Classical Civilisation
Classical Civilisation at Invicta Grammar focuses primarily upon the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome, and provides students with a broad, coherent and rewarding study of the culture of the classical world.
It is a wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary subject involving the study of literature, art, artefacts, archaeological sites, and the ancient historical context. Students study elements of the literature and visual/material culture of Greece and Rome and develop an understanding of their social, historical and cultural contexts.
From women in the Ancient World, to the study of religious beliefs and ancient ideas about war, Classical Civilisation involves interesting examination of things that are still important today:
‘... men grappled with exactly the same issues that we do: life, death, gods, sex, love, family, children, education, the nature of the world, our origins and development, the past, money, health, status, other cultures, friendship, power, patriotism, politics, law, crime, justice, empire, war’. Peter Jones, advisor to Classics for All, 'Taking the Long View'
Year 9 - Foundation Year
The Classical Civilisation Foundation Year offers an insight into to the ancient past which is both fascinating and eye-opening. The learning delves into the Classical World as students study the myths and history of the ancient Greeks and Romans. The knowledge learnt acts as a solid foundation on which students will build their GCSE learning in Year 10 and 11. Content covered, whilst captivating in its own right, also serves to underpin the concepts that students will explore when studying the GCSE topics.
A particularly exciting feature of the Year 9 course is that it extends beyond the world of Greece and Rome, to explore the civilisations of the ancient Middle East, including some of the greatest empires in human history such as Mesopotamia, Babylonia and the Persian Empire. Further depth of knowledge of the ancient past is gained through the study of ancient Egyptian civilisation including the life and death of Cleopatra. |
Such breadth of learning ensures that students have a comprehensive understanding of a wide range of ancient civilisations, enabling them to be fully equipped and prepared for future GCSE studies.
Topics Covered
- Women in Ancient Greek Society:
- Athens and Sparta -Typical experiences of women in Athens and Sparta and what these imply about the status of women in Athenian society.
- Women in Myth: Medea and the Amazons -The presentation of foreign, powerful women in art and literature; what makes them so dangerous and threatening to the ancient audience.
- Religion in the Ancient World:
- Gods - Greek gods, their responsibilities and symbols and how they are typically represented in ancient Greek art.
- Priests/Priestesses and Sacrifice - The roles and responsibilities of priests in worship and sacrifice; the purpose of sacrifice; officials; animals.
- Greek Temples – Parthenon and Temple of Zeus at Olympia - Temples and their use, including the position of the altar; temple layout; the noas/cella and cult statue; use by worshippers.
- Historical Study:
- Cleopatra - The presentation of foreign, powerful women in art and literature; what makes them so dangerous and threatening to the ancient audience.
- Cleopatra - The presentation of foreign, powerful women in art and literature; what makes them so dangerous and threatening to the ancient audience.
- Ideas of the Hero:
- Theseus - The adventures of Theseus: as displayed on the Theseus Kylix
- Heracles - The myths associated with Heracles and how he is typically represented
- Troy Fact or Fiction – Archaeology and Literature:
- The location, and importance of Troy
- The evidence for and against Troy VI and Troy VII being the site of Homer’s Troy
- Helen of Troy presented through literature
- Ancient Middle Eastern Studies:
- Assyria to Babylon - An exploration of the rise and fall of the Babylonian Empire including the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- The Rise of the Persians - An exploration of the rise of the Persian Empire and its role in the decline of the Assyrian Empire.
- The Persians Invasions of Greece - An exploration of the first attempt to subjugate Greece by King Darius I (The battle of Marathon 490BC) and the decline of the Persian Empire under King Xerxes I (480BC)
Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 4 hours of guided classroom learning
- 2 x 30 minutes of guided independent homework
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Enrichment and Extra Curricular
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To Read
- Mythos by Stephen Fry
- Heroes by Stephen Fry
- SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard Or Historical Fiction
- On the Seas to Troy by Caroline B Coney
- The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
- For the Most Beautiful by Emily Hauser
- Circe by Madeline Miller
- Women in Classical Athens by Blundell, S. (1998) Blundell’s account of the lives of women in Classical Athens is engaging and accessible. Women of various social classes are considered, and some ancient sources are included and discussed to support conclusions. This book is an excellent source of information and also models a good way of writing about ancient sources and experiences.
