Classical Greek

Assessment

Paper One Unseen translation (33%) Boys will translate one passage of unseen Greek oratorical prose and one passage of unseen Greek verse (taken from Sophocles) into English. Paper Two Prose composition or comprehension (17%) Boys will either answer comprehension and grammar questions on an unseen passage of Greek prose (usually taken from the genre of political or forensic oratory) or translate a short passage of English prose into Classical Greek. The composition is the challenging option, but it provides great intellectual satisfaction and preparation for this discipline has often proved very popular. Paper Three Prose literature (25%) Boys will study two Greek prose set texts. They will also study additional literature in translation to understand the context from which the set texts have been taken. The set texts for 2025 are taken from Plato's Republic or Herodotus Book 1. For examination in 2025, the unseen prose passage will be from Xenophon. Paper Four Verse Literature (25%) The boys will study two Greek verse set texts. They will also study additional literature in translation to understand the context from which the set texts have been taken. For 2025, the set texts will be from Homer Iliad 16 or Euripides' Hippolytus For examination in 2025, the unseen verse passage will be taken from Sophocles. Each year, the Classics Department organises study tours abroad to Greece, Italy and other countries of Classical interest. Boys are strongly encouraged to go on these visits.