Year 12 Homer’s Odyssey and Society: The epic tale of Odysseus and his journey home after the Trojan War is one of the earliest and greatest works of Western literature. Confronted by natural and supernatural threats – shipwrecks; battles; the angry sea god, Poseidon; monsters and seductive women – his bravery and natural cunning are tested to the limit before he reaches his homeland. Upon arrival, he faces the suitors who have been planning to marry his wife and ‘steal his world’. This chimes well with our modern issues of ownership and invasion. The concluding confrontation is as gruesome as any battle fought at Troy. The epic is studied as a literary text but you will also explore the values of Mycenaean society such as attitudes to the gods, women and slaves and what it means to be a hero. You will also have the chance to study the history and archaeology behind the epic. Fundamentally, this book is about what it means to be a warrior, a father, a survivor and a man in the ancient world. Ancient Greek Theatre: You will read powerful tragedies of Euripides and Sophocles and the satirical comedies of Aristophanes. As well as studying the plays for their literary and entertainment value, you will consider the context in which the plays were written. This includes social status in Athens, the position of women and slaves, religious practice and belief, the place of drama in Athenian society, the serious messages behind the plays and their political and historical background. There are plenty of opportunities to consider what makes us laugh and cry and draw parallels with modern theatre and entertainment as a whole. Theatre was an intrinsic part of ancient Athenian life and this unit aims to show exactly why that was the case. Year 13 Virgil’s Aeneid: Building on the work from the previous year on the Odyssey, in the second year we look at the great Roman epic poem, the Aeneid. Like the Odyssey it deals with war, adventures, family and death. However, it is very much a Roman epic, influenced by the end of the Roman republic and beginning of the reign of the emperors. The debate still rages on over whether the Aeneid is a pro- or anti-war poem, which is one of the key themes that we will investigate through the course. In addition, while the Odyssey was about a man trying to return to his home, the Aeneid is about a man whose home has been destroyed and is trying to find a new one. In our world of refugee crises and immigration laws, the themes of the Aeneid could not be more current. Politics of the Late Republic: We will delve into arguably the most turbulent period of Roman history, a time of great change during which fundamental traditional values were overturned by a new breed of politician. This unit covers the transition from Republic to Empire, from the death lists of Sulla to Julius Caesar’s dramatic assassination in the senate house by his own friends and colleagues. Central to the course is also the well-known lawyer and politician Cicero, whose personal letters and public speeches will be dissected as a part of the study. His rhetorical skill continues to inspire and influence speakers and writers to this day. This course challenges students to reflect their own personal values and political beliefs, as well as the surprising similarities and differences we share with our Roman ancestors.