We aim to imbue in students a sense of the inherent interest of the Roman and Greek world, and its great cultural and linguistic influence over succeeding eras. For many, this provides the foundation for a life-long interest in the Classical world. The Department believes passionately that all students can gain not only an understanding of the fascination of Latin and Greek language, literature and wider background, but also a sense of the help this knowledge can provide for so many other academic disciplines. For example, study of the grammatical structures of Latin equips students superbly for study of modern foreign languages, promotes logical thought and problem-solving and requires precision. On the other hand, the opportunity to study Greek and Roman civilisation from a distance stimulates vital consideration of social, political and cultural values, encouraging healthy comparison with modern life and opening a wealth of avenues for exploration.
From the moment they start out in Latin in Yr 7, students are encouraged to explore the background to the stories they study. By the sixth-form, this takes the form of extended student research into particular areas of interest beyond the syllabus for symposium talks or Classics Society presentations. Topics from this incredibly broad discipline range widely, from the poetry of Martial to astrology in the ancient world, the concept of heroism in Sophocles' Ajax to the use of artillery in the Roman army.
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Where Classicists go next: destinations of Latinists leaving in recent years
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Sixth Form students teach Latin to pupils at a local primary school
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The Ancient World revived at NLCS at the annual Classics Symposium
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