- Civilisation section.
- Omnibus journals available in A26
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To Watch/Listen
- Recommended Websites
- http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk
- http://www.livius.org
- http://www.womenintheancientworld.com
- http://www.britishmuseum.org
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To Do/Visit
- Visit the British Museum. Their website has many tips on trails and routes to follow around the museum
- Go to the theatre
Key Stage 4
Classical Civilisation is a challenging, exciting and fascinating course exploring mythology, history, literature and society of ancient Greece and Rome. Students will develop their understanding of the influence of the literature and history of this period and learn how to analyse and evaluate literary and historical evidence. They will also examine the differences and similarities between the classical world and society today.
The War and Warfare component covers both Greek and Roman civilisation, focusing on Athens and Sparta in the 5th century BC, and on Rome in the Imperial period. In the “historical” section we examine the military systems of these distinct societies and concentrate of a small number of world famous battles, such as the Greeks at Marathon and the great Roman/Egyptian sea battle of Actium, where Antony and Cleopatra were finally defeated. The literature section of this unit will give us opportunity to study Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad, the story of Achilles, Hector and the Trojan War and Virgil’s Aeneid, the story of how the defeated Trojan refugees went on and found the Roman race.
The Women in the Ancient World component has been designed to enable students to explore the lives of women in both historical and mythological/literary contexts. We examine the portrayals of famous women from legend like the alluring Helen of Troy, the formidable Amazons, the tragic Lucretia and the murderous Medea. We explore the sometimes weird and sometimes wonderful lives of real women from history such as the bizarre arrangements involved in a Spartan wedding, the fascinating life and death of Cleopatra, and the unhappy lives of the downtrodden and exploited women of Greece and Rome. The course is arranged thematically so that we look at women grouped under such categories as: Women in Power, Women to be Feared, Warrior Women and “Improper Women”, to name but four. We examine the realities of life as a woman in these societies; both women who are portrayed as living a respectable, ideal life of virtue, and those who created more scandal. This will enable discussion of how women are represented and what this reveals about ancient ideas about female identity.
Examination Board/Qualification: OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation
- 100% examination - There is no Coursework
- There will be two externally assessed written examinations both 90 minutes in length.
- Each examination is worth 50% of the course.
Topics Covered
Year 10 (War and Warfare) | Year 11 |
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Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 5 hours of classroom guided learning
- 2 hours of guided independent homework
Enrichment and Extra Curricular
To Read
Year 10
- Range of fiction and non-fiction texts in the Reading Room in the Classical Civilisation section. (see Mr Giles for recommendations according to interests of student.)
- Omnibus journals available in A26
- Culture:
- Breeze, David (2016) The Roman Army. London: Bloomsbury A detailed analysis of the Roman army for the newcomer.
- Cartledge, Paul (2013) Thermopylae, the Battle that Changed the World. London: Pan An exciting and scholarly account of the battle from a leading Greek historian.
- Connolly, Peter (2016) Greece and Rome at War. Barnsley: Frontline An excellent book for students, with superb images to back up the text
- Lepper, Frank and Sheppard Frere (1988) Trajan’s Column. Stroud: Sutton A scholarly masterpiece, the definitive academic work on Trajan’s Column.
- Strauss, Barry (2005) The Battle of Salamis. London: Simon & Schuster An exciting account of the battle for the general reader.
- Literature
- Camps, W. A. (1979) An Introduction to Virgil’s Aeneid. Oxford: Oxford University Press The classic introduction to the poem.
- Owen, E. T. (1994) The Story of the Iliad. London: Bloomsbury A book which gives an accessible running commentary on each book of the poem.
- Powell, Barry B. (2007) Homer. London: Blackwell Introductions to the Ancient World A very accessible introduction to reading Homer, using key passages from both poems.
- West, M. L. (2008) Greek Lyric Poetry. Oxford: Oxford University Press The classic translation of Greek lyric poetry, including Tyrtaeus, with a helpful introduction and notes.
