Department of Greece and Rome
The Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections of antiquities from the Classical world, with over 100,000 objects. These mostly range in date from the beginning of the Greek Bronze Age (about 3200 BC) to the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century AD, with some pagan survivals.
The Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean cultures are represented, and the Greek collection includes important sculpture from the Parthenon in Athens, as well as elements of two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesos.
The department also houses one of the widest-ranging collections of Italic and Etruscan antiquities and extensive groups of material from Cyprus. The collections of ancient jewellery and bronzes, Greek vases and Roman glass and silver are particularly important.
Galleries
Ground Floor
- Greece: Cycladic Islands (Room 11)
- Greece: Minoans and Mycenaeans (Room 12) The Arthur I Fleishman Gallery
- Greece (1050-520 BC (Room 13)
- Greek vases (Room 14)
- Athens and Lycia (Room 15)
- Greece : Bassae Sculptures (Room 16)
- Greece: Parthenon (Room 18)
- Greece: Athens (Room 19)
- Mausoleum of Halikarnassos (Room 21)
- The world of Alexander (Room 22)
- Greek and Roman sculpture (Room 23)
Upper Floor
- Greek and Roman life (Room 69)
- Roman Empire (Room 70)
The Wolfson Gallery - Etruscan world (Room 71)
- Ancient Cyprus (Room 72)
The A G Leventis Gallery - Greeks in Italy (Room 73)
Lower Floor
Research facilities
Greece and Rome Library and Study Room
The Department of Greece and Rome offers a range of services to the academic community and to the wider public. It is located on the upper floor next to Room 69, Greek and Roman life. You can contact the department by telephone, weekdays 10.00-17.00. Please note you may only make enquiries in person 14.00-16.00.
Research and training
Current research projects
Staff publications
Recent publications
Curators and staff in the department regularly publish research on the collection.
A. H. Smith, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum Vol. 1 (London, British Museum, 1892)
A. H. Smith, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum Vol. 2 (London, British Museum, 1900)
A. H. Smith, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum Vol. 3 (London, British Museum, 1904)
F. N. Pryce, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum Vol 1 Part 1 Prehellenic and Early Greek (London, British Museum, 1928)
E. J. Forsdyke, Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum Vol 1 Part 1 Prehistoric Aegean Pottery (London, British Museum, 1925)
List of recent publications by staff working in the department