Who is the course for?

This course is intended for students wishing to study the Literature and History of the Heroic Age and of classical Greece and Rome. No prior knowledge of the subject, or of Latin and/or Greek, is necessary although good grades in English and/or History are required.

Content outline

The new Advanced Level specifications have made it possible for the first time to combine the study of Greek and Latin Literature with Ancient History units. The course, therefore, is comprised of four areas of study. At AS level these are Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘The Life and Times of Cicero’ and, at Advanced level, Greek Tragedy (the plays of Sophocles and Euripides) and Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’.

These encompass the literature, history, geography and politics of classical times, the social importance of theatre in Greek life, the careers of Julius Caesar and Augustus, the ending of the Republic and the importance of the Roman Empire. Whilst study is based on original texts, accessible English translations are provided.