Why Monarchy Endures: Answers from the Ancient Mediterranean World PhD Scholarship

Applications are invited for two PhD scholarships in monarchy and government in the Ancient Mediterranean world (c. 1200 BCE – 600 CE). The scholarships are supported by the Australian National University (ANU) and form part of an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship (FT240100071) Project.

Why Monarchy Endures: Answers from the Ancient Mediterranean World is an ARC-funded Future Fellowship (FT240100071) project scheduled to run for four years from June 2025 to June 2029. The project aims to discover why monarchy endured in the ancient Mediterranean world (c. 1200 BCE-600 CE) despite the emergence of democracies and republics that gave citizens an important political voice. By comparing ancient governments across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, it aims to generate new knowledge about the creation of monarchies, the strategies monarchs used to win popular support, and why sole rule poses serious challenges to democratic constitutions. Expected outcomes include new historical explanations for the rise and popularity of authoritarian figures in modern democracies. This should provide significant benefits such as better understanding of how to cope with political change in a time of global uncertainty.

The PhD candidates will develop independent projects on specific themes related to this research program:

• Topic 1: A comparative study of ancient monarchs who introduced significant or controversial religious innovations and the factors that contributed to their success or failure.
• Topic 2: A comparative study of the presence, role, and significance of monarchical elements in other constitutional forms, such as democracy, the republic, and oligarchy.

Within this framework there is considerable flexibility in the choice of monarchies, constitutions, and cultures studied and in the methodological approach taken.

The PhDs will be supervised by Professor Caillan Davenport at the ANU together with a team of researchers as appropriate to the specific focus of the PhD project.

The successful candidate will be affiliated with the Centre for Classical Studies (CCS) which sits within the School of Literature, Languages, and Linguistics (SLLL) but maintains strong links with colleagues in other disciplinary areas, such as History, Art History, and Archaeology. The CCS is a dynamic centre for the study of the ancient world, currently home to six staff members, five PhD candidates, and the ANU Classics Museum, which houses more than 650 objects from the ancient Mediterranean world. Staff and PhD candidates are engaged in research on topics as diverse as ancient science and religion, Latin technological literature, the dynamics of cultural memory, and ancient slavery and book culture. This research is supported by two ARC Future Fellowships and a Discovery Project grant.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Professor Caillan Davenport at caillan.davenport@anu.edu.au to discuss their research proposal prior to applying.