Classics Details

AS and A2 each contain two topics, one Ancient History and one Ancient Literature, and each of these contributes half of the marks for the final qualification (AS or A2). Year 1: Ancient History (the lives and culture of the Spartans using Biographical, Historical and Philosophical texts from various ages) and Athenian Greek Tragedy in its context, including the social and political background of 5th century Athens and the Peloponnesian War (The playwrights studied are Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides). Year 2: Ancient History (The Fall of the Roman Republic again from a variety of sources and genres including the lives of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Cleopatra) and Virgil and the World of the Hero (looking at the epic poems: Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid). The syllabus is fairly extensive, and not limited to the actual topics listed. Thus, Greek tragedy includes work on philosophy and religion, and history teaches analytical and other transferable skills. It is examined by essay and textual analysis in the first year and essay only in the second year.