Classical Civilisation

Course summary

Classical Civilisation is the study in English of the works, literary or artistic, of ancient Greece and Rome, in their historical and social context. Pupils can range more widely than they would if they were working in the original language, and the syllabus offers a great variety of topics. The course is divided into three units of study: • The World of the Hero – a close study of Virgil’s Aeneid and either Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey • Culture and the Arts – a study of either Greek Theatre or Greek Art • Beliefs and Ideas – an exploration of either Greek religion or Athenian democracy All modules involve artistic appreciation and the evaluation of evidence, in differing proportions - but the unique advantage of the subject is its scope for developing many skills not normally brought together under one heading, and linking them through the civilisations being studied.