Richard Alston

Richard Alston is Professor of Roman History in the Department of Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is affiliated with the Hellenic Institute, Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome, and Gender Institute. His research focuses on Roman imperialism, urban development, political theory, and classical reception studies. He has contributed to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to historical understanding and cultural memory.

His academic work spans four main areas: Roman imperialism's socio-political impacts, urban development in Egypt and Italy, political ideologies in imperial Rome, and the reception of classical ideas in modern contexts. He critiques traditional 'Romanization' frameworks, emphasizing urbanism's role in socio-economic transformation. Recent work explores gender formation, material culture, and the interplay between classical and modern political thought.

Alston's research projects include studies on Roman-Era Egyptian villages (2023), decolonizing classics (2022), and gender in imperial systems. He has collaborated internationally, with 76+ research outputs including books, chapters, and articles. His work bridges ancient and modern political theory, arguing for deeper mutual understanding between disciplines. He directs the 'Society Representation, and Cultural Memory' project (ongoing) and has secured grants from the British Academy and AHRC.