- Greek religion, gods, temples and sacrifice
- Greek Literature - Homer’s Odyssey or a Greek play
- Alexander the Great
- Gladiatorial shows and chariot racing
- The Roman Army
Classical Civilisation
Classical Civilisation is an engaging and interesting subject which students can study from Year 8 onwards. The pupils study the Romans and the Greeks in depth and also look at other cultures which have had a direct impact on the Greek and Roman civilisations. The courses studied in Years 8 and 9 are varied and engaging, looking at archaeology, history, literature, art, religion and architecture. The aim of them is to give the students an opportunity to have a wide and varied appreciation of what Classical Civilisation is, whilst also developing skills of analysis and evaluation.
Year 8
Year 9
- Myths, gods and the Underworld
- Sparta
- Mycenae and Troy and the archaeological evidence
- Roman or Greek literature (Ovid’s Metamorphoses or Euripides’ Medea or Homer’s Iliad)
- Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Augustus
- Legendary women (Helen, Lucretia etc)
- Dacian Wars – Trajan Column
GCSE
Pupils will follow the OCR GCSE specification (9-1).
Classical civilisation is the study of the civilisations of Ancient Greece and Rome, which have provided the foundations of modern European culture and society.
Whether it's
- literature
- politics
- history
- mythology
- art
- architecture
- morality
- science, or thought
The classical world helps us understand and appreciate our own roots and ideas.
Intrinsically interesting and very varied, classical civilisation combines well with subjects such as
- English
- Latin
- Religious Studies
- History
It's also a highly valued GCSE and A level subject.
Course content
Candidates will sit two examinations taken at the end of Year 11.
Typically, pupils will study:
Both units compare the Greek and Roman worlds and use various types of evidence to understand them; visual (pottery, sculpture), literary (epic, poetry) and material (artefacts, weapons).
Unit 1:
Women in the ancient world – We will study Greek and Roman women, looking at topics on legendary women, women to be feared and ‘improper women’, as well as the more typical aspects of women’s lives: the home and religion.
Unit 2:
War and warfare. We will be studying Sparta, Athens and Rome and considering how they each fought their wars: what equipment did they have, what sort of armour and what formations did they use to fight key battles, such as Thermopylae, Salamis and Actium.
Each unit is worth 50% of the total GCSE.