Classical Greek

Why study Classical Greek?

The cultures of Greece and Rome are the basis of our own civilisation and their achievements still influence the modern world. The Classical Greek GCSE course introduces pupils to many aspects of Greek civilisation and, although the emphasis is primarily linguistic at GCSE, there is plenty of opportunity to explore cultural and historical topics. Latin and Classical Greek are the only GCSEs which require study of literature in a foreign language, a discipline which enables pupils to develop a greater understanding of the culture within which these texts were produced and which inculcates sound literary criticism skills which are transferable to the study of literature in any language. Pupils who study Greek at GCSE level invariably express an enormous sense of achievement in their mastery of this language, made all the more challenging by its different alphabet, and are often fascinated and enthused by the sheer beauty and flexibility of the language, especially when they begin to appreciate the literary skill of authors such as Homer and Herodotus. 

Pupils studying Classical Greek are encouraged to take advantage of some of the many and varied opportunities to contextualise their classroom studies and to extend their appreciation of the ancient world through site visits, theatre trips, reading competitions and classically themed lectures. The LSF Classics Department runs an annual Year 10 Classics trip to London and students of Classical Greek have priority over non-classicists on the biennial overseas LSF Classics trip, previous destinations for which have included Rome and Pompeii, Sicily, Tunisia and Greece.

What does the course involve? 

In Year 10 you will continue to follow Taylor’s Greek to GCSE course. The language side of the course is similar to what you have encountered in Year 9: more grammatical constructions are introduced and there is regular learning of vocabulary. The mastery of both grammar and vocabulary continues to be developed via grammar exercises, passages of Greek for translation and comprehension, and simple English sentences for translation into Greek. The literature side of the course is new and you will finally get to apply your knowledge of the language and engage with great works of Classical Greek literature, such as Herodotus’ Histories, Homer’s Odyssey, Euripides’ Trojan Women and Lysias’ speech On the Murder of Eratosthenes. 

How is the course assessed? 

At the end of Year 11 pupils take three examination papers: 

• The compulsory component, Greek language, counts for 50% of the GCSE. It is 1 hour 30 minutes in length. 
• Two further papers, each 1 hour in length and each counting for 25% of the total qualification, are chosen from prose literature A, prose literature B, verse literature A, verse literature B, or literature and culture. 

What can a GCSE in Classical Greek lead to?  

Classical Greek is regarded as a rigorous and challenging subject and as such it is highly regarded by the top universities and employers. Students of Classical Greek are considered to be academic and able to think in a logical and systematic way. The study of literature also develops extended writing, evaluative and analytical skills, which are vital for many subjects at A Level and beyond. Taking Classical Greek at GCSE would be a requirement for study of the subject at A Level. 

What skills does the Classical Civilisation course develop?

You will develop a range of key transferable skills in studying the subject, in particular: 

Linguistic skills: developed through translation of Classical Greek and comprehension of unseen Classical Greek passages; 

Analytical skills: developed through applying critical analysis and logical reasoning to complex passages of Classical Greek and through the close study of the literary merits of the set texts; 

Evaluation and communication skills: developed through studying the set texts and articulating your personal response to and evaluating, within its socio-historical context, the literary merits of the literature – its style, form, background and meaning.