A Level Classical Civilisation Topics: Full List

A Level Classical Civilisation splits its topics across three components: the World of the Hero, Culture and the Arts, and Beliefs and Ideas.

This article includes an official and complete breakdown of the topics you need to revise for A Level Classical Civilisation. We’ve summarised the subject content from the only exam board currently offering this qualification – OCR (opens in a new tab) –  to show you exactly what you need to know. We’ll also explain how to use topic lists for effective revision.

Key Takeaways

• OCR is the only exam board currently offering A Level Classical Civilisation

• Topics are split across the World of the Hero, Culture and the Arts, and Beliefs and Ideas

• Use topic lists to create a revision plan and organise your notes

Why It's Important to Know Your Exam Board

Although subject content often overlaps across exam boards, each exam board has a different syllabus. This means that the same subject can be taught very differently in one exam board compared to another, with varying topics, skills and assessment methods.

Knowing exactly which topics your exam board covers means you can create a focused revision plan. You won't waste time studying content that won't be tested, and you'll know exactly what to expect when it comes to exams.

Only OCR currently offers A Level Classical Civilisation, so if you’re studying this qualification, OCR is your exam board. Fortunately, this makes it much easier to work out what you need to revise!

OCR A Level Classical Civilisation Topics (H408)

1. The World of the Hero

• In-depth study of the following:

  • Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey

    • Literary techniques and composition

    • The heroic world: characterisation and themes

    • Social, cultural and religious context

  • Virgil’s Aeneid

    • The same three aspects listed above, as well as the historical and political background
      
      

2. Culture and the Arts

• One component chosen from the following:

  • Greek Theatre

    • Drama and the theatre in ancient Athenian society

    • Nature of tragedy and (old) comedy: social, political and religious themes in both genres

    • Literary techniques, structure and dramatic conventions

  • Imperial Image

    • Divi filius, Imperator, ‘Augustus’, the culture hero and Pater Patriae

    • Later representations

  • Invention of the Barbarian

    • Greek identity, the Persian Wars and Greek (dis)unity

    • Greeks and barbarians and depictions and portrayals: mythical and historical barbarians

    • The reality of Persia

  • Greek Art

    • Function, materials and techniques

    • Stylistic features and development

    • Composition and subject matter
      
      

3. Beliefs and Ideas

• One component chosen from the following:

  • Greek Religion

    • The nature of the Olympian gods and personal experience of the divine

    • Religion, philosophy and society 

    • Places of worship, rituals and priests

  • Love and Relationships

    • Men and women

    • Plato and Seneca on love and desire

    • Poetry of Sappho and Ovid

  • Politics of the Late Republic

    • Background of the late Republic

    • Cato and the politics of the optimates

    • Caesar as popularis and dictator

    • Cicero as orator and correspondent and the res publica

  • Democracy and the Athenians

    • Solon and Cleisthenes

    • 5th century developments

    • Democracy idealised and critiqued 

    • Democracy and comedy

Each component also includes prescribed sources, which can be found on the specification (opens in a new tab).

The table below shows what comes up in each component:

How to Use Topic Lists for Revision

Create a revision plan

Print or write out your topics into a checklist. Use the traffic light system (opens in a new tab) to prioritise weaker areas, and tick each area off as you revise. Seeing progress is really motivating, and it stops you from accidentally skipping anything important.

Organise your notes and flashcards by topic

Separating your notes and flashcards according to topic will make it much easier to find information quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to revise all A Level Classical Civilisation topics for the exam?

No – only your compulsory text (Virgil’s Aeneid), chosen text (either Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey), one Culture and the Arts component and one Beliefs and Ideas component.

Are these topics the same across all exam boards?

OCR is the only exam board currently offering A Level Classical Civilisation.

If other exam boards offer A Level Classical Civilisation, the content will overlap, but specifications and exam formats will remain distinct.

How do I know which topics I struggle with most?

Complete past papers and check how you did against the mark scheme. You can then use the traffic light system to prioritise revising whichever areas you scored the lowest in.

Do all topics come up in every exam paper?

No. The World of the Hero is on Virgil’s Aeneid and either Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey, and Culture and the Arts and Beliefs and Ideas each test you on one chosen component.

Final Thoughts

Using topic lists to structure your A Level Classical Civilisation revision means you'll know exactly what to study, and how to allocate your time between each area.

Bookmark or print this page, and use it as your roadmap. Work through each of the topics, tick them off as you go, practise answering past paper questions, and persevere to improve your knowledge and skills for your three components.

References

• How to Use the Traffic Light System to Improve Your Marks (opens in a new tab)

• OCR A Level Classical Civilisation (opens in a new tab)