The Economic and Political History Podcast The Collapse of Antiquity | Walter Scheidel with Javier Mejia
Nov 28, 2025
Walter Scheidel, a renowned historian from Stanford, discusses his book, 'What Is Ancient History?' He argues that ancient history is crucial for understanding our modern world, challenging the narrow focus on Greece and Rome. Scheidel emphasizes the need for a global perspective that recognizes antiquity's role in shaping agriculture, states, and religions. He also offers practical advice for reforming classics departments and preparing graduate students for the competitive academic landscape, paving the way for a more inclusive historical narrative.
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From Vienna To The Stanford School
- Walter Scheidel describes moving from Vienna to Cambridge and then to the U.S., shaping his comparative, social-economic approach to antiquity.
- He credits Cambridge contacts and later Stanford colleagues for enabling a quantitative, comparative Stanford 'school' in ancient history.
How The Stanford Approach Coalesced
- Scheidel recounts how Ian Morris and other colleagues shaped a shared quantitative, comparative approach at Stanford.
- He links their Cambridge background to common premises about development and human flourishing.
Ancient History Is Narrow By Convention
- Popular and many academic views narrow 'ancient history' to Greece and Rome, excluding most of the world.
- That narrowness is institutional and dates to 19th-century disciplinary choices and inertia.
