Ancient History

• An academic humanities degree that allows for a deep dive into Ancient History but also pays attention to the contemporary societal relevance of history.
• A unique emphasis on the practical application of historical knowledge and methodologies, with a particular focus on interdisciplinarity.
• You have access to the resources of a large research university but with the benefits of studying in a relatively small department: class sizes are small and we are a personable, friendly community.
• An internationally oriented and active research environment: all our staff are experts in their subjects and we organise and host regular research seminars, workshops and conferences.
• Flexibility in the programme: with a range of electives you can design your programme to meet your ambitions and interests.
• A vibrant, international research university: the ideal environment to share ideas, gain new perspectives and meet like-minded individuals.

After completing the Master's track, you will have acquired not only a more thorough understanding of the ancient world, but also several transferable skills, such as thinking in a critical and problem-oriented way or processing large amounts of information and presenting the outcomes with great clarity. This skill set is highly valued by employers in many different sectors. Our graduates have found work in journalism, editing and publishing, politics, governmental organisations, or business. Those who preferred to apply their knowledge of the ancient world more directly, have found employment in e.g. a museum or academic library.

Following this one-year MA programme also leaves open the option of becoming a secondary-school teacher. You can obtain a qualification by following the one-year postmaster LHVO at the college of education (NB this postmaster requires a minimum level of proficiency in Dutch: NT2 programme II).

Research in the Ancient History department in Groningen focuses on the connectivities of the Mediterranean world, from the Classical Greek world to the Late Roman empire. We have expertise in interdisciplinary approaches that combine written and material sources (including inscriptions) and innovative methods (network analysis, agent-based modelling).

All of our staff are active researchers involved in various projects. Onno van Nijf and Christina Williamson directed the project Connecting the Greeks on the development of festival networks in the Hellenistic world (see also their online database Connected Contests with information on the careers of the most important athletes of antiquity). On her website Deep Mapping Sanctuaries , Christina uses the new method of deep mapping to produce ‘spatial narratives‘ of what festival sites meant to different people in Hellenistic and early Imperial Asia Minor. Jeremia Pelgrom works on the history of colonisation, co-directing projects on mapping the Via Appia and landscapes of early colonisation in Italy in the mid-Republican period. In her current project Rebecca Van Hove examines the role of writing and the function of written records in ancient Greek religion. Bart Danon works on several projects related to the socio-economic history of the Roman Empire, with a focus on inequality, slavery and urbanisation. Chris Dickenson is interested in public space, statues and monuments in Hellenistic and Roman Greece with a special focus on cultural heritage.

The department is a member of OIKOS , the National Research School in Classical Studies and participates in Anchoring Innovation , the large research agenda of OIKOS. Postdoctoral researcher Gavin Blasdel studies the language of emotions and gender in the imperial Greek city and Marlena Whiting works on the Christianization and Urban life in the Hellenized cities of the Southern Levant . Many of our PhD and MA students are also involved in the CRASIS Ancient World Seminar .