Alumnus returns to alma mater as Professor of Ancient History

Switching Celtic capitals, alumnus Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones returns to Cardiff this year in a new professorial post in the School of History, Archaeology and Religion.

Formerly Professor of Ancient Greek and Iranian Studies at Edinburgh University, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones takes up the post of Professor of Ancient History after eleven years in the Scottish capital.

One of the few world experts on pre-Islamic Iran, Professor Llewellyn-Jones focuses his research on ancient Persian history and culture, the interaction of east-west in antiquity and the ancient Near East. His research interests extend to ancient Greek socio-cultural history and gender-issues, dress and visual culture and the reception of the past in Hollywood cinema.

Born in Bridgend and raised in Cefn Cribwr, the Welsh speaker received both his PhD and MA at Cardiff. Professor Llewellyn-Jones is honoured to take up a chair at Cardiff, especially so since a chair in Ancient History was last held by his former supervisor Professor Nick Fisher. 

‘I’m delighted to be back in Cardiff to help play an important role in the forwarding of Ancient History following in the footsteps of such a great scholar’ he said. ‘I’m particularly thrilled to be adding the study and teaching of Iranian history to the School’s impressive research portfolio. It promises to be an exciting time’ he said.

For the last decade Professor Llewellyn-Jones has concentrated upon research into the study of the history and culture of the Achaemenid period (559-331 BCE). He travels extensively throughout Iran and the Middle East and works alongside the British Consul’s Iran department. Recent publications have included Ctesias’ History of Persia: Tales of the Orient and King and Court in Ancient Persia, both of which have received recent Farsi translations. His book Aphrodite’s Tortoise: the veiled woman of ancient Greece has won much critical acclaim.

Prior to joining academia, Lloyd enjoyed a successful career as a theatre and opera director and designer. A founding member of Cardiff-based Mappa Mundi Theatre Company, he continues to direct and looks forward to developing new work with the company in the near future.