“Fortune favours the bold”, Virgil wrote in ‘The Aeneid’ 2000 years ago. This course will examine the culture and beliefs of those living in Ancient Rome through the journey of the hero Aeneas as he boldly flees Troy in the Trojan War and establishes the future of the glorious Roman civilisation. Virgil’s epic is a hero’s journey, tragic, romantic, violent, prophetic, and a warning to Augustus.

When:

Term 2

Subject Area(s)

Classical Studies

NCEA L3

The Fall of Troy is the downfall of the Trojans, but Aeneas gathers a scraggly group of refugees and flees on a journey to follow the prophecy, that his descendants will found Rome. The gods both thwart and help his travels, proving that a hero is at the mercy of their whims. However, we see the importance of personal choice, as Aeneas’ decisions wreak havoc and bring haven along the way. Students gain insight into the ideas and values of the classical world, including social relationships and the role of the individual, leadership and heroism, power and freedom, social and cultural traditions, ideological and religious beliefs, ideals of behaviour and national identity, literary conventions, and influence on other cultures.

Requirements

Anyone wanting to take this course will need to fully participate in ongoing online discussion, both through the platform for this course’s community and in the online Meet. This course does require independent reading and sound literacy skills. There will be revision Meets in Term 4 in preparation for the external examination.

Assessment

This course is assessed through an NCEA External examination: AS 91394 Analyse ideas and values of the classical world.

This course is connected to the Term 3 course 'The Epic Effect', which is assessed through an NCEA Internal assessment: AS 91398 Demonstrate understanding of the lasting influence of the classical world on other cultures across time.

About the Teacher

Rebecca Jeffery-Jones has had a passion for things Ancient Greek and Roman, since she was told the myths of the Greeks and Romans when she was tiny. She has been teaching Classical Studies over the last 22 years, including seven years online. She enjoyed translating Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ from the Latin both at school and at university.

Enrol now:

http://www.netnz.org/enrolment/