Classical Studies

“How can we make sense of the present if we don’t understand the past?”

Classical Studies is a very popular subject in many New Zealand Secondary Schools and Lynfield College is no exception. To understand ourselves, and our place in a bicultural society, we need to know about the societies that have laid the foundations for the world in which we live. Classical Studies is the study of the people, places and events of the classical world and how they influence the modern world.
 
Western civilisation has many roots in these cultures, yet our knowledge of them is often very slight. As an interdisciplinary subject, students of Classical Studies engage with topics concerning law, medicine, philosophy, religion, science, democracy, art, literature and morality - aspects of which all have their origins in the classical world.
 
Students explore community, cultural identity, values and perspectives and think critically about human behaviour and relationships to appreciate the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome, understand the past and the present, and to imagine possible futures.
 

WHAT WE DO AT YEAR 12

We learn about:

• Classical Mythologywith particular emphasis on the Trojan War.
• Homer’s Odyssey(the Greek epic story of Odysseus)
• Social Life in 5^th Century BC Athens. In particular we look at the privileged life of aristocratic men compared to the secluded lives of women. We learn about the ancient Olympics, Greek theatre, religious festivals and much more.
• The Art and Architecture of Pompeii– buried under five metres of ash for nearly 2000 years, thisancient city has been ‘frozen in time’ providing a wonderful opportunity to study how the ancients lived.

WHAT WE DO AT YEAR 13

We learn about:

• Aristophanes’ Comedies– the Wasps and Frogs. These plays are a satirical comment on the social and political life in Athens during the Peloponnesian War. They are highly amusing and very popular with the students.
• Alexander the Great. His conquest of the Persian empire was achieved in a period of only twelve years. Students evaluate the qualities that made Alexander ‘Great’.
• Ancient Greek Art – Greek Vases. The Greeks were the first to explore how to portray realism in art – that is the concept of 3 dimensional. Through the medium of Greek Vases (mostly because, besides sculpture, there is little else left) students study the development in art.

FIELD TRIPS
In 2010 the Yr 12 Classics students went to Wellington to view the exhibition ‘A Day in Pompeii’. This displayed artefacts and artworks that have been uncovered from Pompeii. It was a hugely successful day.
Yr 12 and 13 students partake in our annual ‘Symposium’. Our very own Greek themed dinner held at Troy Restaurant. Students dress up in a Greek or Roman themed costume and prizes are awarded for the best dressed. Quizzes are held and the winning team members are each presented with a ‘laurel’ wreath in honour of their success. Authentic Mediterranean style entertainment is provided in the form of a belly dancer!