Classical Greek

The language and civilisation of the ancient Greeks has informed the way people live for more than 2,000 years, and continues to offer endless opportunities for questioning and reflection. Pupils start with the epics of Homer and the poetry of Sappho, working their way through the philosophical ideas of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, then move onto the powerful tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They step outside the classical world and recognise the influence of the Greeks on the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche or on the words of the suffragettes, who quoted Medea’s views on childbirth as they protested. It is difficult to find a part of life that has not in some way been influenced by the ancient Greeks. So reading their writing in the original language provides a wonderful opportunity to learn how their world can shine a bright light on our own.

The A Level course builds on the GCSE, giving pupils a more sophisticated understanding of the language. This enables a more detailed study of prose and verse literature, inspiring and motivating a deeper awareness of the life and culture of the ancient world. There are separate papers in language and literature. For the language component, both prose and verse authors are studied (Xenophon and Euripides). In literature, pupils study two from Thucydides, Plato and Plutarch as prose authors and two from Homer, Sophocles and Aristophanes as verse authors.

There is no denying that Classical Greek is a challenging subject. It is academically rigorous, and pupils need a passion for grammar. However, the language is again in the ascendant as more Greek plays are performed in national theatres and many novels inspired by (female) characters from Greek literature are published (by such respectable authors as Pat Barker, Madeleine Miller, and Charlotte Higgins). This A Level is a very good way to make a UCAS form stand out from the crowd.

As an A Level subject, Classical Greek complements almost every other subject, from the sciences through any modern language to Theatre Studies, English and Religious Studies. It is highly valued by universities and can be useful to pupils intending to study courses such as Medicine, Law, Modern Languages and English, as well as Classics. Recent pupils have gone on to study Classics at Oxford and other degrees such as Ancient History, Art, Classical Literature, Medicine and Theology at Edinburgh, Newcastle, Durham, Exeter and Falmouth. Pupils need to have studied the GCSE in order to take it for A Level.

Examination board: OCR Specification code: H444

Four end-of-course examinations: • Unseen Translation: 100 marks / 1 hour 45 minutes / 33% • Comprehension: 50 marks / 1 hour 15 minutes / 17% • Prose Literature: 5 marks / 2 hours / 25% • Verse Literature: 75 marks / 2 hours / 25%

s.blewitt@sherborne.com