Classical Civilisation

Classical Civilisation at Thomas Mills High School & Sixth Form enables students to investigate and interpret a range of sources from ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia, spanning from 8th century BC to 1st century AD. We aim to inspire students’ curiosity about how past civilisations may have influenced our society, culture, and language, while taking a critical view of how those civilisations were both different from and similar to our own.

Classical Civilisation offers students a unique chance to study a different society from multiple angles and disciplines. We study a range of written and visual sources, including ancient epic, historical writing, poetry, art and architecture. Students are encouraged to consider different interpretations of the ancient civilisations which have influenced our own, equipping them to better understand the world today and the stories we tell about ourselves and each other.

At A Level, we follow the OCR Classical Civilisation (A*-F) syllabus. Literature and ancient history are at the heart of this course. Students study epic poetry (Homer’s Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid), the Greco-Persian wars and their role in crystallising identities on both sides, and love and marriage across the ancient world. Each of the three units is assessed by one written exam. Students enjoy an annual enrichment trip to London to examine artefacts they study up close at the British Museum and watch an ancient play performed on stage.

Year 12

Term 1

The World of the Hero: the Odyssey
Context and background; books 1-8.

Knowledge: World of the Hero

Language of the epic including: narrative and descriptive techniques and their effects; speeches, formulae, flashback, and similes.
Literary context in which the Odyssey was created and handed down including oral tradition and context; transmission of the text; the Homeric question.
Events of books 1-8.

Invention of the Barbarian
Geographical and historical context; outline of key events; Euripides’ Medea.

Knowledge: Invention of the Barbarian

The geographical extent of the Greek world and the range of cultures it encompassed.
The autonomy of the poleis (cities), relations between them and responses to the Persian threat.
Pre-Classical ideas of the ‘barbarian’ including the origin of the term and its original connotations.
The role of binary oppositions (for example: Greek/foreigner; man/woman) in the Greek world view.
Study of Euripides’ Medea, including: the plot, structure, characterisation and themes; the context in which the play was produced; how the plot and Medea’s character is formed by her status as a barbarian; how Medea’s actions may have been viewed by the audience.

Skills:

Developing knowledge and understanding of the ancient sources based on their original context; starting to analyse and evaluate the usefulness of different sources; comparing how different types of sources depict peoples or ideas.

Useful Links

Warwick University suggested resources on Homer

Warwick University suggested resources on Invention of the Barbarian

Assessments:

The World of the Hero

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Book 1 10-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Key terms quiz
Standardised Assessed Task 3: Telemachy 20-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 4: Divine intervention 20-mark question

November internal preparatory exam.

Invention of the Barbarian

Standardised Assessed Task 1: To what extent did a ‘Greek’ identity exist before the Persian invasion of the 5th Century BC? [20m]
Standardised Assessed Task 2: visual source exam style question [10m]
Standardised Assessed Task 3: How does the character of Medea challenge traditional Greek gender roles? [20]

November internal preparatory exam.

Term 2

The World of the Hero: the Odyssey
Context and background; books 9-20.

Knowledge: World of the Hero

Events of books 9-20.
Concept, values and behaviour of a hero, including the ideas of time (honour) and kleos (reputation).
How the different societies depicted in the Odyssey are characterised and portrayed.
Characterisation of major and minor characters.

Invention of the Barbarian
Mythical and historical barbarians

Knowledge: Invention of the Barbarian

Aeschylus’ portrayal of the Persians in the play Persians, including: the plot, structure, characterisation (including chorus) and themes; the context in which the play was produced; characteristics and ‘un-Greek’ nature of the Persians; the behaviour and characterisation of Xerxes.
Herodotus’ portrayal of the Persians, including: the characteristics of the Persians; the characterisation of Xerxes and Herodotus’ accounts of the supernatural, narrative and literary devices.
Comparison of Aeschylus’ and Herodotus’ depictions of the Greeks, Persians and the Greek victory.
The appearance, behaviour and values of the Amazons in visual and written sources, and how these set them apart from the Greeks.

Skills:

Deepening knowledge and understanding of original sources; comparing visual and written sources; analysing plot, themes and characterisation of texts.

Useful Links

You’re Dead to Me – The Iliad and Odyssey: heroic epics from ancient Greece – BBC Sounds

In Our Time – Herodotus – BBC Sounds

Assessments:

The World of the Hero

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Book 10 10-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Scholarship annotation task
Standardised Assessed Task 3: Heroism 30-mark question

March internal preparatory exam.

Invention of the Barbarian

Standardised Assessed Task 1: visual source exam style question [10m]
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Medea 10m and 20m exam style questions
Standardised Assessed Task 3: ‘In the Persians, Aeschylus tells us more about the Greek world than about the Persian world.’ Explain how far you agree with this statement and justify your response. [30m]

March internal preparatory exam.

Term 3

The World of the Hero: the Odyssey
Books 21-24; themes and characterisation.

