Department of History and Classics at Acadia University

Department of History and Classics at Acadia University Choosing to study history at Acadia will give you the capacity to understand our modern world and th

Our Department houses the disciplines of History, Classics and Comparative Religion. Rich in diversity, the Department offers an impressive array of courses on the peoples and cultures - past and present - that make up our world. Classics studies the languages, literatures, history and society of Greco-Roman antiquity, and offers courses in the archaeology of ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean wo

rld, as well as the classical tradition of the West. History expands our global perspective through a study of the histories of the peoples and cultures of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. North America, of course, receives due attention, especially the political and social histories of Canada and the United States. History also offers specialized courses in the history of women, war, medicine, and the environment, and maintains two research centres: the New England Planter Studies Centre and the North East Asia Research Centre. Comparative Religion enlarges our view of the world across cultures and expands our understanding of religion and culture relationships through history and in contemporary times though focus on the study of traditional world religions, aboriginal traditions around the globe and emergent forms of spirituality. Courses beyond the first year level focus on thematic issues across traditions and theory and method in the study of religion. Our Honours programs, demanding but rewarding, ensure our students attain the expertise required to succeed in their choice of graduate studies and professional careers. Our bookshelves hold the theses of many proud Honours students granted scholarships to graduate schools. Senior Honours students can apply for departmental assistantships. Majors and Honours students are eligible for a number of prizes, awards and scholarships. Please drop by the History and Classics Department Office, Room 441, Beveridge Arts Centre, to discuss your program or email us at [email protected].

Exciting news about some of our classes that still have space left - all are open to ALL majors!1) Dr Gardner received a...
08/24/2026

Exciting news about some of our classes that still have space left - all are open to ALL majors!
1) Dr Gardner received a permit from the province of Nova Scotia for the Digging for Acadia project: you can join the class AND the excavations this fall for either CLAS or HIST credit (3693)
2) You still have a chance to jump on the Odyssey bandwagon and take Classical Reception with Dr. Swain (CLAS 3143)
3) Professor Coleman is back, and he is teaching TWO courses (Archaeology of Daily Life and Digital Archaeology) – no prerequisites needed for either!
4) HIST 4233 is now also available for CLAS credit and you do NOT need to be an Honours student to register – but there is limited space so if you want to learn how to produce podcasts and become a Wikipedia expert, enroll ASAP!

Get in touch via email if you have any questions whatsoever, and see you in a few short weeks! Acadia U History and Classics Society

Cairo Hamilton is one of our departmental Webster Award winners for Summer Research Funding! All summer he’s been workin...
08/20/2026

Cairo Hamilton is one of our departmental Webster Award winners for Summer Research Funding! All summer he’s been working hard on his honours thesis, which asks the question “How do legal and political institutions react to crises?” His research focuses on how the laws created during the Justinianic Plague of the sixth century CE enriched the monetary reserves of the Roman state and furthered the economic interests of the senatorial class. Working primarily with Latin sources, he is unpacking the hidden motivations behind some of the Roman world’s most influential legal reforms.

We have another Webster Award-winning student whose research we are so excited to share! Caitlin Barnard’s Honours Histo...
08/20/2026

We have another Webster Award-winning student whose research we are so excited to share! Caitlin Barnard’s Honours History thesis project focuses on critically examining the enduring influence of the biblical and ideological construction of Eve on societal attitudes, legal treaties, and frameworks concerning women’s bodily autonomy (in the case of abortion and r**e laws) from the late medieval period (12th to 13th century) to contemporary Western society. Caitlin is exploring how the narrative of Eve, shaped through the Book of Genesis and early theological assertions, informed debates and legislation on the contentious issues previously mentioned during the 12th and 13th centuries, and how these historical perceptions – and mentality – continue to resonate today.

Dr. Natalie Swain is presenting a BAC Talk today, entitled: “Video Games and Greek Mythology: Perceived Truth and Interg...
01/22/2026

Dr. Natalie Swain is presenting a BAC Talk today, entitled: “Video Games and Greek Mythology: Perceived Truth and Intergenerational Trauma in Returnal (2021).”

Video games blend art and myth by linking compelling narratives, archetypal characters, and immersive worlds to retell, reinterpret, and perhaps create new myths.

The talk will be in the quiet room of the Vaughan library Thursday Jan 22 from 11:30-12:30 and will include a field trip to the Acadia Centre for Critical Play (!). All are welcome.

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday January 21st at 11:30 for Dr. Rombough’s brown bag tall, titled “shades of grey: producing t...
01/20/2026

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday January 21st at 11:30 for Dr. Rombough’s brown bag tall, titled “shades of grey: producing textiles and race in renaissance Italy”. BAC 401. Everyone is welcome

Dr. Swain has yet another publication now available! How are comics and Latin elegy — a genre of Roman sexual poetry ove...
01/12/2026

Dr. Swain has yet another publication now available!
How are comics and Latin elegy — a genre of Roman sexual poetry over 2000 years old — related? Our own Natalie J. Swain (she/her) discusses precisely this in her new book, Narrative in Ovid’s Amores: Comics Theory, Elegy, and Segmentary Narrative. In this, her first book, she explores the way that the modern medium of comics can help us better understand the narrative construction of Latin elegy, opening new insights into this ancient genre.

The book page is here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/narrative-in-ovids-amores-9781350407244/

A special issue of the academic journal Mouseion and guest edited by our own Dr. Natalie Swain has just been released! E...
01/06/2026

A special issue of the academic journal Mouseion and guest edited by our own Dr. Natalie Swain has just been released! Entitled “Breaking New Ground with Comics and the Ancient Mediterranean World”, this special issue examines intersections of modern comics and the ancient Mediterranean world. Check it out here: https://utppublishing.com/toc/mous/21/1

Happening this Thursday!
11/24/2025

Happening this Thursday!

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10 Highland Avenue
Wolfville, NS
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