Overview

Understanding how the ancient Mediterranean shaped ideas about politics, myth and the environment offers a genuinely useful lens on the challenges societies still face today. The BA (Hons) Ancient History at the University of Bristol explores these enduring questions through the dynamic cultures of Greece and Rome, drawing on a wide range of source material from literature and art to archaeological evidence. Teaching takes place in the university's Humanities Hub, and studies are enriched by field trips to nearby Roman sites and further afield to places such as Rome or Pompeii. The course suits students keen to build strong skills in evidence-based analysis and argument, whether they are new to the subject or continuing from previous study.

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What You'll Learn

• The politics, culture and society of the ancient Mediterranean world

• Analysis of a wide range of source materials, including written texts, art and archaeological evidence

• The creation and spread of myth, and its influence on later culture

• How humans in antiquity related to and shaped their environment

• Core historical and critical thinking skills, developed through mandatory and optional first-year units

• Specialist areas of Graeco-Roman history, from Bronze Age Greece to the later Roman Empire

• The option to study Latin or Greek, though not a requirement of the course

• Opportunities for independent research and creative, self-directed project work

   

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyse a range of ancient source materials, including texts, art and archaeological evidence, to draw well-supported historical conclusions. They will be equipped to construct clear, evidence-based arguments about the politics, culture and society of the ancient Mediterranean world, and to relate these debates to contemporary questions around environment, myth and governance. Through independent research and varied assessment formats, students will strengthen their ability to work creatively, pursue their own lines of inquiry and collaborate effectively on team projects. Graduates will leave with strong analytical, research and communication skills, well suited to further study or a wide range of careers valuing rigorous historical thinking.