The Centre for Classical Studies (CEC) is a Portuguese research centre based in the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Lisbon. We focus on the study of ancient Greek and Roman texts, as well as on their reception over the centuries up to the present age, including the huge set of poorly known or completely unknown Latin texts from western Iberia.

I became interested in Classics while completing my History degree. I started by learning Latin, then Greek, and finally moved more broadly toward the cultural side of the discipline. I was surprised early on when I realised that, far from being only about the ancient Greek and Romans, Classics is much broader, extending up to the present day through the persistence of seemingly countless themes and motifs. Eventually my research focus settled on Medieval Latin historiography of Iberia.

A similar path to the study of Classics was taken by my colleague Ana Lóio, who eventually joined me in the directorship of the Centre for Classical Studies. After a brief period studying Portuguese and German literature, Ana also turned her attention to the discipline of Classics and now dedicates herself to the study of Imperial Latin literature.

These two scholarly trajectories are indicative of our perspective in the Centre for Classical Studies. The CEC is a collective enterprise that is led by researchers from different generations and backgrounds who contribute as a group not only to the advancement of knowledge about Classics and its reception but also to the dissemination of new perspectives on contemporary social and cultural issues.

Again, welcome to the CEC!

Rodrigo Furtado, Director
Centre for Classical Studies
University of Lisbon