First Year Course in Classical Studies

FOREWORD

The Junior Certificate programme came into operation for the first time in September 1989, and the first examinations on it were held in 1992. The process of curriculum reform was marked by a phased programme of syllabus revision and accompanying support for teachers through in - service courses and teaching guidelines.

Ten subjects were involved in the first phase of syllabus revision. The second phase contains six subjects. The third and final phase includes the classical subjects.

Syllabuses have been devised by course committees established by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. These course committees were also responsible for drawing up Guidelines as aids to teachers in interpreting and implementing the syllabuses.

These Guidelines are not prescriptive. Each teacher is free to choose his or her preferred teaching methodology for the achievement of the specified objectives and desired outcomes of each syllabus. These Guidelines offer some suggestions which may be of further help to teachers. Particular attentionis paid to aspects of the new syllabus with which teachers might not be very familiar.

The Guidelines are but one part of an overall programme of support for teachers. It is envisaged, for example, that in-service courses will focus on many issues raised in the Guidelines.

Some general features should inform the teaching and learning associated with the new syllabuses:

• Each syllabus should be taught with conscious reference to the overall aims of the Junior Certificate programme (see inside front cover). Numerous opportunities exist for cross-curriculum linkages and these should be taken.
• Teaching practice should highlight the economic, social and cultural implications of Ireland's membership of the European community and the challenges and opportunities which this provides within a wider context of citizenship.
• Where they arise, issues related to the environment should be treated in a balanced fashion as between the need to conserve and protect the natural environment and the legitimate needs of economic development and industrial activity.

INTRODUCTION

1. THE JUNIOR CERTIFICATE SYLLABUS IN CLASSICAL STUDIES

The Syllabus consists of two stages:

Stage I: a course of study for first year which serves as a general introduction to the Classical World.

Stage II: a two-year programme consisting of an in-depth study of a selected number of prescribed topics, upon which assessment in the Junior Certificate examination is to be based.

Before setting out to teach the First Year Course in Classical Studies teachers should consult the Department of Education Junior Certificate syllabus in Classical Studies.

The syllabus is offered at two levels, Ordinary and Higher. The syllabus framework is common to both levels. Consequently students at both levels are enabled to work together until the end of the three year cycle. Differentiation between the two levels in the terminal assessment will be carried out by examining one part in every topic - part (b) - at greater depth on the Higher Level paper.

These Guidelines for the First Year Course in Classical Studies have been prepared for the assistance of teachers since no text book covers the entire content of the syllabus. It is hoped that these Guidelines will enable teachers (i) to understand the nature of the syllabus and (ii) to approach the teaching of Classical Studies with confidence. However it is not intended in these Guidelines to cover every aspect of the Ancient World and teachers are free to explore further aspects which are of particular interest to themselves. It is also important to realise that many of the topics overlap and that there are many versions of a number of the legends.

In teaching the First Year Course it should be borne in mind that it is not only a foundation for further study, but also a coherent and complete unit of study in it self for those who may not continue with Classical Studies after the first year. The Guidelines are not prescriptive but simply offer one set of suggestions for teaching the subject which can also be taught in other ways. Teachers in the classroom may adopt whatever approach or combination of approaches they wish to the syllabus. However, no matter what approach is adopted the method of teaching must allow the student to learn through active participation. Examples of suggested activities are included below. The approach and methods adopted in teaching the syllabus should also enable and encourage both teachers and students to achieve the aims and objectives of the syllabus.

2. IMPORTANCE OF CLASSICAL STUDIES IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

In his psychology of education Herbart emphasises the part played by existing knowledge, which he calls "apperception mass" , in the acquisition of new knowledge. New knowledge should always be a development of previous knowledge. The greater the interest in an object the greater the attention we give it but interest depends on the "apperception masses" that can be brought in to relation with the given object.

Classical Studies then, because of its influence on so many areas, would seem to be an important subject in creating a foundation or "apperception mass". The child who is familiar with the story of Troy will appreciate the level to which Yeats is raising Maud Gonne when he addresses her in "No Second Troy"; the student who is familiar with Virgil will appreciate more fully the pain expressed in Purcell's music "Dido and Aeneas"; the child who has met Io in the story of Prometheus will understand more fully Claude Lorraine's picture 'Juno confiding Io to Argus' in the National Gallery.

The classics are often charged with being too "academic". This is not the case. Most children enjoy legends and children who can enjoy ET and men from outer space can also enjoy Heracles, Odysseus or Theseus from the Ancient World. Children from the city centre very often live closest to the Classical buildings and can easily be trained to identify and distinguish the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders of architecture. It is merely a matter of looking at the top of the column!

