Classical Civilisation

EXAMINATION BOARD: OCR SPECIFICATION CODE: H408 EXPECTED GCSE REQUIREMENTS: A GRADE 7 OR ABOVE IN CLASSICAL CIVILISATION OR, IF CLASSICAL CIVILISATION HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED BEFORE, A GRADE 7 IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

What is true heroism? What counts as a tragic death? Why do we view the Roman emperors the way we do? These are all questions you will have the opportunity to investigate in Classical Civilisation A Level.

Classical Civilisation is not limited to one area of study. You will explore elements of the art, architecture, history, mythology, literature, philosophy, social history and religion of the classical Greek and Roman worlds, many aspects of which still resonate in the 21st Century.

You will learn how to develop reasoned and detailed responses to ancient literature (in translation) and works of art; you will also acquire and employ a wide range of analytical and interpretative skills that benefit many university courses. The A Level is made up of three modules.

‘The World of the Hero’ is a compulsory module, which is made up of the study of either Homer’s Odyssey or Iliad, and Virgil’s Aeneid. You will additionally study one ‘Culture and the Arts’ module and one ‘Beliefs and Ideas’ module. The current A Level group are studying ‘Imperial Image’ and ‘Greek Religion’.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

There are three papers at the end of the A2 course which are worth the following: n ‘The World of the Hero’

2 hours 20 minutes, 40% of the A Level n 1 module chosen from the ‘Culture and the Arts’ category

1 hour 45 minutes, 30% of the A Level n 1 module chosen from the ‘Beliefs and Ideas’ category

1 hour 45 minutes, 30% of the A Level

These exam papers will assess your understanding of ancient source material in its context, and your skills of critical analysis, evaluation, and well structured argumentation.

WHERE WILL THIS TAKE ME?

Classical Civilisation, as well as being interesting for its own sake, is interdisciplinary by nature and can take you in many directions. It combines well with many other subjects such as History, English Literature, Art, Art History, Psychology, Sociology and languages. It is highly respected by university admissions tutors and is useful to those considering a range of different degree courses because of the skills you will have acquired.

WHAT ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES ARE THERE?

We are well connected with the Guildford Classical Association, who organise many lectures, quizzes and discussions, which are all available to you as students at Tormead. Last year we heard about the origins of Virgil’s Aeneid from Prof. Llewelyn Morgan, for example.

This year we are running a trip to the British Museum for L6 and U6 combined. This visit will enable you to see the visual sources you are studying in the flesh and even meet new vases and statues. Seeing these objects up close is a really fantastic experience, and your perspective on Greek and Roman art and architecture will be changed once you see it in all its glory. We hope to make this a regular trip.