The Classics department offers three subjects at GCSE: Latin, Classical Greek and Classical Civilisation. All are options: some girls choose two. All are offered by the Oxford and Cambridge Examination Board and full details of the specifications can be found on the website www.ocr.org.uk.
At Godolphin and Latymer we believe very strongly in the equal value of studying the classical world through different routes, linguistic and non-linguistic. The Latin GCSE builds on the work of the first three years. The Cambridge Latin Course Book 4 arrives in Rome itself, with a host of new characters and grammatical constructions.
Selections from Book 5 are also read, building up a picture of Rome under the tyrannical emperor Domitian. The final examination consists of translation and comprehension of unseen Latin passages of increasing difficulty and there is plenty of practice in the techniques needed to succeed in this. A vocabulary list is provided. For many, the highlight of the course is the literature studied in depth: there is a selection of prose texts (in 2008, Pliny’s account of his uncle’s heroic death when Vesuvius erupted in AD 79) and portraits of two fascinatingly bad women, Clodia and Sempronia). The verse text is always a book of Virgil’s Aeneid, the great Roman epic which tells of the fall of Troy, Aeneas’ travels and his tragic love affair with Dido. Students are advised whether to complete their examination with a Further Language paper or by offering extended coursework on a topic they research for themselves, such as the city of Rome, Roman religion or entertainment. The latter option may be withdrawn by the Examination Board from 2009, but we are actively campaigning against this.
Classical Greek GCSE follows the format of Latin, using Greek to GCSE Books 1 and 2 by John Taylor. There is a choice between a further Greek comprehension passage and English sentences to be put into Greek. Vocabulary lists are provided for both of these. Again, literature is studied in depth and techniques of literary criticism developed by reading prose (usually extracts from Herodotus’ Histories or philosophy such as Plato’s Apology). The verse selection is always from Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey or from one of the great tragedians, Sophocles or Euripides.
The Classical Civilisation course is devised to give variety and to provide an interesting cultural study of the ancient world. Topics are both Greek and Roman, and incorporate literature, mythology, art, archaeology, drama and athletics. Four topics are assessed by examination: Homer’s Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, Greek Dramatic and Athletic Festivals, Greek Architecture and Sculpture. The final topic, Pompeii, is assessed by coursework: students are advised how to choose two topics which interest them and carry out their own research project based on the primary source material. Recent studies include an investigation of Pompeian gardens, the development of wall-painting styles, death, low life, women and dining in Pompeii.
Visits to the National Theatre and British Museum are integral to the course and all girls have the opportunity to visit Greece or Italy (see Extra-Curricular Activities).
