Classical Studies

Introduction

This is a brand-new course, aimed at stimulating students’ interest and curiosity in the Classical World. It will be examined for the first time in 2023 and is currently being studied by the current 5th years. The 6th years are studying the old course.
Owing to the fact that it is being studied for the first time there may be some changes to the order and time we allocate to the Strands of Study.  

Assessment

LC 2022

In the final examination pupils will do SIX questions in total. ONE question from each of the FOUR sections and TWO additional questions.  The total marks for the exam will be 300 as each question carries 50 marks and the exam is three hours in length.

LC 2023 onwards

There are two components:

Written examination 80%
Research Study (6th Year) 20%

5th Year (new course)

6th Year (new course - LC 2023 onwards)

Power and Identity: Alexander the Great

Greek and Roman Funerary practices

Philosophical ideas about morality and living well

The Colosseum and Circus Maximus 

Research Study

Current 6th Year (LC 2022)

Weeks 1-14 Alexander the Great:

The Alexander the Great course will be completed in these fourteen weeks. Topics covered will include:

It is studied through two texts:

•       “The Campaigns of Alexander” Arrian

•       “The Age of Alexander” Plutarch

In each of the above texts different aspects of Alexander’s achievements are emphasized. Arrian likes to detail his military achievements while Plutarch likes to concentrate on his personality and character. As neither of the writers were contemporaries there is a need to use other sources in order to get as clear a picture of the period as possible.

It is envisaged that by the end of the year pupils will have covered:

•       His early life, role of his father, Philip II, and his accession.

•       His early conquests up to and including the battle of Guagemela.

•       His final conquest and consolidation of the whole Persian Empire.

•       Final conquest of the Persian Empire, conquest of India and the journey back to the Persian Heartland.

•       Themes such as Alexander’s Divinity and Opposition to Alexander will be covered.

Weeks 15-25 Roman Art and Architecture
 

This topic will not be completed by the time of the Mock Examinations but enough will be covered to make to make this examination   a replica of the experience to come in June.

We intend to start the  Roman buildings course, one day a week, from the start of sixth year. So in effect we will do one class of this topic and four classes of Aenied and Alexander each week. 

The Textbook for this topic is Roman Art and Architecture by Mortimer Wheeler and all the exam questions are drawn from material in this text. It is however necessary to use other material to help illustrate the points made by Wheeler. Pupils may also benefit from a School Trip to Rome and Pompeii during which they will see first hand many of the examples of Art and Architecture covered in the course.

General trends in Roman Art need to be understood as well as details of particular examples. It is also necessary for the pupil to realize the size and scale of the Empire and the fact that Roman influence was exercised over a period of about 1000yrs.

The topic has two main Sections

1.    Roman Buildings, (temples, baths, forums and basilicas, theatres, amphitheatres and circuses, houses and palaces, arches and engineering.)

2.    Roman Art, ( aspects of sculpture and painting: portraiture, narrative and landscape.)

It is planned to complete the section on Roman buildings by the time of the mocks and that the rest of the Topic will be finished by week 26.

Weeks 26 – end of year: Revision
In the remaining time we can work out a planned revision schedule. We can concentrate on certain areas and allocate them extra time if necessary. There will be a number of class tests and all questions will be as similar as possible to the substance and style of those they will be faced with in the actual exam. Work from Past Papers will be important and final refinements of exam technique will be carried out.

Useful Links

https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/Senior-Cycle-Subjects/Classical-Studies/