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What is Classical Civilisation like as an A- Level?

Hey is there anyone who is currently taking Class Civ for A-Level and would they mind telling me what it's like so I can help narrow down my options:smile: (I'm currently doing CIE IGCSE english and History at school)
I am, I personally find it absolutely amazing, it's everything I wished history was!
The exam board I'm currently studying is split into 2 'units' (as I call them, they might have a technical name). One is women in Athens and Ancient Rome, the other is Homer's Odyssey.
Women in Athens and Ancient Rome is basically what it says on the tin, we study the role of women in Athens first (and only have so far), what was expected of them, what men thought of them, their roles/rights in society, then we have a look at law court speeches and a text called 'how to train a wife' which tells us more about men's attitudes towards women. Then we studied Women at the Thesmophoria, which is a play by Aristophanes and that tells us more about Athenian humour and views of women. If you think of history as the politics of the past, this is more the sociology of the past.
Homer's Odyssey is basically English Literature in another hat. We study the language used, how words/phrases are used to create the desired effect, etc.
It goes very well with English Literature and I would imagine history, though as I don't study history I can't say for definite. I think it'd be quite interesting to a university since it's not particularly common but again, I don't know.
I hope this helps!
Reply 2
Original post by Judopixie
I am, I personally find it absolutely amazing, it's everything I wished history was!
The exam board I'm currently studying is split into 2 'units' (as I call them, they might have a technical name). One is women in Athens and Ancient Rome, the other is Homer's Odyssey.
Women in Athens and Ancient Rome is basically what it says on the tin, we study the role of women in Athens first (and only have so far), what was expected of them, what men thought of them, their roles/rights in society, then we have a look at law court speeches and a text called 'how to train a wife' which tells us more about men's attitudes towards women. Then we studied Women at the Thesmophoria, which is a play by Aristophanes and that tells us more about Athenian humour and views of women. If you think of history as the politics of the past, this is more the sociology of the past.
Homer's Odyssey is basically English Literature in another hat. We study the language used, how words/phrases are used to create the desired effect, etc.
It goes very well with English Literature and I would imagine history, though as I don't study history I can't say for definite. I think it'd be quite interesting to a university since it's not particularly common but again, I don't know.
I hope this helps!




thank you :smile:
Original post by Judopixie
I am, I personally find it absolutely amazing, it's everything I wished history was!
The exam board I'm currently studying is split into 2 'units' (as I call them, they might have a technical name). One is women in Athens and Ancient Rome, the other is Homer's Odyssey.
Women in Athens and Ancient Rome is basically what it says on the tin, we study the role of women in Athens first (and only have so far), what was expected of them, what men thought of them, their roles/rights in society, then we have a look at law court speeches and a text called 'how to train a wife' which tells us more about men's attitudes towards women. Then we studied Women at the Thesmophoria, which is a play by Aristophanes and that tells us more about Athenian humour and views of women. If you think of history as the politics of the past, this is more the sociology of the past.
Homer's Odyssey is basically English Literature in another hat. We study the language used, how words/phrases are used to create the desired effect, etc.
It goes very well with English Literature and I would imagine history, though as I don't study history I can't say for definite. I think it'd be quite interesting to a university since it's not particularly common but again, I don't know.
I hope this helps!

this all sounds amazing, would love to take it:smile: i'm just worried classics might be considered as soft? i'd prefer choosing it over philosophy but am concerned that philosophy is more respected?
please could you shed some light on what you think! thanks!
I don't think it's considered soft at all, it is more or less English Literature crossed with sociology crossed with history, none of which are soft.
Original post by Judopixie
I don't think it's considered soft at all, it is more or less English Literature crossed with sociology crossed with history, none of which are soft.


ah brilliant okay, should be fine then
Something to note is that the specifications for Classical Civilisation will be changing from September and if I remember correctly AQA will no longer be offering it to new students. However, OCR still will be doing so. Their content for 1st year is:
one module on either Homer's Iliad or Homer's Odyssey
one module on Greek theatre or imperial image or Invention of the Barbarian* or Greek Art*

N.B. Invention of the Barbarian and Greek Art will only be offered by exam centres that are NOT entering candidates for the AS exams at the end of 1st year.

It might be worth checking what options your school/college intends to offer and whether you find them interesting!
I'm doing it in A2 and I have to say I'm glad I made the right decision. There are different modules though so watch out!

To me it's basically a glorified version of English Literature, except far more memorable and exciting.

Undoubtedly you will do Homers' Epics and Virgil's Aeneid. They're cool.

I'm doing a lot of Satire and Comedy in Rome. I'm not sure if your school offers the same though.
Original post by Balabanator
I'm doing it in A2 and I have to say I'm glad I made the right decision. There are different modules though so watch out!

To me it's basically a glorified version of English Literature, except far more memorable and exciting.

Undoubtedly you will do Homers' Epics and Virgil's Aeneid. They're cool.

I'm doing a lot of Satire and Comedy in Rome. I'm not sure if your school offers the same though.


What's the Aeneid like? We do the tragedies of Euripides in A2 but I did study it briefly in Latin and it was awesome!
Original post by Judopixie
What's the Aeneid like? We do the tragedies of Euripides in A2 but I did study it briefly in Latin and it was awesome!


yeah we haven't actually finished it yet but it's quite a nice read. Its a harder read than the Iliad and Odyssey because of how intricately written it was by Virgil and on top of how many different premises the poem was written on (like the glory of Rome and Augustus and tying into the Odyssey and Iliad). Loads of people say its like a combination of both the Odyssey and the Iliad.
I'd say that unless you have some grounding in it already (you've read Homer or Virgil, for example) or you have a particular interest, stay clear of it. It is not some 'cool alternative' to History or English Literature, you'd be much better off doing those and if you can't be bothered to do those or you think you can't then it's not a good idea.

In my experience, it's just a stripped down version of an actual interesting A-Level. It has been reduced to make it accessible to state school students who still have a disadvantage because mostly private schools offer it. If you're a state school student then you're in direct competition (due to the small applicant base that is shrinking every year) with private schools, who have so many more hours of teaching and generally better staff (say what you like about private schools, I have friends who go to them and the only people I know who got better GCSEs than them were people who went to grammar schools). If you go to a private school then you're facing an A-Level that is unnecessary for taking the subject further and your time would be better spent on something like Latin.

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