AS/A2 Classical Civilisation

AS/A2 Classical Civilisation
AS/A2 The literature and visual art of ancient Greece and Rome have left a significant mark on our culture. The surviving plays, prose, poetry and art of that period have a resonance today because they deal with enduring themes. You will study the drama and verse of the ancient world, and explore the use and presentation of myths, legends and fables. The kinds of themes that you will study include heroism, slavery, religion, the individual in society, town and country, nationalism, war and moral concerns. You will also investigate Greek sculpture and architecture at AS level.

AS Course Content
The AS course comprises two modules:
1. Homer's Odyssey and Society
You will study Homer's Odyssey, an epic which deals with issues of heroism, adventure, justice and revenge.
Assessment: one and a half hour exam: passage-based commentary / essay (50%)
2. Greek Tragedy in its Context
Tragedy deals with issues such as fate, free will, honour and political leadership. You will study Sophocles's Oedipus, Aeschylus's Agamemnon and Euripides's Medea and The Bacchae.
Assessment: one and a half hour exam: passage-based question / essay (50%)

A2 Course Content
The A2 course comprises a further two modules:
3. Epic in the Age of Augustus
You will study the development of the epic genre from both Roman and Greek literature, and make comparisons between the two cultures, reading Virgil's Aeneid and drawing comparisons with sections from Homer's Iliad.
Assessment: 2 hour exam: commentary passage-based question / essay (50%)%
4. Greek Art and Architecture
You will explore Greek free-standing sculpture, architectural sculpture, vases and temple architecture. You will analyse stylistic features, composition, techniques and the function of the material objects.
Assessment: 2 hour exam: commentary questions on printed images/ general essay (50%)

Is Classical Civilisation for me?
You will enjoy and benefit from Classical Civilisation if you:

• are interested in literature, art and history;
• are confident about carrying out individual research and can write fluently;

Note: there is no language content in the course.

Classical Civilisation and your future
Classical Civilisation can lead to employment and studies in archaeology, museum work and research as well as complementing English, Humanities, Social Sciences and Science subjects.

Visits and visitors
You will have the opportunity to visit the Cast Gallery in Cambridge to see life-sized replicas of much of the material studied in the art and architecture unit.