heritage be more inclusive of LGBTIQ+ lives and experiences? And how can queer perspectives help us to better understand the complexities of the past? This module responds to these questions by examining queer histories from the Ancient World to the present day. Taking a global view, the module investigates how concepts such as sex, sexuality, gender, the body, friendship, and family have been organised in diverse ways across different times and places. In addition to considering how particular sexual and gender identities have emerged, the module also engages with ideas of queer history as a method for historical enquiry: one that is sceptical about binary analyses and linear narratives of progress.
Although early modern England was a kingdom, governed by a monarch, many historians have claimed that there was a strong ‘republican’ undercurrent to Tudor and Stuart political thought. This module introduces students to the key approaches and methodologies of the history of ideas by focusing upon the various ways in which scholars have studied and conceptualised republicanism in early modern England and the ongoing debate surrounding the origin, content and influence of republican ideas in the period 1500-1700.
This module explores the history, archaeology, visual and material culture of Roman Lincoln (Lindum Colonia), within the context of the provinces of Roman Britain. It is designed to provide students with the opportunity to handle and analyse objects from the Lincolnshire Archives and The Collection museum, to engage with the evidence that is visible in the modern city, to engage with excavation reports as primary evidence, and to consider how a military and urban centre was connected to rural sites, towns and the forts beyond.
This module explores the political, social, economic, cultural, and religious history of two capitals of the Roman empire: Rome and Constantinople, or Old Rome and New Rome as they came to be called in the East. These were imperial cities where the most powerful figures - emperors and patriarchs, popes and saints - of Antiquity and the Middle Ages constructed and destroyed, appropriated and reorientated spaces, buildings, and structures. In this module we shall look at palaces and fortifications, hippodromes and churches, triumphal arches and mausolea, fora and harbours, discovering and discussing not only how and why they were built and maintained, but also their perception and remembrance over the centuries from 200 to 1200. Students will gain knowledge of the evolving configuration of Rome and Constantinople, and have the opportunity to prepare a cultural biography of a monument of their choice from one of these two cities of empire.
This module investigates the nature of rulership during the middle ages, exploring how images and architecture served to visually define and articulate the authority of kings and rulers during the Middle Ages. The module will discuss in depth three different case studies: Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire; the Norman rulers of Southern Italy; Louis IX and the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.
This module concentrates on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, with a particular emphasis on The Canterbury Tales, perhaps Chaucer’s most famous work. Students will have the opportunity to examine the General Prologue and a variety of tales in relation to their historical context and literary antecedents, and, throughout, specific attention will be given to questions of genre (ranging from fable and epic to satire and romance), literary authority, narrative construction, and medieval aesthetics.
Slavery was fundamental to the society and economy of Late Antiquity, as it was throughout much of the ancient world. This module explores the different ways in which slavery and dependency structured how the people of the late ancient world lived, as far as possible focusing on the experiences of the enslaved themselves. Drawing on laws, literary texts, religious writings and material and visual culture, students will gain a deep understanding of the complexities of slavery, will develop their vocabulary for talking about enslavement as social and cultural praxes, and will learn how to use a range of research resources for examining the social worlds of Late Antiquity. The module will be assessed through the production of a series of blog posts, so that students will also learn the valuable skills of writing for the web and creating interesting and engaging digital content.
Teaching History deepens students' understanding of the practice of teaching history in the classroom. The module encourages students, especially but not exclusively those who may be considering a career in education (or related industries), to think more deeply about pedagogic theory and teaching practice in History. Students will be given the opportunity to gain some practical experience in instructing their peers and online audiences. There will be a strong focus on reflecting on prior learning experiences and the module will begin by providing students with an overview of the history of history teaching. History teaching will be examined at primary and secondary level, and in other educational contexts.
