Professor Bruno Currie
Mason Monro Fellow in Classics | Professor of Greek Literature
Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is a rich and flexible course that may be variously nuanced to reflect an individual student’s interests – whether linguistic, historical, literary, archaeological, or a combination of these.
Students should bring to the course a strong appetite and a commensurate talent for language learning, and are likely besides to be interested in exploring similarities and differences and possible cross-fertilization and interactions between different ancient cultures. The Asian and Middle Eastern languages available to study on this course are: Akkadian, Arabic, Egyptian, Hebrew, Old Iranian, Sanskrit, Aramaic and Syriac, Armenian, Coptic, Pali, Persian, and Turkish.
Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is available to students of all linguistic backgrounds, both those who are taking Greek and/or Latin at school up to A level or an equivalent (‘Course I’) and those who are not taking either Greek or Latin up to A level or an equivalent (‘Course II’). It is not expected that any student will have had prior exposure to the Asian or Middle Eastern language of their choosing. The course duration is in all cases four years. The course structure for the first five terms is identical to that for students of Classics (Literae Humaniores); study of the Asian or Middle Eastern language begins only at the start of the third year (of four). The first five terms of the course involve intensive study of the Greek and/or Latin languages (only one for ‘Course II’ students), of Greek and/or Latin literary texts, ancient history or classical archaeology or comparative philology, and philosophy (ancient or modern). For the last two years, options in Classics and in the Asian or Middle Eastern language are taken in parallel, and it is possible to weight the course in favour of literary, historical, linguistic, or archaeological options, or to aim for a balance between two or more of the sub-disciplines.
Recent students of Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oriel have studied Classics and Akkadian, Classics and Arabic, and Classics and Sanskrit. The Oriel Classics tutors themselves have a keen personal interest in the Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies course. Professor Bruno Currie has studied extensively the question of the relationship between the mythological poetry of ancient Greece and Mesopotamia; his book Homer’s Allusive Art considers ‘whether there can have been historical continuity in a poetics of allusion from Gilgamesh via the Iliad and Odyssey to the Aeneid and Metamorphoses, despite the enormous disparities of time and place and of language and culture, including that represented by the cuneiform tablet, the papyrus roll, and an oral performance culture.’ The interactions between the Greek and Roman worlds and the great and ancient civilizations of the Egyptians, the Indians, the Persians and the Hebrews are of equal interest and importance.
When you first come to Oxford, there is a larger focus on improving language skills, which decreases as the degree goes on.
All candidates must take the Classics Admissions Test (CAT) and the OLAT. Written work is also required. The standard offer is AAA at A Level or equivalent. More information about admission requirements for the course can be found on the University website.
Number of places6 for Literae Humaniores (Classics), Classics, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History.
DepartmentsMason Monro Fellow in Classics | Professor of Greek Literature
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Clarendon Fellow in Ancient Greek Philosophy | Tutor in Philosophy & Classics
College Lecturer in Classics | Dean of Degrees
Graduate Teaching & Research Scholar in Classics
Grocyn Lecturer | Fellow & Tutor in Classics | Senior Dean | Steward of the Common Room