Reasons to continue Latin
There are many excellent reasons why pupils should continue to study Latin.
It offers an invaluable general mental training, whose skills are easily applied in other areas (including Science).
It provides an enhanced understanding of how all languages work.
It gives a comprehensive grammatical, lexical and morphological database for the study of European languages in particular, including our own (fifty per cent of all English words are derived from Latin).
The incidental meeting with classical civilisation provides a valuable new perspective on all aspects of western culture; above all, perhaps, pupils are exposed to some of the most profound and exciting literature ever written.
The Course
The course applies the finishing touches to the language requirements of GCSE and introduces pupils to a wider range of Roman authors, two or more of whom are studied in greater depth for public examination. The School believes strongly in the value of Latin both for its own sake and for the concomitant benefits in other disciplines and areas of knowledge, such as English, Modern Languages and the Sciences.
Assessment
Academy candidates currently take options which do not include any coursework.
Translation and Comprehension
'Auferre, trucidare, rapere, falsis nominibus imperium; atque, ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.' Rapine, slaughter, usurpation under false title, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace. |
Set Texts
Tu vero felix, Agricola, non vitae tantum claritate, sed etiam opportunitate mortis. You were truly happy, Agricola, not just in so splendid a life, but also in a timely death. |
On to Higher and A-Level
Academy pupils who have done GCSE are normally capable of taking Higher, which has quite short set texts and in which every word on the unseen paper is glossed, by January of the following year. |
Greek
A.K. TART |
The unseen is worth 50% of the total mark.
Understanding, appreciation and literary and historical criticism of a selection of Set Texts from prose and verse authors is also worth 50% of the total mark.
Having completed the course, candidates will be well prepared to meet the challenges of Higher and A-Level Latin should they so choose. 
It may be possible to take Greek by special extra-curricular arrangement: please let the Head of Classics know of your interest.
This page is: Edinburgh Academy / curriculum / classics / gcse.htm
