Classical Studies

VCE Classical Studies 1-4

What is a hero?  What is beauty?  What makes a leader?  What is the nature of war?  Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome confronted many of these questions that we still grapple with today.  VCE Classical Studies explores the literature, history, philosophy, art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.  Students examine classical works that have captivated and inspired generations.  These works explore love and devotion, as well as the cost of anger and betrayal.  In presenting ideas about fate and freedom, VCE Classical Studies deepens understanding of what is means to be human.

 Unit 1 - Mythical Worlds

This unit explores the myths of ancient Greece and/or ancient Rome. Mythic narratives were used to explain the physical world, the foundation of institutions and aspects of daily life.  The deeds of Theseus, the wrath of Achilles, the epic voyages of Odysseus and Aeneas are tales that have entranced countless generations.  Women such as Helen, Clytemnestra and Dido hold enduring fascination.  Greek and Roman myths combine love and war, the monstrous and the human.  They examine the nature of the individual and key aspects of society. 

 Unit 2 - Classical imaginations

This unit examines classical works across time.  It begins with the study of classical Greek and/or Roman society through an exploration of intellectual and material culture.  Classical works offer a means of exploring social and political life in classical antiquity.  What does Homer reveal about the heroic code?  How does Thucydides portray Athens during the Peloponnesian War?  How does Sallust capture the demise of the Roman republic?  How does Tacitus depict Roman political life over a century later?  What do works of architecture such as the Parthenon and the Colosseum reveal about the societies in which they were produced? The cultural achievements of the classical world have fired the imagination for centuries.  The works of classical artists and writers have provided reference points for subsequent generations to emulate, transform or react against.  In this way, classical works are subject to constant re-imagining.

 Units 3 and 4 - Classical Worlds

Units 3 and 4 have two identical areas of study and outcomes.  Students study selected works from the Classical Works lists for each unit.  These units enable student classicists to engage with the intellectual and material culture of classical Greece and/or Rome.  Students work with translations rather than the Ancient Greek or Latin.  Analysis of individual works enables students to engage with ideas that are explored by particular writers and artists.  Students evaluate the techniques used to present these concepts.  They evaluate the relationship between the work and its social-historical context.  Through comparison of classical works, students consider ways in which different writers and artists dealt with the same concept.  Such analysis reveals the changing nature of the classical world.

 Entry

There are no prerequisites for entry to Units 1, 2 and 3. Students must undertake Units 3 and 4 as a sequence within one calendar year.  Students who enter the study at Unit 3 must undertake preparatory work related to Unit 2.  There is no restriction on the number of histories a student may take.

Assessment

Satisfactory Completion

Achievement of the set of outcomes.

Units 1 and 2

A range of school based assessment tasks, including end of unit exams, will be utilised to record the standard achieved by students.

Units 3 and 4

School-assessed coursework and end-of-year examination.

Unit 3 school-assessed coursework: 25 %

Unit 4 school-assessed coursework: 25 %                 

Unit 3 and 4 examination: 50 %.