Knowledge: World of the Hero

Events of books 21-24.
Power of fate.
Role of the immortals.
Relationship between immortals and mortals.
Justice and revenge.
Hospitality and guest friendship (xenia)
Family.
Relationships between men and women, parents and children.
Roles of women and enslaved people in society.

Invention of the Barbarian
The Reality of Persia

Knowledge: Invention of the Barbarian

The Achaemenid dynasty and the Persian political system, including: the king, his subjects and government of the empire.
The representation of kings and imperialism in Persian sources.
The artistic and cultural achievements of the Achaemenid dynasty, including: the cultural significance of Persepolis and the Palace of Darius at Susa.
The relationship between Achaemenid and Greek art, and the influence of each on the other.
The contrast of the ‘reality’ of Persian culture and society with the Greek view, including the extent to which Herodotus shows familiarity with the reality of Persia.

Skills:

Evaluating the usefulness and purpose of different ancient sources; critically engaging with relevant scholarship; formulating clear arguments.

Useful Links

Free Thinking – The legacy of the Trojan War – BBC Sounds

BBC Ancient Greece The Greatest Show on Earth – Democrats – 1/3

Assessments:

The World of the Hero

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Thematic presentations
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Women 30-mark question

June internal preparatory exam

Invention of the Barbarian

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Reality of Persia 10m visual source question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: 20m essay focussing on Herodotus books 1-2
Standardised Assessed Task 3: 30m essay assessing the extent to which Greek representations of barbarians matched the reality of Persia

June internal preparatory exam

Year 13

Term 1

The World of the Hero: the Aeneid
Historical and political background; books 1-6.

Knowledge: The World of the Hero

Roman historical background with focus on the reign of Augustus.
Content of books 1-6.
Moral values in the Aeneid including concepts of pietas and furor.
The importance of fate and destiny.
Relationships: romantic, familial, and friendships.
The part played by women in the epic and their position in society.
The role of immortals and their relationship with mortals.
Characterisation of major and minor characters.

Love and Relationships
Greek ideas about gender roles; Sappho; Plato.

Knowledge: Love and Relationships

Greek ideas regarding gender roles and expectations of men and women.
Plato’s ideas about love and desire, including the definitions of love; the physical symptoms of desire; differences between love and desire; how desire should be resisted and controlled; homoerotic relationships.
Sappho’s extant poetry, including the purpose and audience of her poetry; her social and poetic context; the issues of fragmentary material; use of language; use of themes and motifs; use of mythology; humour.

Skills:

Knowledge and understanding of ancient context and ideas; analysing literary features.

Useful Links

Warwick University suggested resources: the Aeneid

Warwick University suggested resources: Love & Relationships

Assessments:

The World of the Hero

Standardised Assessed Task 1: book 2 10m question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: 20m question on divine intervention
Standardised Assessed Task 3: 20m question on Aeneid books 1-6

November internal preparatory exam.

Love and Relationships

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Sappho fr.1 10-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Sappho desire 20-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 3: Plato love/friendship 10-mark question

November internal preparatory exam.

Term 2

The World of the Hero: the Aeneid
Books 7-12

Knowledge: The World of the Hero

Content of books 6-12.
The portrayal of different peoples: Trojans, Greeks, and Italians.
Portrayal of war and Virgil’s attitude to war.
Roman moral values and the extent to which Aeneas exhibits them.
Virgil’s relationship to Augustus and his regime, and the extent to which these are promotes in the epic.

Love and Relationships
Roman ideas about gender roles; Ovid; Seneca

Knowledge: Love and Relationships

Seneca’s ideas about love and desire, including definitions of love; physical symptoms of desire; differences between love and desire; why desire should be resisted and controlled; homoerotic relationships.
Ovid Ars Amatoria book 3, including the purpose and audience of his poetry; his social and poetic context; the issues of fragmentary material; use of language; use of themes and motifs; use of mythology; humour.

Skills:

Comparing Roman with Greek ideas about gender roles, love and desire; analysing sources and forming arguments.

Useful Links

Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics – Series 11 – The Aeneid – BBC Sounds

Great Lives – Sappho – BBC Sounds

Assessments:

The World of the Hero

Standardised Assessed Task 1: 10m Aeneid/Odyssey comparison question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: 20m question on heroism in the Aeneid
Standardised Assessed Task 3: 30m question on the Aeneid as pro/anti Augustus

March internal preparatory exam.

Love and Relationships

Standardised Assessed Task 1: Seneca marriage 10-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 2: Ovid humour 10-mark question
Standardised Assessed Task 3: Sappho and Ovid comparison 30-mark question

March internal preparatory exam.

Term 3

The World of the Hero
Revision and exam preparation

Love and Relationships / Invention of the Barbarian
Revision and exam preparation

Knowledge:

Revision of year 12 content
Exam preparation and exam question practice.

Skills:

Recalling and deploying knowledge; making links between different aspects of the course; forming clear arguments; managing time in assessment conditions.

Assessments:

Assessments in this term are selected based on pupils’ confidence and mastery of topics in order to prepare them for final exams.