EXAMINATION BOARD: OCR

Ancient History gives pupils the opportunity to study the glories of Ancient Greece and the rise of the Roman Empire, including some of the defining moments in western history. The particular focus of the course is on the fascinating, brutal and at times frankly bizarre culture of Ancient Sparta, along with the Machiavellian rise to power of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus. The course allows study of a wide range of interesting and important themes in politics, warfare, relationships and many others, and raises challenging questions about our own social norms and mores. The course is primarily source-based; pupils will read and evaluate a wealth of source material from both cultures in English. Assessment is primarily essay-based, and takes place through two written examinations at the end of the two year course.

Pupils will:

• Study a wide range of source material from Ancient Greece and Rome in English translation, evaluating the usefulness and reliability of the sources for the historian.
• Study one period of Greek and one period of Roman history in broad outline.
• Engage in an in-depth study of two periods each of Greek and Roman history and culture based on primary sources.
• Develop their skills in extended writing, learning how to structure arguments on
• a wide range of topics and writing essays.
• Discuss complex themes and topics at the very heart of human existence, including love, war and politics.