Introduction

The society archive contains records beginning from the society’s foundation in 1910. Starting in September 2026, various items from the library have been digitised and uploaded to the website, with the aim of making these archival collections accessible. Primarily, this includes the society’s minute books, beginning in 1910, which records each meeting of the society.

The first minute book begins with newspaper clippings documenting the establishment of the society, demonstrating both its academic impact and describing its close links to the Hellenic Society. This is followed by the minutes of the first council meeting, including resolutions passed on the objectives of the society, the constitution, and the provisional committee, thus naming the key founding members of the society itself. The first five minute books are digitised and can be accessed through the website here.

Notable items from the archive, including records of an address given at the University of Leeds, or correspondence between the Roman Society and other academic societies, have been digitised and are viewable on this webpage.

The rest of the society’s archival material is varied, and includes financial records, details of society meetings, methods of increasing membership and updates to the articles of association. A catalogue of some of the archival records has been created with the aim of making these records searchable and accessible, and is linked below.

Catalogue of the Roman Society Archives