The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies - The Roman Society - was founded in 1910 as the sister society to the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies.
The Roman Society is the leading organisation in the United Kingdom for those interested in the study of Rome and the Roman Empire.
Its scope is wide, covering Roman history, archaeology, literature and art down to about A.D. 700.
It has a broadly based membership, drawn from over forty countries and from all ages and walks of life.
The Society Supports:
Publications
an extensive programme of publication:
- two annual publications, the Journal of Roman Studies, which contains articles and book reviews dealing with the Roman world in general, and Britannia, which has articles and reviews specifically on Roman Britain
- two monograph series: the JRS and Britannia monographs
- an e-Newsletter, Epistula, circulated twice a year, keeping members up to date with news of recent discoveries, research, exhibitions, conferences and publications
Library
- a library of over 150,000 volumes and nearly 700 current periodicals, maintained jointly with the Hellenic Society and in conjunction with the University of London's Institute of Classical Studies. It has an international reputation as one of the world's foremost Classics lending libraries. It also houses a lending collection of over 6,700 slides, about half of which have been digitised and are available via IMAGO.
Events
- a programme of public lectures, visits to sites and museums, and lectures arranged with local branches of the Classical Association
- conferences, including the international biennial Roman Archaeology Conference and annual Reconnecting Roman Britain day conference.
- podcasts from our lecture programme are available on the Society's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RomanSociety
Grants
- schools, by the award of grants to help the teaching of all aspects of the Roman world
- university students, by the award of summer placements in museums and heritage organisations
- archaeology, through grants for excavations and projects, events, and initiatives that promote aspects of Roman archaeology, skills-based training, and public engagement.
- research which promotes the study of the history, archaeology, literature and art of Italy and the Roman Empire, from the earliest times down to about A.D. 700, via the Donald Atkinson Fund (archaeology) and Hugh Last Fund & General Fund (history, literature, language, and art)
Membership is open to all; no entrance fee or professional qualification is required.
Members are entitled to:
- receive annually in print form and via online access either the Journal of Roman Studies or Britannia or both. Student members receive their journal(s) online only
- receive (by email) the biannual e-Newsletter, Epistula
- receive advance notice of forthcoming monographs at special offer prices
- use the library and borrow the Society's books, either in person or by post, while living or resident in the UK
- attend the Society's lectures and other events