Classics is the study of Graeco-Roman antiquity, from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC to the end of the 6th century AD, from the height of the Aegean Bronze Age down to late antiquity. It includes the study of the history, literature, languages, religion, philosophy, art, and culture of the Greek and Roman world during this period.

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Readers at desks in the Manuscript Reading Room

Manuscripts Reading Room

The Manuscripts Reading Room is the enquiry point for the Library's western language manuscript collections (i.e. written by hand, not printed). The collection includes literary, historical manuscripts and private papers.

  • Find information on the shelves about the British Library’s collection of western manuscripts and those held elsewhere
  • Access online databases and electronic journals and books relating to archives and manuscripts
  • Order collection items to the Reading Room via our Explore Archives & Manuscripts Catalogue

Some of our manuscripts may require a Letter of Introduction, or may have other Access Conditions.

We offer a range of free Reader sessions and 1-2-1 consultations to help you make the best use of the Library's collections.

You’ll need a Reader Pass

Mon: 10.00 – 17.00
Tue – Sat: 09.30 – 17.00
Sun & English Public Holidays: closed

Opening hours for all Reading Rooms

For enquiries, please contact the Manuscripts Reference Team.

Blog posts

Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth

Friday, September 23, 2022

Readers may have noticed the new placards and billboards at the British Library announcing Alexander the Great: The Making of a Myth which opens exactly four weeks today. Son of Philip II of Macedon and his wife Olympias, the historical...

Reach for the stars

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Marcus Tullius Cicero (b. 106 BC) is one of the best-known ancient Roman authors. A formidable speaker at court trials and political debates as well as a prolific theorist of rhetoric and philosophy, he influenced generations of scholars and students....

Sailing Away To A Distant Land - Mahendra Mahey, Manager of BL Labs - final post

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Posted by Mahendra Mahey, former Manager of British Library Labs or "BL Labs" for short [estimated reading time of around 15 minutes] This is is my last day working as manager of BL Labs, and also my final posting on...

A Novel Approach To Novels That Shaped Our World!

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

It is wonderful to be collaborating with Leeds Libraries on their online Games Jam this month, which is encouraging people to create playful interactive adaptations of books in the BBC’s Novels that Shaped Our World list. Eye-catching artwork for the...

More blog posts

Over 500 collection items from the British Library and institutions across Europe

A 1st-century papyrus roll, featuring the text of Aristotle's work On The Constitution of Athens, written in Ancient Greek.

Constitution of the Athenians

78-c. 100

A detail from the Bankes Homes, a 2nd-century papyrus featuring the final book of the Iliad.

Bankes Homer

2nd century

The London Medical Papyrus, a first-century papyrus containing a treatise on medicine.

London Medical Papyrus

1st century

The Exodus-Revelation Papyrus, a 4th-century fragment featuring an excerpt from the end of the Book of Exodus on the recto.

Exodus-Revelation papyrus

Late 3rd century-4th century

A fragment of a 5th-century papyrus roll, contains the text of an evening prayer.

Liturgical papyrus

5th century

A fragment from a 3rd-century papyrus codex containing the Gospel of St John.

Gospel of John papyrus

3rd century

A fragment of an illuminated papyrus, featuring an illustration of a bear in an arena.

Fragment of an illuminated papyrus

3rd century–6th century

A small fragment of a 2nd-century papyrus scroll, with an attached parchment sillybos, or label, inscribed with the title of a work by Bacchylides.

Fragment of Bacchylides, with attached sillybos

2nd century

An 8th-century papyrus, featuring a trilingual sale contract from Islamic Egypt, written in Arabic, Greek, and Coptic.

Trilingual sale contract from Islamic Egypt

758

A fragmentary 2nd-century papyrus, preserving sections of Sophocles’ play The Trackers.

Sophocles, Trackers

2nd half of the 2nd century

Printed title page from Lemprière's Classical Dictionary

Lemprière's Classical Dictionary

The opening page of the Etheridge Encomium, featuring a prose dedication to Queen Elizabeth I written in Greek.

Etheridge Encomium

1566

Projects

Portrait of St Mark the Evangelist

Greek Manuscripts Digitisation Project

To make high-resolution digital images of the majority of the British Library's Greek manuscripts freely available online

John 21:1-21:25. Codex Sinaiticus, Eastern Mediterranean, mid-4th century

The Codex Sinaiticus Project

Codex Sinaiticus is one of the two earliest Christian Bibles

All projects

Classics experts

Head and shoulders photo of Dr Scot McKendrick

Dr Scot McKendrick

Head of Western Heritage Collections

More staff members

External links

The British Library is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

The Digital Classicist

A wide range of materials relevant to the digital study of the ancient world

Perseus Digital Library, Greek and Roman Materials

Texts and translations of classical authors

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Book cover of "A Classical Education" by Caroline Taggart

A Classical Education (paperback)

Suitable for parents who wish to teach their children, this book includes: Latin and Greek; Logic and philosophy; Natural sciences; Art and architecture; Poetry and drama; and, History and Classical literature.

£5.99

Book cover of "A History of the Book in 100 Books" by Roderick Cave and Sara Ayad

A History of the Book in 100 Books (hardback)

From inscriptions on tombs to the first writings on papyrus; from scrolls to the first bound codex books in Roman times.

£20

Codex Sinaiticus book cover

Codex Sinaiticus: New Perspectives on the Ancient Biblical Manuscript

Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world.

£50