The Department of Classics and Ancient History ranks among the best in Britain and enjoys an international reputation. It has been highly praised for its innovative approach to the teaching of Classics and Ancient History, and draws a diverse body of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The Department is highly rated for its original and cutting edge research, and it has been awarded a five (international excellence in some sub-areas of activity and national excellence in virtually all others) in all Research Assessment Exercises so far.

The academic staff offers many perspectives on the ancient world, drawing on the insights offered by, for instance, structuralism, Marxism, deconstruction, psychoanalysis and anthropology, and a wide range of specialisms, such as:

• myth and religion
• reception and the classical tradition
• history and historiography
• visual and material culture
• literary and critical theory
• literature
• intellectual history