Are We Steamroller or Pavement? Strengthening the Case for Ancient History

My fellow panelists make powerful arguments for reconfiguring the field of ancient history on a global scale. As a scholar of ancient Roman literature and political thought, I share their intellectual convictions. As an experienced university administrator and president of one of the nation’s premier funders of historical scholarship, I believe that a globalized field will significantly strengthen our advocacy for the field – both within our institutions and in the public eye.

The time is now. Current trendlines in funding and faculty hiring mean that we face a near-term future where only students at the wealthiest and most prestigious colleges and universities will be able to study ancient history. It is our responsibility to make a strong case for the study of ancient societies in the broadest possible range of institutions. Globalizing the field not only brings substantive intellectual and epistemological benefits; it helps us make the case for studying history in clear and compelling terms.

My presentation sketches out three pragmatic arguments. First, a globalized field holds greater interest to today’s students. American institutions of higher education boast an astonishingly diverse student community interested in heritage studies as well as transregional studies that tackle big questions of environmental change, cultural evolution, migration, and the like. Second, a global field provides a stronger platform for institutional advocacy, replacing the fragmentation of the current system, where faculty are isolated in presentist-tilted departments of history and area studies. Third, a bold reconfiguration strengthens the public case for history as a field that helps us understand the globalized world today.

I close by laying out the role of professional societies in the work of reconfiguration, speaking from my seven years of experience at ACLS, the umbrella organization of over eighty such societies, including the AHA.