Classical Civilisation

Course summary

Classical Civilisation is offered as a new subject at GCSE, following the OCR syllabus. We study a wide variety of Greek and Roman topics relating to Myth and Religion. These include literature and visual courses relating to Gods, Heracles/Hercules, Temples, Beliefs in the Afterlife and many more. In addition, we explore Homer’s Odyssey, one of the most famous and influential works of literature in history. Our students develop observation and analytical skills from reading and exploring a wide range of ancient sources and gain an awareness of life in a different time and culture. At A Level, Classical Civilisation is again open to all students. We aim to gain an appreciation for how the classical world has shaped our society and cultivate knowledge of their spiritual, cultural and moral values. The course consists of further exploration into the literature of Homer and also delves into Rome’s greatest epic, Virgil’s Aeneid. In the Greek Theatre module, we build an appreciation for ancient drama by reading two tragedies (Sophocles’ Oedipus and Euripides’ Bacchae) and a comedy (Aristophanes’ Frogs). We then expand our understanding of ancient thought and ideas through the ‘Greek Religion’ module.