The influence of the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome on the formation of modern Europe and the development of Western society has been profound. In order to understand our own civilisation properly today, we must understand and appreciate what classical civilisation was in its various manifestations and how it has been transformed and enriched in the passage of time. The study of the Classics is crucial in keeping awareness alive of our shared inheritance from Greece and Rome, an inheritance which is the unifying foundation of our European culture.
Under the heading of Classics are subsumed the three secondary school subjects of Latin, Greek and Classical Studies.
Latin
Through the study of the Latin language students are brought into immediate contact with the ancient Romans themselves – with their literature, history, political and social institutions. From this they can gain a fascinating picture of Europe’s first cosmopolitan culture. In addition they become conscious of the way in which Latin lives on languages we speak today: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian and other Romance languages are direct descendants of Latin. A knowledge of Latin is invaluable in understanding the roots of these languages, how they developed and how they continue to develop.
The advantages afforded by a knowledge of Latin extend beyond the Romance languages. Not only is the study of German grammar greatly facilitated by a familiarity with Latin, but many Latin words and phrases have also been adopted into the German language. The English language too, while not deriving directly from Latin, has borrowed extensively from it over the centuries. It is estimated that approximately 85% of English words are derived from Latin. It is necessary to have some understanding of Latin in order to have a thorough understanding of English.
Latin, therefore, ought to be a vital part of every child’s education. In recent decades studies have shown that students who have taken courses in Latin have enjoyed improved performance in basic and advanced literacy quite substantially over those who have not taken them. Increasingly second and even third-level teachers in Ireland are complaining about a lack of basic metalinguistic skills among students, a lack which impacts on all literary and linguistic subjects. Latin can be a very useful tool in improving students’ literacy skills. By tradition Latin is studied as a core subject by most students in First Year in Alexandra College. It is available thereafter as a subject in both the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate, and as a Transition Year module.Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
In many ways the debt that our society owes to the ancient Greeks is even greater than that which it owes to the Romans. Through the study of Ancient Greek students meet at first hand the language that was the medium for the creation and development of most major areas of intellectual and artistic endeavour – epic, lyric and dramatic poetry, history, oratory, philosophy, religion, medicine, mathematics and more. The ancient Greeks created a vocabulary – basically the one in use today – to describe the literary, dramatic, historical, political, philosophical, artistic, architectural, mathematical and scientific dimensions of our intellectual existence. Ancient Greek civilisation had a powerful impact on the education and outlook of the political and intellectual leaders of the Roman Republic and Empire. It was the official language of the Eastern Roman Empire centred in Byzantium down to 1453 AD. Through these channels it ultimately inspired the Renaissance and laid the foundations of modern civilisation.
Ancient Greek is available to students from Second Year for the Junior Certificate and as a Leaving Certificate Subject.
Classical Studies
The student of Classical Studies does not study the classical languages. In compensation, she has more time than the language students to engage in a wide-ranging exploration of the non-linguistic areas of the ancient Graeco-Roman world. This exploration consists of the study of ancient literary, historical, dramatic and philosophical works in translation, and also of various aspects of classical art, architecture, archaeology, sociology, mythology and legend. Through Classical Studies the student gains access to some of the greatest works of literature and philosophy bequeathed to us by classical antiquity, works which have clear relevance to abiding human problems and conditions. These include such monuments of human achievement as Homer’s Odyssey, Virgil’s Aeneid, Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War and Plato’s Republic. Furthermore, the student of Classical Studies will see the profound effect that Classical art and architecture has had on the development of subsequent art, architecture and civic life generally. The Classical World, as portrayed in its literature, philosophy, art and architecture, is a microcosm that mirrors compellingly the more complex society that we have today. Classical Studies, by facilitating a comprehensive view of our cultural traditions in the making, offers students a sure and stimulating insight into the foundation of their own and their society’s intellectual being.
Classical Studies is offered as a module in Transition Year and as a subject for the Leaving Certificate.