Classical Civilisation

Course summary

The Classical Civilisation course is based on the study of the literature, art and archaeological sources from Greece and Rome. In the first year, we study two modules. The first covers the epic literature of Homer, with the opportunity to read either the Iliad or the Odyssey in translation. We encounter fascinating characters such as Achilles, Agamemnon and Hector and the gods Zeus, Hera and Athena, whilst exploring themes such as the nature of the Homeric hero, the role of the gods and fate, women and slaves and the portrayal of war. The second module is more historically-based. We study the shift from Roman Republic to Principate through an examination of the emperor Augustus’ artful manipulation of his own image in art, architecture and literature. We consider how his opponents, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, are portrayed to suit Augustus’ own propaganda campaign in Rome and we track his inimitable rise to power and the methods by which he sustained and cemented his position as sole ruler of the Roman world. In the second year, we turn back the clock and look at how the Roman Republic disintegrated, and the circumstances that enabled a man like Augustus to reign supreme. Students of politics and history alike can learn plenty from its unraveling under the pressure of empire and the unbridled megalomania of some of its protagonists. In parallel to this we study Virgil’s Aeneid, seen by some to be the national epic of the Romans, by others as a key propaganda tool for Augustus’ new regime.