- Williams, R. D. (2009) The Aeneid. London: Bloomsbury An excellent work on the poem for newcomers.
Year 11
- Chrystal, P. (2015) Roman Women: The Women Who Influenced the History of Rome. Stroud: Fonthill Media This book provides biographical accounts of some famous and infamous Roman women. Ancient sources are used as the basis of the accounts, but they contain their fair share of scandalous anecdotes. A particular strength of this book is that it considers the role that particular women (for example Lucretia) played in Roman culture and values.
- Haward, A. (2006) Penelope to Poppaea. Bristol: Bristol Classical Press This excellent and accessible book takes a chronological look at the lives of women in the ancient world, starting with the Homeric epics and finishing with Imperial Rome. Literary as well as visual/material sources are included as subjects for discussion, and the commentary draws-out some key differences between Greek and Roman cultures.
- MacLachlan, B. (2012) Women in Ancient Rome: A Sourcebook. London: Bloomsbury An excellent repository of ancient Roman sources with some commentary.
- Range of fiction and non-fiction texts in the Reading Room in the Classical Civilisation section. (see Mr Giles for recommendations according to interests of student.)
- Omnibus journals available in A26
To Watch/Listen
- Mary Beard’s Ultimate Rome: Empire Without Limit series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYjnRAFFy4g
- Ancient Greece: The greatest Show on Earth (with Prof. Michael Scott) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039gly5
- Michael Scott Documentaries: https://michaelscottweb.com/profile/documentaries/
- Meet the Romans with Mary Beard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rggk_H3jEgw
- https://greekmythcomix.com/ocr-gcse-classical-civilisation-resource-list/
- http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk
- http://www.livius.org
- http://www.womenintheancientworld.com
- http://www.britishmuseum.org
To Research/To Do/Visit
- Wider Reading: wider viewing: ancient Rome and Greece have inspired artists, poets, novelists and film makers, so do a little research in the library, on the Internet or and even on YouTube to find the living legacies of the classical world.
- Visit the British Museum. Their website has many tips on trails and routes to follow around the museum
- Go to the theatre
- Enrol on a free introduction to the Classical World course through the Open University
- https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/classical-studies/introducing-the-classical-world/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab
Key Stage 5
The A Level course has three discrete units of study which involves the study of both ancient Greece and Rome. Over the two-year course we explore some of the most influential societies of all time. We examine and engage with some of the most fascinating thoughts, texts and works of Art ever produced. Students develop an eagerness to explore societies far removed but in many ways similar to our own.
Examination Board/Qualification: OCR A Level
- 100% examination
- Unit 1 – The World of the Hero 40% of total A Level: 2 hours 30 mins
- Unit 2 – Greek Theatre 30% of total A Level: 1 hour 45 mins
- Unit 3 – Love and Relationships in the Greek and Roman World 30% of total A Level: 1 hour 45 mins
Topics Covered/Enrichment and Extra Curricular
World of the Hero – Homer’s Odyssey
Components |
Composites |
Literary techniques and composition
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The heroic world: characterisation and themes
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The social, cultural and religious context
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To Watch/Listen |
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To Read |
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World of the Hero – Virgil’s Aeneid
Components |
Composites |
The heroic world: characterisation and themes
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The social, cultural and religious context
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Historical and political background
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To Watch/Listen |
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To Read |
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Greek Theatre
Components |
Composites |
Drama and the theatre in ancient Athenian society.
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Nature of tragedy.
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Nature of (old) comedy.
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Social, political and religious themes in tragedy with reference to Oedipus the King and Bacchae.
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With reference to Oedipus the King and Bacchae:
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Social, political and religious themes in comedy with reference to Frogs.
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With reference to Frogs:
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To Watch/Listen |
Intro to Greek Theatre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSRLK7SogvE |
To Read |
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Love & Relationships
Components |
Composites |
Men and women
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Plato on love and desire
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Seneca on love and desire
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Sappho
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Ovid
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Love and relationships in poetry
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To Read |
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Timetable
Over a fortnightly timetable, students receive:
- 10 hours of guided classroom learning
- 10 hours of guided independent homework
Careers
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