Classical Civilisation

Assessment

At the end of two years you will sit three papers and exam questions test a balanced combination of factual knowledge and evaluative skills, both historical and literary. • Paper 1: The World of the Hero This is a compulsory paper consisting of an in-depth study of either Homer’s Iliad Homer’s Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid. At KAS we study the Iliad. These Epic poems are studied in translation. • Paper 2: Culture & the Arts You can study one of the following options: Greek Theatre; Imperial Image; Invention of the Barbarian; or Greek Art. All of these topics involve the study of visual and material culture and all but Greek Art includes the study of literature in translation. At KAS, the current choice is The Invention of the Barbarian, which looks at the Greeks and their attitude to ‘others’, especially the Persians. This exciting course offers the chance to learn something about the Persian empire as well as about the Greeks. • Paper 3: Beliefs & Ideas We study one of the following options: Greek Religion; Love and Relationships; Politics and the Late Republic; Democracy and the Athenians, depending on students’ interests. These topics involve the study of an area of classical thought, in combination with the study of literature in translation or visual/ material culture.