Classics

Department Staff

Mr Martin Donnelly (Head of Department)
Mr Jonathan Green
Mr Stephen Kern
Mr Richard Morgan
Miss Louise Playfair

Classics at the Perse

The Perse has a strong tradition of classical scholarship and the department today look to inspire interest in the classical world just as Dr. W.H.D. Rouse did in his innovative approach to teaching Classics a century ago.

Classics 4 Oplontis Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation are all offered as courses of study right through to A-Level and a healthy cohort have opted to further their interest by moving on to study classical subjects at University in recent years. The department are committed to ensuring pupils are offered the best possible preparation for these courses and Sixth Form extension activities and Oxbridge seminars are offered to assist with this.

There is also an active Classical Society within the school, organising theatre trips and other visits to places of Classical interest, as well as hosting visiting speakers, particularly from the Faculty of Classics at Cambridge University.

Each year the department runs an overseas trip, travelling in alternate years to Greece and Italy, with Italy the destination at Easter 2011. These visits offer pupils the chance to visit the sites they have studied and gain first-hand experience of the Mediterranean culture that originated from Classical roots.

The Classics Curriculum

Lower School

All pupils in Years 7 and 8 study Latin, following the Cambridge Latin Course. No prior knowledge is expected at the outset and pupils will study the culture of Roman society through story-based activities set in Pompeii, Roman Britain and Egypt.

Middle School

At Year 9 Latin, Classical Civilisation and Greek are all available as options. The courses are designed not to overlap in material so that pupils can study more than one classical subject without repeating the same topics. Those studying Latin move onto Book III of the Cambridge Latin Course, learning about the Roman army then looking at the city of Rome in Book IV. In this year much of the foundation language needed for success at GCSE is covered. It will usually be required that pupils opting for GCSE Latin in Years 10 and 11 have studied Latin in Year 9.

The Year 9 Classical Civilisation Course looks at the origins of Classical Greece, using the Olympic Festival as an initial focus, then examining the rivalry between the Spartans and Athenians. The diversity of these cultures and their styles of government is explored then contrasted with the rise of Rome as a major power. These topics are studied to give a broad introduction to the civilisations that left such important legacies for western culture. Literature and archaeology are key sources for this course and pupils generally provide a healthy dose of imagination and creativity.

Greek is enjoyed by a healthy number of able linguists, working through Taylor’s Greek to GCSE. Again, no prior knowledge is expected although differentiated work is offered as those learning abinitio reach the same standard as those with a prior grounding. Stories rooted in Greek mythology, history and philosophical thought offer plenty of stimulation for those who embark upon the language.

Classics At GCSE, Latin and Greek involve further study of the language alongside literature in the original language, ranging from Virgil and Ovid to Livy; Homer and Herodotus through to Greek tragedy. Students take real enjoyment from these works that have inspired so many later authors in a variety of languages, some of whom they encounter in other subjects. A basic understanding of Roman or Greek civilisation and society is also fundamental in the appreciation of these works and this is taught as part of the OCR specification for GCSE.

Classical Civilisation can be studied for GCSE without the prior Year 9 course, though most students have studied either Latin or Classical Civilisation in Year 9. Again, there is very minimal overlap with the language courses, so pupils can study both a language and the civilisation topics. Four stand-alone civilisation and literature topics will be studied, one of which is completed as Controlled Assessment in Year 10. The topics being examined from June 2011 onwards include:

· A detailed archaeological review of Pompeii and Herculaneum, exploring the devastating effects of the eruption of Vesuvius and the remarkable snapshot of Roman life that was left for posterity.

· Literary investigation of Homer’s Odyssey in English and the world of heroes that many will know from contemporary representations such as Wolfgang Petersen’s Troy.

· Critical appreciation of Euripides’ tragedy Medea in English as well as familiarisation with the City Dionysia festival at Athens where tragic plays enjoyed their greatest days of influence.

Sixth Form

Latin and Greek are taught to the OCR Classics A-Level specifications. Latin and Greek AS involve a language paper that looks for accuracy in translation of passages and familiarity with a specified vocabulary that needs to be learned thoroughly. Some basic translation from English is also an option and will be prepared for in class: in the examination, the composition element can be replaced by a harder unseen translation taken from the prose set author studied in the literature module. The literature module will require the study of a prose author and a verse author and subsequent critical appreciation of the text.

At A2, Latin and Greek divide into a prose module and a verse module, whereby the set texts are studied alongside a specified author that will be set in unseen translation passages. The major development at this stage is that there is no specified vocabulary list for A2 though staff will guide on appropriate vocabulary learning for individual authors.

Classical Civilisation is taught to the AS 1021 specification and A2 2021 specification. In the Lower Sixth, students will critically analyse Homer’s Iliad in English, investigating the great epic and the context of its oral delivery which gives such a valuable insight into the Mycenaean age of heroes and gods. They will also study either the decline of the Roman Republic and the role of Cicero in the political machinations of the first century BCE. Alternatively they might investigate the role of women in Athens and Rome using a wide range of literary sources including Aristophanes’ comedy to explore the public and private role (as well as treatment) of women in these ancient societies.

For A2, the course of study is co-ordinated with a focus on early Imperial Rome. The epic literature of Virgil’s Aeneid builds on the Homeric model studied for AS and the historical background of the period in which Virgil was writing is explored through an analytical look at the achievements of Augustus, told through his own Res Gestae as well as through Suetonius’ eyes. The course also looks at the visual impact of Augustus’ active programme of self-promotion and the effect that has had on Rome’s physical landscape.

For those who are preparing for university courses, extension work can be set, including entry for national essay competitions and a programme of practice prior to university interviews.

Classics

Classics

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Department Staff

Classics at the Perse

The Classics Curriculum

Lower School

Middle School

Sixth Form