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Faculty of Classics

 

For the last 50 years, at least, Greek and Roman historians in Cambridge have been grappling with big issues about the nature of Greek and Roman society and Greek and Roman politics.  

Cambridge’s current staff in Greek and Roman history, many of whom have had long careers here, introduce themselves on the web-pages to which you will find links below.  As a group they offer expertise that covers the whole range of ancient history from the early Iron Age in Greece to the end of the Roman empire in the west.  They work on the full range of political, economic, social and cultural history.  Above all they work in a methodologically sophisticated way, as keen to tackle the fundamental problems of how one writes the history of past societies at all as to revisit the classic problems of Athenian democracy or late Republican Rome.

The liveliness of the group manifests itself in rich records of individual publication, but also in a range of conference activity, graduate seminars, and workshops every year.  The history of research projects stretches back to the era before research projects were fashionable and in recent years has frequently involved projects that cross into other Faculties and Departments (in particular History and Archaeology).  Greek and Roman history in Cambridge is fully engaged at every level with the whole range of issues and evidence, from the most esoteric technical texts to the most banal archaeological finds.

Graduate students in Ancient History benefit from 24-hour access to the very fine Classics Faculty Library.  Their progress is carefully overseen both by their own supervisor and by a secondary supervisor, and is further subject to annual review.  Faculty funds enable fieldwork (whether independently or through the British Schools of Athens and Rome) and other travel abroad, and attendance at conferences. There are exchange arrangements with a range of European universities (particularly Bologna and Cologne).

The following ancient historians are currently active members of the faculty:


Associate Professor in Classics
Fellow in Classics, Gonville and Caius College
Professor Mary  Beard
Professor of Classics
Professor  Paul  Cartledge
A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow, Clare College
Emeritus A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture
 Daniel  Hanigan
Praeceptor in Classics at Corpus Christi College
Supervisor: Prof. Tim Whitmarsh
Title of Thesis: The Politics of Form in Imperial Greek Periplography
Professor Christopher  Kelly
Professor of Classics and Ancient History
Master of Corpus Christi College
Teaching Associate in Classics (Ancient History)
Director of Studies in Classics for Sidney Sussex (Prelim & IA)
 Jannis Frederik Koltermann
Supervisor: Prof. Christopher Whitton
College: Darwin College
Thesis: Beyond Gossip. Suetonius and the Politics of Private Life in Imperial Rome
Dr Alessandro  Launaro
Associate Professor in Classics (Classical Art & Archaeology)
Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics at Gonville & Caius College
Assistant Professor in Classics
Onassis Classics Fellow at Newnham College
Professor Martin  Millett
Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology
Fellow of Fitzwilliam College
Assistant Professor in Classics (Late Antique and Early Byzantine History)
Fellow and Director of Studies in Classics, Trinity College
Professor Stephen  Oakley
Kennedy Professor of Latin
Fellow of Emmanuel College
University Associate Professor
Fellow and Director of Studies at King's College
Director of Studies at Robinson College
Professor Robin  Osborne
Professor of Ancient History
Fellow at King's College
Senior Lecturer in Classics (Ancient History)
Fellow and Director of Studies at Magdalene College
Director of Studies at Lucy Cavendish College
Dr Jerry  Toner
Fellow and Director of Studies at Churchill College
Director of Studies at Hughes Hall
Professor of Classics
Director of the Museum of Classical Archaeology (on sabbatical, Michaelmas 2023)
Fellow in Classics at Christ's College and Director of Studies, Prelim and IA
Byvanck Chair of Classical Archaeology/Art History at the University of Leiden
Professor Andrew  Wallace-Hadrill
Director of Research
Honorary Professor of Roman Studies
Dr Hannah  Willey
Associate Professor of Classics (Ancient History)
Fellow & Director of Studies in Prelim and 1A Classics at Murray Edwards

Latest news

Greek Literature and its Critics Conference

24 November 2023

The programme for the Greek Literature and its Critics conference, to be held on 7th - 9th December 2023 in room G21, is available here .

A.G. Leventis Professorship of Greek Culture

26 September 2023

The Board of Electors to the A.G. Leventis Professorship of Greek Culture invite applications for this Professorship from persons whose work falls within the general field of the Professorship to take up appointment on 1 September 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter. Further information is available at: https://www.hr...

Professor Caroline Vout's book 'Exposed' named winner of 2023 London Hellenic Prize

12 June 2023

The Faculty is delighted to congratulate Professor Caroline Vout on her book Exposed being named winner of the 2023 London Hellenic Prize. Further details are available here: https://www.londonhellenicprize.eu/