Classical Civilisation - Induction

A Level Classical Civilisation

3 Components

The World of the hero – studying The Iliad and The Aeneid 40%

Imperial Image 30%

Greek religion 30%

The Iliad (Ms Karsten) and Imperial Image (Mr Prideaux) in year 12

The Aeneid (Mr Prideaux) and Greek Religion (Ms Karsten) in year 13

The Greek gods

The gods were very significant in Greek life and are key characters in The Iliad. Watch this video as an introduction to the gods.

Read this extract from The Iliad. The sea nymph, Thetis (who is Achilles’ mother) has been to speak with Zeus about helping her son. Hera, who is jealous anyway of the friendship between Zeus and Thetis, is suspicious of this meeting so she challenges Zeus. What impression do you have of Zeus, Hera and Hephaistos from this passage?

The Iliad

The Iliad is about the final year of the Trojan War. The war began when Paris (a Trojan prince) eloped with Helen the wife of Menelaos, a Greek king. In this clip Menelaos and Paris are duelling because it has been suggested as a way to end the war. Paris has been helped by Aphrodite during the war and again she helps him here. https://clickv.ie/w/Ekrq

What impression do you get of Menelaos and Paris from this?

What help do the gods give to mortals?

Religion used as propaganda by Romans

The Ara Pacis was created by Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman empire, as part of the propaganda he produced to augment his rule. One of the things that he claimed was that he had re-established Rome and brought it peace after year so civil war. Watch this video about the Ara Pacis to learn more about it.

Why do you think it was important to Augustus to use religion as propaganda?

The Aeneid

The Aeneid was commissioned by Augustus also as a piece of propaganda. Augustus wanted to style himself as a new Aeneas, the original founder of the Roman people, therefore The Aeneid can be seen as an allegory. In Book (chapter) 6 Aeneas goes into the Underworld to meet his father. Whilst he is there he also sees the souls of future Romans. This is therefore a pivotal book in the propaganda. Watch this synopsis.

Why do you think that Augustus was keen to associate himself with Aeneas?

Why would it be useful for a ruler like Augustus to use these different kinds of propaganda?