Master in Old History

The master's program Ancient History at the University of Basel treats Greek and Roman cultures from their beginnings to the end of antiquity. It is based on questions and perspectives developed by the study of history, and is also closely linked with methods of linguistic and literary theory as well as the image-theoretical and everyday cultural approaches of other fields of antiquity science. The interest here is in all phenomena of the individual and social life, over which people shape, experience and interpret their world. These include topics such as family, home and household, economics, religion, demography, science and politics, and exchange, demarcation and integration within ancient cultures. Through the historical analysis of the past under constant consideration of the present, it is possible to visualize both continuities and discontinuities. For this reason special attention is paid to the developments and constructions of the paintings of antiquity, which until today are being redesigned and used time and again to orient and legitimize the present.