Breadth Option - Classical Civilisation

Course summary

“Classical Civilisation focuses on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, and is a wide ranging subject involving the study of literature, material culture, ancient thought and ideas, and the ancient historical context. You don’t need to know any languages, all the texts are in translation, and it doesn’t matter if you haven’t studied the Greeks and Romans since primary school; all you need is an interest in the ancient world and its cultures. From women in the ancient world, to the study of religious beliefs and ancient acts of intolerance, Classical Civilisation involves interesting discussions that are directly relevant to today’s world” Peter Jones: Classics for All. Classics is about life in the ancient world; the History, the Art, the Literature, and it combines all of these things into one amazing subject. Paper 1: The World of the Hero Paper 2: Greek Theatre and Imperial Image The World of the Hero is a study of The Odyssey and the epic journey of Odysseus from the Battle of Troy, back to his home to Ithaca. This part of the course is very similar to studying English literature in terms of its literary analysis and study of characterisation and themes. It will however be set in a world of mythical creatures and epic heroes which has impacted literary and artistic oeuvres ever since its first telling. For the theme of Greek Theatre and Imperial Image, we will be focusing our studies upon the image of the Emperor Augustus and how he was a master of marketing and PR. We will study the main events in his life and times by analysing poetry, inscriptions, biography, and works of art, architecture and coinage from the period. This unit fits very well with those with an interest in history and politics in particular.