Again, most children are fascinated by the apparent contradiction of the train tracks which they know are parallel and yet which seem to converge in the distance. It is only a short step then to explaining that the lines on the Panthenon are all curved or that there are different ways of looking at reality. Indeed the great educationalist Bruner in his book "On Knowing" states that "the foundations of any subject may be taught to anybody, at any age in some form. The basic ideas that lie at the heart of all science and mathematics and the basic themes that give form to life and literature are as simple as they are poweful". This is indeed the case with Classical Studies.

3. APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF CLASSICAL STUDIES

A wide variety of classroom approaches may be used in teaching Classical Studies. The teacher's choice of approaches should be such as to ensure adequate treatment of the course objectives outlined in the syllabus. They should be carefully planned and executed, and should be conditioned by the following special considerations:-

1. Students should be enabled and encouraged to enjoy Classical Studies
   
   • If a story-centred approach is used, as suggested in the syllabus, students will enjoy the subject. The Aegean can be introduced, for example, with the story of King Aegeus, or, Athens with the story of the contest between Athene and Poseidon and most will enjoy trying to solve the Riddle of the Sphinx.
   • Young students love to trace and colour. When learning about the Gods they could be encouraged to trace and colour each God with their own appropriate symbols. This will increase the students' enjoyment of this particular topic.
   • Mime too is a favourite mode of communication in first year. A student could mime, for example, some of the labours of Heracles, with the other students guessing what is being mimed. Alternatively a simple play, based on one of the stories, could be written and acted out by the students.
   • Quiz games are always popular. They are an excellent form of recall, and homework in preparation for a quiz, will focus the students' attention on the names of important places and personages.
   • Range of vocabulary can be increased in an enjoyable way if studied in relation to the story. For example, when studying Mount Olympus as the home of the Gods, words such as "inhabit", "habitation" and the French verb "habiter" can be introduced. Similarly the word "deity" can be introduced, perhaps in a quiz entitled "Who is the deity of.... ?"
   • A little music based on a theme from the Ancient World could be introduced at the beginning or end of a class, and this would undoubtedly be welcomed by the students.
   • The teacher should try to make the student aware of the languages of the Ancient World. If given a copy of the Greek alphabet, students will enjoy writing, in Greek letters, their own names or the names of the Gods. Should the ethos of the school allow, the Latin "Our Father" could be used as a class prayer.
   • The great beauty of Classical Studies is that it can be connected, in an enjoyable way, with almost any other subject.
     
2. The teacher should rely on primary evidence where possible
   
   • The main primary sources are given under each topic in the Guidelines. The concept of primary evidence should be explained to the students.
   • To start in our own country it might be pointed out that Newgrange in Co. Meath and the C~idefields in Co. Mayo are examples of primary evidence from the Stone Age in Ireland; the gold lunulae in the National Museum are evidence of the Bronze Age; the Turoe Stone in Galway the Iron Age; the High Crosses, Round Towers, Chalices and Manuscripts are evidence of Christianity. If there are important features in the students' own locality these might also be pointed out.
   • One can then point out that the literature, field monuments and artifacts of Ancient Greece and Rome provide us with primary evidence for our knowledge of the ancient, classical world. Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" tell us about the Bronze Age and the Story of Troy. They are examples of "oral" literature, which is discussed in further detail on page 7. We can learn something of the great achievements of Athens in the 5th century B. C. from the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes, from the philosophy of Socrates and Plato, from the medical ethics of Hippocrates, from the architecture of Callicrates and Ictinus, from the sculpture of Phidias and from the beauty of the Athenian vases. The mound at Marathon is a reminder of the dead of the Persian War and through the writings of the historian Thucydides we can get a first hand account of the plague at Athens or listen once again to the speeches of that great Athenian statesman, Pericles.
   • On the Roman side, we can turn to the great architectural features of Rome herself such as the Colosseum or Amphitheatre, Hadrian's Pantheon, the Ara Pacis (altar of peace of Augustus), the column of Trajan, the equestrian monument to Marcus Aurelius, the triumphal arches of Titus and Constantine as examples of primary source materials. Many passages in Virgil are also suitable for first year the description of Charon on the River Styx, the warrior princess Camilla and the great shield being made for Aeneas by the Cyclopes, under Mount Etna in Sicily.
   • But it is to nature that we owe one of the best records of Roman civilisation - Pompeii. On August 24th, 79 AD, the city of Pompeii was envloped by volcanic sediments from an eruption of Vesuvius and was not unearthed again until the 1800's. These excavations continue to this day at Pompeii. Here truly is recorded a day in the life of a Roman city - the inhabitants in their final seconds of life, the animals, houses, inns, baths, theatres, amphitheatre, paintings, mosaics, jewellery, and the great centre of their lives - the Forum. In his letters to Tacitus, Pliny the Younger describes the events of that morning. Surely no modern newspaper could have recorded so well the dying moments of Pompeii.
     
