AS Classical Civilisation Information and
Introductory tasks for students
2015 – 2016 OCR
What will I study for AS Classical Civilisation?
You will study two topics in year 12 both of which are examined at the end of the academic year.
Homer’s Odyssey and Society
The principal focus of this unit is on literature, society and values. The unit is also
concerned with history and archaeology.
Candidates must study Homer’s Odyssey. Passages for the commentary questions will
be set from books 4-12 and 18-22 however we will read the entire book.
Candidates must be prepared to answer commentary questions on passages taken from
any of the material prescribed for the unit.
Literary context
Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and an understanding of:
Oral tradition
Transmission of the texts, including when the epics were written down
What their preliterate form was and whether they were composed by one or more
poets
• Structure of the epic
• Narrative techniques, including flashback, retardation, episodes
• The language of epic, including formulae and similies
• Presentation of character
• Supernatural elements, such as monsters
• Realism and fantasy
• Disguise and recognition
• Nostos (homecoming or longing for home)
Social and cultural context
•
•
•
Candidates should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The role of the gods and the power of fate
The stories of the heroes
The concept of heroism, including the ideas of honour (timé) and reputation
(kleos)
Moral concepts, such as justice and revenge
Life and society as portrayed by Homer
The part played by women in the epics and their position in society
Hospitality and guest friendships (xenia)
The role of slaves
Historical and archaeological background
Greek Tragedy in its context
The principal focus of this unit is on literature, society and values. The unit is also
concerned with history, philosophy and religion.
From June 2015to June 2016, inclusive, the set texts will be: Aeschylus’
Agamemnon, Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea and Electra.
Candidates must be prepared to answer commentary questions on passages taken from
any of the material prescribed for the unit.
Literary context
Candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
The theatre building and machinery
Use of actors
Use of the chorus
Other dramatic conventions, such as the structure of the plays, messenger
speeches and deus ex machine
• Attitudes towards the portrayal of violence and death
• Characterisation, including the role of minor characters
• Language
• Dramatic irony
• The nature of tragedy, including concepts such as hamartia, peripeteia and
katharsis
• The particular styles and approaches characteristic of each of the three
tragedians and their contribution to the development of Greek tragedy
Social and cultural context
•
•
•
•
Candidates should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how fifth-century
Athenians viewed the following:
• Dramatic festivals
• The role of the gods and fate in the world
• Oracles, omens and prophecies
• Moral concepts, such as justice and revenge
• Death and burial
• The stories of the heroes and the ideas of honour and reputation
• The role of men in the life of the city
• The position of women in society
The importance of the children and the family.
AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEK TRAGEDY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The plays were usually based on myths.
They often were concerned with human dilemmas – conflicts
between family or between humans & gods.
Action often took place off-stage & was reported on stage by a
messenger.
No women acted.
There were only ever 3 actors in a play, each playing more than
1 role.
Actors wore masks.
Plays were performed as part of a religious festival.
3 main tragedians: Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus.
THE THEATRE
Label this theatre with the following terms, then identify the meanings below:
orchestra
theatron
parados
skene
Orchestra
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Theatron
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Parados
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Skene
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Some technical terms you will use in Class Civ in As lessons are Greek naturally!
Greek Terms - Homer
Research the following words and write up a definition . Critics both in books and on
the Internet use these terms frequently, as do examiners, so it is vital that you also start
using them with confidence.
Xenia
Xenoi
Oikos
Polymetis
Nostos
Dolos
Kleos
Timē
Aretē
Technē
Nomos
Hubris
Polis
Rhapsode
Greek Terms – Greek Tragedy
Research the following words and write up a definition . Critics both in books and on
the Internet use these terms frequently, as do examiners, so it is vital that you also start
using them with confidence.
Hamartia
Prologue
Parodos (2 meanings)
Stasimon (pl. Stasima)
Epilogue
Exodus
Skene
Theatron
Orchestra
Peripeteia
Anagnorisis
Catharsis
deus ex machina
Protagonist
Deuteragonist
Stichomythia
Tetralogy
Chorus
Dithyramb
Ancient Greece – geography
Label: Athens, Sparta, Mycenae, Olympia, Marathon, Ionian
Sea, Aegean Sea, Crete
Knowledge of ancient Greek religion is fundamental to the study of the ancient Greeks.
Read the following – highlight the main points for you and then do the task below on the
mythology research.
GREEK RELIGION
Its Differences and Characteristics
1.1 DIFFERENCES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
there was no dogma
there was no set of beliefs to which everyone had to subscribe
there was no ‘official’ interpretation of religious stories
there was nothing like a church with a centralised hierarchy
there was no concept of conversion
there was no absolute distinction between the sacred and profane
there was little notion of sin or redemption
there was little of eternal damnation
there was no barrier between religion and ordinary life
there were no sacred texts (we gather information about Greek religion from the
works of poets [Homer], historians, play writers and philosophers. we also have
inscriptions, vase-paintings, votive offerings)
1.2 CHARACTERISTICS
What lay at the heart of Greek religion?
→ An infinite variety of cults (see, for instance, the various denominations of Athena,
Dionysus or Apollo, each one describing a different aspect of their power.
Why did Greeks pay honours to gods?
↓↓
Gods sought to enable individuals and states to become more prosperous, happier and more
successful
•
•
Greek religion was essentially civic (played in public arena)
the role of priests was confined to the wall of the sanctuary. The holding of a
priesthood was either hereditary or filled by lot.
