Classical Civilisation

18

Classical Civilisation

The Classical Civilisation course deals with the literature and history of the Greeks and Romans entirely in the medium of English. No knowledge of a classical language is required; however, there is a myriad of technical terms in both Greek and Latin which students need to be comfortable with. The course offers a broad introduction to this fascinating subject to those with no previous knowledge, and also to those who already have established an interest in the classical world.

There are two broad components, each with a whole range of topics to study over the two years available. An integral aspect to this course is an abundance of visual material, rather than just the written word, so exploration of the classical world is going to be far wider than just studying literature in ancient texts; it will encompass art and architecture too.

One unit you will study over two years is called Myth & Religion, dealing with the gods of both Greece and Rome, and heroes, such as Herakles, who visited the Underworld (another interesting part of this component) and Theseus who slew the Minotaur; the foundation story of Rome allows us to meet well known stories & famous Romans as well, such as Romulus and Augustus. You will learn about ancient attitudes to death and burial and how they practised their religion through festivals, sacrifices and building temples.

50% of Unit 2 is based on the world and works of Homer, who composed the Odyssey, one of the most famous and the earliest works of world literature. As well as reading some of Homer’s literature, there will be a chance to study the mysterious culture surrounding the tales of Homer about the heroes of Troy: the Mycenaeans are a shadowy race of early Greeks from as far back as 1750BC, who have left astonishing remains, some only recently uncovered, and one of the earliest forms of writing, whose code was only cracked less than a hundred years ago. There is plenty of history and archaeology in the Mycenaean part of the course which comprises the remaining 50%.

The course is taught with up-to-date, modern resources and encourages pupils to develop critical and evaluative skills which will equip them for a wide range of A Level courses.

Assessment:

Two separate exams of 90 minutes will be sat at the end of Year 11. There will be no coursework or controlled assessment. Each unit is worth 50% of the full GCSE. The course is open to all students, and might particularly attract those with interests in literature, art, history and drama, but not exclusively so.