3. Students should be shown how to conduct a critical examination of source materials.
   
   • Students can be taught to examine material critically even in this First Year Course. In the case of Greek art, they can be shown that there is a normal progression from the Stylised to the Naturalistic. This can best be done by taking an example from each of the three great periods of art - the Archaic, the Classical and the Hellenistic. Taking the Auxerre Kore as an example of Archaic art it can be shown that the artist is having difficulty in representing things in an atural way, and so this figure has a triangular face, cotton-wool like hair, and a gown with out folds, and she is standing rather stiffly, looking straight ahead. By comparing this with the Goddesses of the Parthenon frieze, one can immediately see that now in the Classical period the sculptor has no difficulty in representing the human anatomy, the natural folds of the drapery or whatever position is assigned to the chosen figures. One can further identify another distinctive feature of the art of this period in the "serenity" of the face, which shows humans at their most balanced. By the Hellenistic period, the artist adds a further dimension - human emotion, best seen in the pain of Laokoon as he is strangled with his sons by the serpents. The history of Greek sculpture, therefore, shows that man learned very gradually how to present things in a realistic way. Students could then be asked to observe the gradual progression in the attempts made at drawing by a very young brother or sister - they will draw a circle before a square, a square before a diamond, and a man or woman with a head sitting on a body long before they can draw one with a neck!
   • Another useful exercise is to create a framework for the student which can be applied to any work of art. Taking "The Mourning Athene" as an example, students might examine it under the following headings:

     Theme	how do we know that it is Athene? - by the helmet, spear
     Stylised or Realistic	movement (stance) drapery expression
     Atmosphere	what makes it sad
     Purpose	where might you find it? votive relief
     Chronology	where does it fit in? (Early Classical) why would you not say Archaic? why would you not say Hellenistic?

   • First year students can also be helped to understand Greek philosophy by means of very basic exercises in philosophic thinking. Most students enjoy an exercise on the question of "What is reality?". By observing their desks they can be led to discover that there is a difference between what we know to be there (Plato) and what we actually see (Aristotle). They will soon agree that there are two kinds of "reality" - the desk as they know it with its rectangular top and four legs and the desk as they see it from another angle with perhaps only one, two or three legs and part of a top! They can then be shown how ideas like these can be translated into art by means of symbolism. In Raphael's" School of Athens "Plato points upwards, and this gesture is a symbolic reminder of his philosophic theory of the ideal form, while Aristotle points downwards, thereby symbolically reminding us of his more earth bound philosophy.
   • In a similar way, first year students can be helped in their study of classical architecture by means of simple illustrations of, for example, a basic law of perception that the eye can be deceived. Train tracks are parallel but when we look at them from a distance, they appear to converge and this too is the way we must draw them. The ancient Greeks, realising that our eyes fool us, built the Parthenon in such a way that all the lines look straight yet each is designed with a curve!
   • In dealing with the literature of the Ancient World, one should distinguish between oral literature and written literature. Some of the problems of oral literature could then be discussed - the fact that the story may change somewhat as it is passed from mouth to mouth, thus accounting for a number of versions of the same story, all of which are acceptable. Students should also realise that in the case of the oral tale the pace of the story is determined by the person telling the tale, and the listener cannot flick back over the pages as the reader of a written tale can. It can then be pointed out that, since the storyteller is controlling the pace of the delivery of the story, techniques must be used which help the listeners to follow the story. Hence a major feature of oral literature is repetition.
   • The students' attention could also be drawn to the fact that many of the characters in Ancient Literature are going on a journey - Odysseus is travelling home to Ithaca; Aeneas to Italy; Heracles around the world performing tasks or "labours" which might make him immortal. They might then be encouraged to write their own stories using travel as a theme.
     
4. The need to preserve classical culture and to transmit it to future generations should be impressed upon the student
   • This might be done by perhaps telling a story from the ancient world to a member of their family, by helping others identify the architectural orders and classical features of the buildings around them and by taking care of and encouraging others to take care of the ancient remains in their own locality.
     
5. Students should be made aware of the influence of Greek and Roman Civilisation on later European culture
   • There is a section in each topic dealing with the influence of Greek and Roman Civilization on later European culture. There is hardly any area in life where the influence of the Greeks and Romans is not felt. They have influenced religion, literature, philosophy, painting, sculpture, music, ballet, porcelain, jewellery, medicine, law, mathematics, science, English and European languages, games, physical education, and more recently, advertising (e.g. the Cyclops on the potato crisp bag; Asterix was the star of the "Irish Times"; Argus, with his electronic eye, watching the neighbourhood!).
     
