 From 1958 to 1960, Lintott was a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery.After leaving the service, he was an assistant lecturer then lecturer in classics at King's College London from 1960 to 1967.He was lecturer then senior lecturer in ancient history at the University of Aberdeen (1967–81), and a fellow and tutor in ancient history at Worcester College Oxford (1981–2004), where he became a reader in 1996 and a professor in 1999.