Classsics help

snickerpuss

Decided to take up classics, since its not taught in my school i have no one to talk to about it.

Im wondering is there one text book? I know theres books and plays to do as well, some links to the course requirements would be so helpful.

But can someone just explain the way it works and what books to get?

Pretty please?
Thanks

Agent Smith

Dont, what ever you do, do this subject.... i Hate it so so so so so so so *goes on 30000 more times* Much.

claire h

I don't do Classics myself, but it seems like an odd choice for a subject to take up yourself - very long, very detailed, lots of essays (I think there's eight in the exam, not sure though) and a very low percentage of students getting As.

snickerpuss

well its not like that, cos i did really want to do it and i am interested in it generally, so it is a good choice i think... But im not sure about how the paper works exactly.
Anyway i was just wondering about the layout and where i could find info on the full course i cant seem to find it anywhere!

doctor evil

I`m doing classics, the books we`re using are: Epics :The Odyssey, The Aeneid.
Alexander The Great: The Campaigns of Alexander by Arrian, The Age of Alexander by Plutarch.
Art and Architecture: Roman Art and Architecture by Mortimer Wheler. I dont know what were doing about plays, I have it written down some where. Perhaps you can do the subjest some evenning in a college or institute. It is not an easy subject for points.
But if you want to do it fair play and good luck to you. I love it my self.

Leaderbean

Excellent. I'm also doing classics by myself, so this is really useful.
Anyway, a few questions:
How many plays do you do, and how much choice is there?
For translated pieces, do they care which translation you use? (eg. the Dryden version of the Aeneid)
Does anywhere/one have a list of all the options for topics, and the books that each one requires?
Apart from the DoE, does anyone publish past papers?
Do you have to do the same proprtion of Greek and Roman material?
How much is compulsory? What?

Any help would be muchly appreciated. Thanks.

PHB

I did classics, got an A1, and I don't recommend doing it if you dont have a teacher.
The subject is very easy to get a B in, its incredibly hard to get an A in it. You need a teacher! They do it in the institute and in Ashfield.

I did the Peloponnesion war, epics, medea + oedipus, and plato the republic.

However you'll probably do Alex, Epics, Plays, Art and Architecture.

I love the subject, was perhaps my favorite, but you need a teacher!

Leaderbean

Unfortunately, getting a teacher isn't an option. I'm still going to sit the test though.
Would Plato's republic, medea and oedipus, alexander and epics be a valid combination? If it is, that's what I'll do, since I already know the republic and the plays pretty well.

PHB

Where exactly do you live?
Are you in Dublin?

I think medea and oedipus are fairly easy.
Plato I think might be hard without a teacher, but I couldn't be sure.
Alexander is just history, course what you have to learn I dont know cause I didnt do it.
Epics are very easy, you can do them in two weeks.

What sorta grade are you aiming for?

Leaderbean

I live in Waterford, so no chance of getting a teacher.

Medea and Oedipus are good, with the added advantage that Oedipus is one of my comparatives for English.
The Republic I'm fairly confident on - I've read it, and then studied it twice, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Epics and Alexander seem to be a case of just reading the books and knowing them reasonably well, so that's no problem.
Ideally, I'd like an A, but it's not a subject I need for points. I'll see how I handle the past papers when I start doing them.

PHB

Ok, well do this.
Ask all of your teachers, all of them, if any of them did any classics in college.

Its a very very very hard subject to get an A in it, only 10 people in the country get A1's.
The trick is getting A's isnt knowing the knowledge, its practicing the essays. You need someone to correct essays.

Leaderbean

My school was apparently going to offer classics a few years ago, with the English and History teachers taking it, so I'm sure I could convince them to mark essays for me.
Thanks for the help.

CuLT

I support the motion, I'm doing Classics for the first time aswell and I'm loving it. Makes a nice alternate challenge to English.

Got a pretty decent mark from my teacher for my first essay too , hope it continues onwards and upwards.