NCEA L2 Classical Studies

The influence of the classical world is everywhere. Whether it be Nike shoes, democracy, the law, language, religion, art and architecture, the Olympics, mythology, comedy and drama… the classics are foundational to western thought and culture.

Classics is the ultimate multi-disciplinary subject. You will learn about art, history, drama, engineering and archaeology. You will be challenged to face the major problems the ancients and moderns have faced: war, politics and religion, resistance to unjust leaders- civil disobedience, hospitality abuse, how to handle grumpy old men and more.

We discuss similarities and differences between Aotearoa and antiquity and gain insight into our own times.

 The way the Greeks and Romans responded to the major concerns of their day “challenge, inspire and resonate with us now.”

The topics we study at Year 12 are:

Greek Mythology: Greek Hero Vs Modern Hero - This is a great introductory topic especially with students who may not have done Classical Studies in Year 11 and pick it up this year. We focus solely on the heroes of Greek mythology including Hercules, Perseus, Jason and Theseus. We learn of their characteristics and their epic stories and compare them to the modern hero Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games. 

Greek Tragedy - 'Antigone' - the most watched drama in history- the big issue is what to do when you know justice is not being done. We also look at 'Oedipus Rex' which questions what fate has in store...

Great Fire of Rome - We explore this historical event during the reign of Nero. We assess and analyse the impacts this event had on society, the environment, the financial stability of Rome and the citizens during this time. 

Greek art and architecture - For most of us, architecture is easy to take for granted. Its everywhere in our daily lives—sometimes elegant, other times shabby, but generally ubiquitous. How often do we stop to examine and contemplate its form and style? Stopping for that contemplation offers not only the opportunity to understand one’s daily surroundings, but also to appreciate the connection that exists between architectural forms in our own time and those from the past. Architectural tradition and design has the ability to link disparate cultures together over time and space—and this is certainly true of the legacy of architectural forms created by the ancient Greeks.