Ancient History

Course summary

A Level Ancient History introduces you to the most interesting and enlightening periods and figures of Ancient Greece and Rome that shaped the development of the world as we know it today. On the Greek side of the course, students study the seismic events of the 5th century BC, starting with the Persian Wars, in which against all the odds the Greeks defeated one of the largest armies ever assembled. Students then investigate the meteoric rise and fall of Athens, a city that has had an enormous impact on almost every aspect of western civilisation. On the Roman side of the course, students learn about the Julio-Claudian and Flavian emperors, investigating how two families revolutionised the Roman Empire and established themselves as the leading powers of the western world. Students will encounter the political machinations of Augustus and Tiberius who were attempting to reinvent politics in Rome, and the mad, bad and dangerous trio of Gaius, Nero and Domitian whose actions have shocked and fascinated historians both ancient and modern.