Greek
The Greeks were a fascinating race, perhaps the most artistic, literary and innovative of ancient peoples, and in studying their language for AS and A2 level we meet them in the most direct way possible – through their writings, which bring them to life again in a way that no museum exhibits or history courses could.
Literature
The AS and A2 courses have a large literature element, and the most interesting set texts are chosen by the teachers from a fairly long list provided by the examination board. Over the last few years these have included parts of the epic oral poems of Homer: the Iliad, about the great Greek hero Achilles and his anger at being snubbed by his commander-in-chief as they are besieging Troy, an anger that led to awful consequences for the Greeks and for Achilles himself; and the Odyssey, the epic poem telling the story of the return home of Odysseus from Troy to Ithaca after the Trojan War; plays of Euripides (who, along with his fellow – Athenians Aeschylus and Sophocles, wrote the first dramas that exist in Europe), such as the Bacchae, in which the king of Thebes, Pentheus, tries to stop the god Dionysos from initiating his worship in his city and ends up being torn limb from limb by his mother Agave and her sisters who have been maddened into the mountains by the god and think Pentheus is a lion; Thucydides, who wrote the first analytical history book still in existence today, about the great war between the Athenian Empire on the one side and the Spartans and the Peloponnesians on the other.
Aren’t these ancient books irrelevant today?
Not at all! Because these works of literature are much older than literature normally studied in schools, this does not mean that they are any less relevant or fascinating – quite the opposite is true. The Greeks of two and a half thousand years ago, although in some ways very different from us, are in many other ways just like us, with the same emotions, hopes, fears and love of life. Their world was young and vibrant, and their ability to invent was amazing. They knew the Earth is round, and they had even calculated its size remarkably accurately! We can learn a great deal about life and about ouselves from these people.
What qualifications do I need to take AS level Greek?
To take AS and A2 level Greek you need a good grade at GCSE. If you can cope with all the complicated word-endings and grammar you had to learn at that stage, you will be able to manage the language for A level work with little problem. You need to have a liking for thinking – about literature and its qualities as well as the language, and a desire to find out more about these fascinating people at first hand from their own works. With these qualities, you would find Greek at this level very enjoyable.
What subjects can I take with Greek?
As with Latin, sixth formers in the past have combined Greek with almost any other subject – sciences and maths as well as other Arts subjects. Its traditional companion is Latin, and to take both Latin and Greek means that your knowledge of the ancient world would indeed become extensive and thorough; as the two languages have so much in common this means that work in one helps the other, thereby saving time and effort. But Greek can be taken with any subject.
Where does it lead?
Many sixth formers who have taken Greek have gone on to study Classics at University. Others have taken other subjects at degree level, such as Law. Whatever course is chosen after the AS and A2, the same careers are available as for most other Arts degree subjects, and specific careers advice is available elsewhere in the booklet.
Exams (we do not ask our students to offer coursework)
AS
Paper 1
Unseen Translation
Paper 2
Prose and Verse Set Text
A2 Paper 1 Verse Set Text and Unseen
Paper 2 Prose Set Text and Unseen
For further details see Mr Phil Maree, Head of Classics.