CSCP

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CSCP
AN INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL CIVILISATIONS Key
Stage 3
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Rationale

• To enable students to
• Explore and understand how and what we know about
  Classical civilisations and their importance
• Question and discuss issues raised by the
  mythology and history of the Classical
  civilisations
• Relate those issues to contemporary situations

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Approach

• Ten chapters covering the evidence, a selection
  of historical, mythological and literary themes,
  and the influence of Classical civilisations on
  the later development of Europe and beyond
• Inter-chapter active-learning sections covering
  scientific, cultural and artistic achievements
• Accompanying timelines and maps
• On-line materials and support

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Chapter 1 The Context

• How do we know that the Classical civilisations
  existed?
• How can we understand the evidence?
• Where were the Classical civilisations located?
• When did the various Classical civilisations
  flourish?
• Opportunities to consider the evidence and think
  for yourself

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Chapter 2 Socrates Antigone

• The Individual and the State
• The story of Antigone and her fight for justice
• The story of Socrates was he right to challenge
  the authorities?
• What questions do the stories of Antigone and
  Socrates raise?
• What is our relationship with the law?

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Chapter 3 The Myth of Rome

• Who were the heroes of Rome? (Aeneas, Romulus
  Remus, Horatius, etc.)
• Why did Rome choose these heroes?
• The creation of the Roman Brand
• How myths are created (American West, World War
  II e.g. Thermopylae/Battle of Britain the Few
  against the Many)

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Chapter 4 Helen and Troy myth and reality

• The story of Archaeology
• Why is Heinrich Schliemann important?
• Who was Helen of Troy
• Why was this story so important to the Greeks?

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Chapter 5 Dido, Aeneas and Turnus

• Aeneas story escape from Troy, meeting Dido,
  the lost love, his mission statement, arrival
  in Italy, defeat of Turnus
• What is the Aeneid about? glorification of the
  Roman achievement and the Augustan Brand
• Exploring political spin and branding in
  contemporary societies

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Chapter 6 Greeks and Persians

• Who were the Persians and how and why did they
  become the enemy?
• How did the Athenian Democracy manage the war?
• Why did the Democracy fail?
• What is it about the East that bothers the West
  so much?

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Chapter 7 Antony and Cleopatra

• Why do they matter?
• Who was the real Cleopatra?
• Why did she get involved with the Romans?
• Who was Antony?
• Why was Egypt so important to the Romans?
• What would have been different if Antony and
  Cleopatra had won?
• Myth versus Reality Antony/Aeneas,
  Cleopatra/Dido

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Chapter 8 Cretan Stories

• The Minoans on Crete myth reality
• What destroyed the Minoans?
• How was the Palace at Knossos discovered?
• What stories are connected to the Palace?
• Minoan Art and Minoan Language
• Bulls, labyrinths, the Minotaur and metaphors

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Chapter 9 Britain and the Roman Empire

• What was Britain like?
• How did it become part of the Empire?
• Caesar and Britain
• Octavian becomes Augustus
• The Augustan Empire
• The ordinary people
• Where are todays empires?

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Chapter 10 Polis to SPQR to EU?

• How the Classical civilisations used their
  mythical past to control their present and their
  future
• The influence of the Classical past on our
  present
• The roadmap from polis to Roman Empire to current
  economic and monetary union

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Current Issues

• For example
• East versus West economics, politics, religion,
  culture?
• Branding and spin in contemporary political and
  cultural contexts
• The individual and the law
• Family loyalty and betrayal epics and soaps
• What did the Romans Greeks ever do for us?

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Inter-Chapter sections

• Archimedes, Pythagoras
• Architecture the built environment
• Astronomy, navigation
• Building techniques, roads and water supply
• Geometry
• Jewellery, coinage
• Mathematics
• Metallurgy, pottery and other technologies
• Military technology