6. Suggestions for an approach to a topi
   • When the teacher is preparing a class the following should be included where appropriate:-
     • a map of the area relevant to the topic
     • an outline of the class theme or topic
     • a summary of the main points relevant to the topic - primary sources
     • influence on European culture
     • sources where relevant materials may be obtained
     • suggested activities for students
     • related topics.

4. THE CROSS-CURRICULAR VALUE OF CLASSICAL STUDIES

A study of Greek and Roman Civilization has cross-curricular value in the following areas:-

1. Religion: It is interesting that behind what were probably the two greatest civilizations, the concept of religion is very strong. It pervaded the whole of life. The Gods were worshipped in the home and in the great temples; in the theatre and on the battlefields; in life and in death. A study of Greek and Roman culture, therefore, helps us to understand the role of religion in society.
2. As a social study: The Greek "polis" of 5th century B. C. Athens could be seen as a microcosm where one could study religion, art, architecture, social structures and politics, family and public life, the role of women and the problems of life - problems which are still with us today and which were dealt with so well in the great classical plays. We can study there too the old education system which produced great men such as Pericles, Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Hippocrates, Socrates, Thucydides and Phidias.
3. As an aid to perceptual development: Through a study of classical art, sculpture and architecture, and of the images in the epics and the plots and characters in the plays, students can develop their perceptual awareness.
4. As a basis for creative writing: To be creative the child must be exposed to fantasy, and one of the most important aspects of Classical Studies in first year is its high content of myth and legend.
   One can help students to create their own stories by drawing their attention to certain aspects of the legends. For example, central to most of the legends is the concept of Travel. Students will quickly see that travel can be a very useful framework for the construction of a story of their own. All one needs is a main character moving from place to place, and a plausible motive for his/her travelling.
   The student might attempt a story by following instructions such as these:
   1. Decide on a reason for travelling.
   2. Draw a visual plan e.g. a road.
   3. Mark a number of points on the road where the main character will stop.
   4. Decide on a reason for stopping, e.g. hunger, weather, fear, to meet another character, wild animal, monster, vision, to make a visit, to revisit something/someone
   5. At each point describe - what you encounter - your feelings.
   6. Reach your destination or finish your travels for some other reason.
      
      In describing a character, a method similar to that used in the oral epic could be introduced, i.e. the use of formulae. For example, the student could be taught to describe a certain number of features as follows:
      • age: young/old
      • face
      • skin
      • hair
      • clothes
      • shoes
      • manner of moving
        Passages from the T~in and the Fiannaiocht could be read to providestudents with ideas for their own stories.
        One could also discuss with them the various points where a story might start - the use of flashback, movement from reality to imagination, and the use of dialogue.
        The story can also be used to extend students' vocabulary. For example, the words "deity", "encounter" and, from the story of Tantalus, the word "tantalise", will usually be new discoveries for first year students.
        It is the story too which fixes in the student's mind much of the geography of the classical world. The Aegean, Hellespont, Athens, Crete, Mycenae, Ithaca, Troy, Carthage, Rome - all have stories associated with them.
5. Moral development and personality: Because the student can stand back and examine the characters in literature in an objective way the latter can become powerful models of behaviour. One can profitably reflection:
   • the prudent behaviour of Odysseus in relation to the lovely Nausicaa (The Odyssey)
   • the heartbreak of Dido after she allows her heart rule her head (The Aeneid)
   • the "pietas" and "gravitas" of Aeneas in his attitude to the Gods, his family, his community and the State (The Aeneid)
   • the fidelity of Penelope in contrast to the infidelity of clytemnestra (The Odyssey)
   • the breakdown of Athens and the didactic role of the poet as Aristophanes recalls Aeschylus from the Underworld (The Frogs)
   • the problem of family breakdown (Medea)
   • Tyranny and Defiance (Prometheus Bound)
   • the sensitive and moving treatment of adoption, murder, incest, suicide (King Oedipus).

In his essay on "Literature and the Development of Personality", Professor E.F. O'Doherty discusses the role of literature in the formation of personality. "It begins", he says, "in Plato with the teaching of the great myths and takes on body in Aristotle with the theory of Catharsis. But it is in the use by Freud of the Greek myths to teach us about ourselves that we see the true function of literature in personality growth". Continuing he says "When a class of future psychiatrists asks for a reading list, I usually recommend Sophocles, Dante and Shakespeare".

As a means of comprehensive personal development: Education of the whole person was the aim of Greek education and this continues to be accepted as a primary aim of education today. A classical education takes account of the spiritual and moral, the aesthetic and the social; it prepares students for work, for leisure and for further study and above all it places them firmly within the classical European tradition.