Latin

Fourth Form (Year 9)

All abilities in and experiences of Latin are welcomed and accommodated, from complete beginners to those who have enjoyed the subject for many years already and have already attained a high standard. We continue to use the Cambridge Latin Course. Some classes, comprising the more experienced Latinists, also study Greek.

Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth (Years 10 and 11)

GCSE Latin traditionally attracts pupils of the highest academic calibre. GCSE qualifications in Latin (and Greek) are distinctive and, as such, are highly esteemed by employers and universities. The study of these languages leads to an improved vocabulary, to the ability to write with greater fluency, to a heightened awareness of linguistic processes, and an avenue to the roots of all Western history, economics, business and politics.

GCSE Latin comprises four papers, two which assess translation and comprehension skills, and two which require the study of set pieces of literature. Preparations for the language papers take place throughout the Lower Fifth, using the Cambridge Latin Course and our own home-devised material.

In the Upper Fifth, pupils read authentic Latin material for the first time, no longer stories from textbooks, but genuine extracts of literature from the Roman world. Currently, these works include Apuleius' ghost story about some local witches who metamorphose into different creatures and feast on pieces of flesh from human corpses, and Pliny the Younger's letter about his enemy, M. Aquilius Regulus, "the most evil fellow on two legs". A404 (Latin Verse Literature) concerns Roman poetry, Virgil's epic work, Aeneid XII, in which Aeneas and Turnus face each other in one final, dramatic and decisive duel. As Aeneas brutally slays Turnus in a fierce outburst of bloodlust, one is left to consider if this is a tale of Roman glory or a rejection of suppliant enemies.

• A401 Latin Language 1: Mythology and domestic life           
• A402 Latin Language 2: History         
• A403 Latin Prose Literature
• A404 Latin Verse Literature

There are no controlled assessments. All papers are worth 25% of the total GCSE.

Trips and Extra Curricular

Recent guests have included distinguished academics from a variety of universities, all of whom have generously given their time to visit Brighton College. Dr Michael Scott (Cambridge) spoke about the changing appearance and use of the Athenian Acropolis. Dr Ivana Petrovic (Durham) explained Homer's possible Yugoslavian extraction, while Dr Naoise MacSweeney (Leicester) introduced our classicists to the archaeology of the Bronze Age, the time of epic heroes.  

Classicists in the middle school are also invited on a variety of local, national and international trips during their GCSE courses. For further details, please see our 11+ and 16+ pages.

Classical Reading Competition

This year's Classical Reading Competition will take place on Tuesday 6^th March at 6pm.
Please contact Becky Miller for further details.