Perhaps the most important difference between our sense of religion and there is that every
Greek was involved in some degree in the religious life of his/her community.
2. THE OLYMPIAN GODS
The Olympian gods are eternal but they have not existed for ever; they were all born at a
moment in time (≠ Christ and the Trinity).
The Olympians are a dynasty (and they were not terribly bright!)
Though each god was born, each is deathless and ageless: Zeus is destined always to be
middle-aged and Apollo to be always on the brink of adulthood.
The Olympians are anthropomorphic (= they resemble human forms and behaviour);
although they are stronger, more beautiful and bigger than mortal Greeks, they are neither
omnipotent nor omniscient, and they are subject to natural law.
Gods act against people not for a sense of justice but because they are driven by hurt pride
(see e.g. the myth of Marsyas flayed alive by Apollo).
3.1 GODS AND MORALITY
Greek gods are not an example of moral order simply because they are not qualified. Their
track record is lousy. Zeus’ behaviour as a husband was abominable. He seduced at least 120
women! (When in Iliad, bk. 14 he wants to go to bed with his wife Hera, he proceeds to list
numerous women with whom he had casual affairs. However, none of them - he claims - can
be compared to Hera’s beauty (?!).
The gods were all-to-human: they were petty, spiteful, vindictive, deceitful and greedy. They
were everything that the average human being would be. Paradoxically, the immorality of the
gods caused that the ordinary Greek felt an intimacy with the gods, a feeling that is
unparalleled in any other religion.
3.2 DIVINE PITY
To what extent did the gods really care about human beings?
They cared about their favourites, like Athena for Odysseus.
Did they care about the undifferentiated mass of humanity?
Not much, if at all! At the best of times, the gods were generally indifferent to human
needs and requests; at the worst, they were hostile and vindictive.
In conclusion, the Greeks did not worship their gods because they represented justice or were
supremely good beings. They worshipped them because they were powerful and because it
could be extremely dangerous not to worship them.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Find a good website or textbook – see recommendations on booklist for Mythology.
What are the over- arching myths that form the background to the play/ EPIC ?
YOUR TASK IS TO FIND THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN THE MYTH – PRODUCE A FAMILY TREE /
GENEALOGY WHICH YOU CAN USE TO ASSIT YOUR FUTURE STUDY OF THE TEXTS AT AS.
Sophocles’ Antigone – House of Thebes / Seven against Thebes / House of Oedipus
Euripides’ Medea – the story of Jason and the Argonauts
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Euripides’ Electra – the house of Atreus
Homer’s Odyssey – what happened before the epic ?
The tale of Troy –research main events and main characters ?
And finally ……………………………………………….
THERE ARE MANY GOOD MOVIES ABOUT THE ANCIENT WORLD AND ITS MAIN PLAYERS AVAILABLE
SO I RECOMMEND THAT YOU WATCH SOME IF NOT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING : AVAILABLE ION
NETFLIX /YOUTUBE AND OFTEN ON SKY OR MAINSTREAM TV.
Alexander – starring Colin Farrell
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief /Sea of monsters
300 and 300 (rise of an empire)
CLASH OF TITANS /WRATH OF THE TITANS
JASON and the Argonauts
BEN HUR
SPARTACUS
Gladiator
The Eagle
AS CLASSICAL CIVILISATION set texts for student purchase
Here are the texts you need to get for the AS course starting in
September 2015.
We are doing two modules – Greek Tragedy in Context and
Homer’s Odyssey and Society.
These are the editions you will need to get – they are all
Penguin Books and the translators’ names are important too.
Do check that you are ordering/buying the correct edition.
We will start with Euripides Medea and Homer’s Odyssey in
September so you will need your own copies of those for these
lessons.
Texts Greek Tragedy in its context
From June 2015 to June 2017, inclusive, the set texts will be:
Aeschylus' Agamemnon, Sophocles' Antigone and Euripides' Medea and Electra.
FOUR PLAYS AND THREE AUTHORS
Medea and Other Plays : Medea; Hecabe; Electra; Heracles (Penguin
Classics) [Paperback]
Euripides (Author), Philip Vellacott (Introduction, Translator)
The Oresteia (Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides)
Classics S. [Paperback]
B000AQ6P2Q
Aeschylus
(Author), Robert Fagles (Translator)
The Three Theban Plays: Antigone; Oedipus the King; Oedipus at
Colonus
B000AQ4I4S
B00256Z2AA
Robert Fagles (Author, Translator), Sophocles
(Author), Bernard Knox (Author, Introduction)
NOT THE KINDLE EDITION – THIS IS JUST FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES
AS Homer's Odyssey andSociety
Candidates must study Homer's Odyssey. Passages for the commentary questions will be
selected
from books 4–12, 18–22.
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]
B000AP7OK4
Homer
(Author), Peter Jones (Introduction), E. V. Rieu (Translator)
Background Reading
The Oxford Companion to
Classical Civilization (Oxford Companions) [Paperback]
Simon Hornblower (Author), Antony Spawforth
RRP: £22.99
Price:
£18.39 & Free Delivery with Amazon Prime
Cassell's Dictionary Of Classical Mythology [Paperback]
Jenny March (Author)
These two texts are highly recommended for purchase for students and can be used for
both as / a2 and beyond……..