To raise the foundations of historical anthropology, we study first the terms of the debate, questioning the legitimacy and relevance of that discipline, then present the work of French anthropologist and historian, Jean-Pierre Vernant (1914-2007), who revolutionized since 1960 the studies on ancient Greece. This analysis, which is not intended to comprehensively present the writings of the historian, focuses on four key concepts from which outlines the theoretical and methodological foundations of historical anthropology: the religious phenomenon, the notion of space, death and the individual. Well-defined contours of historical anthropology finally generate a reflection on the epistemology of history in general.