ABSTRACT
In this chapter Dr Kirsty Harrod explores how their passion for socio-political history, cultivated by their Classics degree, directly informed their choice to pursue a career in campaigning. There is a reflection on their personal experience writing policy documents on Brexit for a UK charity, before a deal was finalised between the UK government and the EU. As well as this, Kirsty highlights the patterns that they have seen emerge when cross-examining ancient political structures and their modern counterparts, with specific reference to the perpetuation of patriarchal systems and the endurance of populism. In addition to examining the impact of Classics on modern politics globally, Dr Harrod highlights the inextricable link between Classics and UK politics in particular; until very recently, classicists dominated every sector of our political system. They conclude that studying socio-political modules in a Classics degree can cultivate nuanced perspectives when analysing modern politics. However, they argue, this should go hand-in-hand with a recognition of the historic elitism of Classics: politicians have been able to justify their policies or actions through claiming precedents in the ancient world, a world which only they were privileged enough to have studied.