This module surveys the history of the Roman Empire not as a succession of emperors and achievements, victories and defeats, but as a complex of experiments in government and of attitudes to governance. Beginning with the transition from representative republican rule to the domination of an imperial dynasty and its network of élite dependants in the early first century, and concluding with the incipient takeover of this system by a newly Christianised ruling class in the early fourth century, students can explore the role of the emperor in the Roman world and the patterns of communication between him and his subjects.
To the citizens of the Roman world, civility (civilitas) – right conduct of government, sound behaviour of individuals, citizenship itself – was a function of the city (civitas), which constituted the centre of the Roman state and society. This module will take students on a guided tour of the Roman city, using each stop along the way as a point of entry into one or more aspects of the politics, society, economy, and culture of Rome and its empire. Students will be challenged to reimagine urban life via a detailed engagement with a representative array of written, material, and visual sources and the main lines of the secondary literature.
Before the Roman invasion of AD 43, everyone in Britain lived in ‘the countryside’, for the simple reason that there were no cities or towns. Indeed, throughout the four centuries of Roman rule which followed, the vast majority of people still lived outside of urban and military centres. The core objective of this module is an archaeological exploration of the great diversity of evidence, analysing the significance of the changing nature of rural society and the creation of rural landscapes and identities, focusing on Britain from the late pre-Roman Iron Age, through the Roman period, to its sub-Roman aftermath (c. 100 BC–AD 500).
This module aims to develop students' understanding of the political, social and cultural history of Late Antiquity (150-750), with a particular focus on two world-changing religious developments: the rise of Christianity and Islam. Although the geographical focus of our studies will be on eastern Mediterranean lands of an empire ruled from Constantinople, known to later scholars as the Byzantine Empire, the geographical range of the module will be wide and include western Europe, including the western Mediterranean, Persia, Arabia, and ‘barbarian’ territories beyond the Roman frontiers on the Rhine and Danube.
This module aims to explore the intellectual and cultural achievements of the Renaissance, as well as its historiographic context. The period of transition from 'medieval' to 'modern' society that the Renaissance represents (or has been characterised as representing) is one of the most challenging areas of historical study, profoundly influencing historiography. Students have the opportunity to examine in depth to what extent the historical periodisation of the 'Renaissance' has been a deliberate, although sometimes contentious, means to better understand events of the past, particularly in relation to cultural analysis.
The module is designed to give students practical experience of the workplace. It is expected that students will define, plan and undertake a specific project. Students have the opportunity to gain experience and skills in a range of tasks appropriate to sector-specific professional roles.
Please note if you choose to undertake a work placement, preferably during the first term of the third year, both of your optional choices in the second term must be Classical Studies modules (excluding Medieval, Early Modern, Conservation, and Digital Heritage modules).
† Some courses may offer optional modules. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by staff availability.
We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. In addition to the information provided on this course page, our What You Need to Know page offers explanations on key topics including programme validation/revalidation, additional costs, and contact hours.
We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on where and what you want to study. In addition to the information provided on this course page, our What You Need to Know page offers explanations on key topics including programme validation/revalidation, additional costs, and contact hours.
The way students are assessed on this course may vary for each module. Assessments include written assignments (source analyses, commentaries, reports, research essays); in-class presentations; in-class; seminar participation.
The way students are assessed on this course may vary for each module. Assessments include written assignments (source analyses, commentaries, reports, research essays); in-class presentations; in-class; seminar participation.
Brandon shares his positive experience studying BA (Hons) Classical Studies at the University of Lincoln. He shares their favourite parts of the course and how the University has prepared them for their careers.
Students on this course may have the opportunity to pursue a work placement in the summer between the second and third years of the course, with a dedicated module for write-up in the first term of third year.
The placement enables you to gain practical experience of the workplace and students will normally define, plan, and undertake a specific project while on placement. Tutors may provide support and advice to students who require it during this process. In addition, you can experience of a range of tasks appropriate to sector-specific professional skills
When you are on an optional placement in the UK or overseas, or studying abroad, you will be required to cover your own transport, accommodation, and general living costs. Placements can range from a few weeks to a full year. If your placement means you spend less than ten weeks on the University of Lincoln campus, then a Placement Year Fee is payable to the University of Lincoln during this year for students joining in 2025/26 and beyond. No extra tuition fee is payable to the host university, but students are expected to cover their own travel, accommodation, and living costs.
