Classical Civilisation
Classical Civilisation is the study of ancient Greek and Roman cultures. The ultimate humanities subject, it comprises a wide range of disciplines, from literature to art and archaeology, to politics, history and economics, mythology and philosophy.
You will study works of epic and lyrical poetry, works of philosophy, tragedies, comedies, and you will develop an understanding of how these disciplines interrelate in order to think critically and creatively about the foundations of Western culture and society.
Many students progress to degree courses in Classics. It is also excellent preparation for degrees in Literature, History, Politics, Philosophy, Law and Drama/Theatre Studies. It is widely recognised as highly beneficial for a huge variety of career paths, including journalism, banking, politics, the creative arts, the fine art market, and academia.
Year 1
- Greek Drama: we explore Greek theatre by reading two tragedies and a slapstick comedy. The playwrights use myths to explore important issues concerning relationships between men and women, family and society, the ruler and his people, human beings and the gods. This unit also involves the study of visual/material culture.
- World of the Hero: we read Homer’s epic poem ‘The Iliad’, considering issues of love and revenge, honour and shame, heroism and suffering during the epic siege of Troy. As Achilles and the other humans count the cost, the immortal gods look down carefree from Mount Olympus.
Year 2
- Love, conflict, sex, and relations in Greece and Rome: here, we explore the power of emotions with Plato, Seneca, Sappho and Ovid through their approaches to the pain and joy of desire.
- We also read Virgil’s epic poem ‘The Aeneid’, to explore what it was to be a hero in the Roman world, including the moral values implicit in the text, such as duty to gods, state and family; the importance of fate and destiny.
Maria Wakeham
Studied: Classical Civilisation, English Language, English Literature, Philosophy + EPQ
Progression: Classics, University of Cambridge
Maria left Varndean Sixth Form College in July 2025 with A Levels in Classical Civilisation (A*), English Language (A*), English Literature (A*), Philosophy (A) and Extended Project Qualification (A*). She is now studying Classics at the University of Cambridge.
Maria says: “After attending open days and taster days. Varndean felt like home immediately. Everyone I met was incredibly friendly and somehow remembered me months later! The Classics department came into my Year 10 Classics GCSE class before Christmas; when I met them again, first in July, and then again in October, they remembered me! The argument that Varndean has a ‘community feel’ is something I heard a lot in the advertisements and at the open days, and since coming here, I can confirm it’s not just lip service.
Most importantly though, I chose Varndean because I loved the library – the deciding factor was it extensive, marvellous fiction section, alongside of course its many computers, its lovely space, splendid librarians, and it has excellent subject specific texts and a lot of online material.
I knew Classics was my plan for university – I was always going to choose it, and have loved it just as much as I knew I would. Exploring the English Language course, I swiftly learned how fascinating it is – how language reflects gender identity, power dynamics, how it changes over time – I had to know more. And I couldn’t possibly do combined Lang-Lit because I wouldn’t get to learn about half as much of all the linguistic elements! Philosophy is something I’d always been interested in, prone to philosophical thinking – the sessions on the taster day were marvellous, and so choosing it was a no brainer. English Literature I loved at GCSE, especially Shakespeare, and didn’t really want to give it up.
By the time it came to the summer of Year One, I realised I wanted to write an extended essay comparing female depiction in Athenian tragedy to recent feminist retellings, and all of a sudden, my intention to not do the EPQ (on top of four essay-based A-levels) was overruled, something which I do not regret in the slightest – I have so many further questions for when I’m at university on a topic which I’ve really loved exploring.”
Course Essentials
Courses Available
A Level
How The Course is Assessed
100% exam
Career Pathways
Degree courses in Classics/Classical Civilisation, Literature, History, Politics, Philosophy, Law and Drama/Theatre Studies. It is widely recognised as highly beneficial for a huge variety of career paths including journalism, banking, politics and academia.
Transferable Skills
Students are able to contextualise complex source material; develop analytical and evaluative skills expressing themselves with purpose, clarity and confidence.
Other Information
Each year there is a trip to either Rome or Athens. There are also opportunities for visits to plays, workshops and talks.
Enquiries To
Barbara Scalvini: bss@varndean.ac.uk
The wonder of this subject is that is actually not one subject at all. It is the perfect cross-curriculum class, as it is essentially history, drama, literature, languages and politics all in one. This is certainly why I enjoy it; the variety keeps it fascinating and relatable to any subject or area you go on to study or work in.
May Spencer, ex Priory School