Ancient history literally means the history of the distant past. It generally encompasses the beginning of recorded history (and therefore the invention of writing) to around 500 AD, or the beginning of the post-classical period. When I was in university, I studied ancient history. However, we often use ‘ancient history’ as a hyperbolic idiom.
Meaning of Idiom ‘Ancient History’
Saying something is ancient history is often an exaggerated way of saying it is in the past; someone or something from the past that is no longer important or that is forgotten.
“I used to be in a band but that’s ancient history.”
Ancient history is also used in a similar way to the idiom ‘water under the bridge.’ It is a way of saying that a disagreement, argument, etc. is in the past and should be put behind us as there is no way to change it.
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Usage Notes
Generally, the allusion in this idiom is that something should be forgotten about, is uninteresting, or is not worth discussing.
Keep in mind that ‘a long time ago’ in this idiom is often a gross exaggeration. A person might claim that something that happened five years ago, or even a few weeks ago, is ancient history.
The idiom is often used in regards to past relationships.
Examples Of Use
“Are you still trying to get a job as a reporter?” asked Sherry. “Oh, that’s ancient history. I want to be an actor, now.”
“Randall is ancient history. I broke up with him six weeks ago.”
“Yes, I served in the military when I was younger. But that’s all ancient history.”
“Well, a lot has happened since we last saw each other. I changed careers and got a divorce. But you don’t want to hear about ancient history. What’s been going on with you?”
“We butted heads on the last job. Are we gonna have a problem on this one?” asked Tom. “That’s ancient history. Forget about it,” replied Dan.
Origin
Ancient history has been used in this exaggerated way since at least the 1870s.
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