Classical Studies students have the opportunity to spend a term studying abroad at one of the University’s partner institutions in North America or Europe. Studying abroad is an opportunity to develop both academically and personally. In addition to academic study, study abroad can offer enhanced sporting and cultural activities, alongside the basic experience of adapting to, and working effectively within, a different academic culture. While studying abroad, you will be required to cover your own transport, accommodation, and general living costs.
Undertaking a Classical Studies degree can develop skills in textual and visual analysis, translating and interpreting, thinking critically, and presenting complex information with clarity and authority. Graduates may find employment in museums and galleries, publishing and administration, teaching and research, and in other areas such as advertising, consultancy, and public relations. Students who wish to pursue academic careers can progress with studies at Master’s or PhD level. Some students may choose law conversion, a teaching qualification, or other professional training.
Tour the magnificent city of Lincoln with two of our students as they talk you through some of the historic highlights Lincoln has to offer.
104 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent qualifications.
BTEC Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit.
T Level: Merit
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 45 Level 3 credits with a minimum of 104 UCAS Tariff points.
International Baccalaureate: 28 points overall.
GCSE's: Minimum of three at grade 4 or above, which must include English. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may be considered.
The University accepts a wide range of qualifications as the basis for entry and do accept a combination of qualifications which may include A Levels, BTECs, EPQ etc.
We may also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.
Non UK Qualifications:
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.
EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.
If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk
96 to 112 UCAS Tariff points.
This must achieved from a minimum of 2 A Levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications. For example:
A Levels: CCC to BBC
BTEC Extended Diploma: Distinction, Merit, Merit.
T Level: Merit Overall
Access to Higher Education Diploma: 96 to 112 UCAS points to be achieved from 45 Level 3 credits.
International Baccalaureate: 28 points overall.
GCSE's: Minimum of three at grade 4 or above, which must include English. Equivalent Level 2 qualifications may be considered.
The University accepts a wide range of qualifications as the basis for entry and do accept a combination of qualifications which may include A Levels, BTECs, EPQ etc.
We may also consider applicants with extensive and relevant work experience and will give special individual consideration to those who do not meet the standard entry qualifications.
Non UK Qualifications:
If you have studied outside of the UK, and are unsure whether your qualification meets the above requirements, please visit our country pages https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studywithus/internationalstudents/entryrequirementsandyourcountry/ for information on equivalent qualifications.
EU and Overseas students will be required to demonstrate English language proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. For information regarding other English language qualifications we accept, please visit the English Requirements page https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/studywithus/internationalstudents/englishlanguagerequirementsandsupport/englishlanguagerequirements/
If you do not meet the above IELTS requirements, you may be able to take part in one of our Pre-sessional English and Academic Study Skills courses.
If you would like further information about entry requirements, or would like to discuss whether the qualifications you are currently studying are acceptable, please contact the Admissions team on 01522 886097, or email admissions@lincoln.ac.uk
Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.
For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. To help support students from outside of the UK, we are also delighted to offer a number of international scholarships which range from £1,000 up to the value of 50 per cent of tuition fees. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.
Going to university is a life-changing step and it's important to understand the costs involved and the funding options available before you start. A full breakdown of the fees associated with this programme can be found on our course fees pages.
For eligible undergraduate students going to university for the first time, scholarships and bursaries are available to help cover costs. To help support students from outside of the UK, we are also delighted to offer a number of international scholarships which range from £1,000 up to the value of 50 per cent of tuition fees. For full details and information about eligibility, visit our scholarships and bursaries pages.
The best way to find out what it is really like to live and learn at Lincoln is to visit us in person. We offer a range of opportunities across the year to help you to get a real feel for what it might be like to study here.
