VCE Classical Studies

What is VCE Classical Studies?

Classical Studies explores the enduring cultures and ideas of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. These ideas have intrigued and influenced Western societies for centuries. By examining the written works (in translation) and material culture of these two ancient societies, students of Classical Studies develop a rich understanding of the intellectual and cultural life of these cultures.

Students analyse classical works, such as mythologies, written texts, art and artefacts, that were produced in the classical world.

Unit 1

Mythical World

In this unit students explore the myths of ancient Greece and/or ancient Rome, the search for their meaning, and their contribution to both classical and modern culture.

In the classical world, myth encompassed the nature of the gods, the deeds of heroes like Achilles and Theseus, and the epic voyages of Odysseus and Aeneas. Women such as Helen, Clytemnestra and Dido have endured in myths that contemplate love and war, the human and the monstrous. Students examine the nature and function of selected myths and consider the influence of the myths studied on modern culture.

Students also explore the history of archaeology in the Mediterranean Basin, observing how the pioneers of archaeology sought to explain the possible historical basis of particular myths. Students engage with current debates about the ethics of archaeology and ownership of the past.

Areas of Study:

1. Gods, heroes and the legacy of myth

2. Myths and archaeological practice

Unit 2

Classical Worlds

In this unit students examine classical society. They discover how mythic systems, ideas and beliefs, and classical works were integral to the fabric of classical culture. They use classical works, and the context in which they were created and disseminated, as a means of exploring religious, social, political or philosophical life in classical antiquity.

Areas of Study:

1. Myths, ideas and beliefs in classical culture

2. Expressing classical cultures

Unit 3

Classical Expressions

In this unit students engage with two forms of cultural expression of the classical world: epic poetry and material culture. Students develop their breadth of classical interpretation by examining two vastly different mediums through which classical societies expressed ideas and understandings.

Students consider these literary and material works within their socio-historical contexts, evaluating what they reveal about the ideas, attitudes and beliefs of the society that produced them, and further deepening their understanding of a classical society or classical societies.

Areas of Study:

The epic tradition
Material culture

Unit 4

Classical Perspectives

In this unit students engage with the intellectual life of the classical world through a thematic cultural study of an overarching concern of classical culture and through analysis, evaluation and comparison of a range of different works. Students are exposed to a range of forms and genres of classical written and material works.

Areas of Study:

Classical concerns
Classical comparisons

Who do I contact to find more?

Mrs Kim Carter: kcarter@cmc.vic.edu.au

Ms Sarah Gross: sgross@cmc.vic.edu.au

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