Salve! (‘Welcome’ in Latin). Classics at Junior Cycle takes students on an odyssey through the ancient world, from myths to daily life, from Rome to Greece and from the lowest plebeian to the king of the gods.

In JC Classics we divide up the course into several key areas called ‘strands’. Each student must study strand 1 but teachers can choose to explore either strand 2 OR strand 3. Here’s a breakdown of what’s in each strand:

There are 2 CBAs in the Junior Cycle Classics course. The first one looks at storytelling using myth.

Oral histories, myths and stories were an incredibly important part of life in the ancient world. Stories provided the Ancient Greeks and Romans not just with entertainment but as a way of worshipping their gods. The word ‘myth’ comes from the Ancient Greek word ‘mythos’, meaning 'story'. These stories can take the form of oral stories, texts, poems, epics, vases, sculptures and more.

During your study of classics, you’ll have come across a wide range of myths, from the stories of the Greek gods like the Titanomachy, Athena vs Poseidon or Jupiter and the Bee, to the myths around their heroes such as Perseus, Heracles, Theseus, Atalanta, Aeneas, etc. We even use these myths in modern times and change them to suit modern audiences such as Percy Jackson, Netflix’s Blood of Zeus or even Disney’s Hercules.

Let's break this CBA down further:

You’ll have a few weeks in class to research your chosen myth and put together your CBA. This can be daunting at the start because there are so many to choose from in Ancient Greece or Rome. Make a note of your favourite stories or at least your favourite type of story. Do you love the action of the myth of Jason and the Argonauts? Are you enthralled by stories of love such as Orpheus and Eurydice? Do the villains of Tartarus like Sisyphus, Ixion or Tantalus jump out at you? Or are you thrilled by the stories of monsters such as Medusa, the Chimera or the Hydra?

Think about what we can learn about the Ancient Greeks and Romans from your chosen myth. Was it designed to instil some moral message in people? How did the Greeks and Romans use this myth to explain their world? How has your character developed throughout your chosen myth? You can display or present your myth and follow on with some analysis by asking and answering these questions. Show your teacher that not only do you know your myth but you also know why it’s important to the Greeks or Romans.

The best CBAs will showcase their chosen myth while also highlighting the purpose of key features of mythological storytelling throughout. For example, if you’re picking the myth of Arachne, you need to keep in mind what this myth tells us about the role of women in Ancient Greece or how important worshipping the gods was. The story of Arachne also gives the word ‘arachnid’ which means spiders.

While you’re doing your CBA, keep note of where you’re finding your sources and how the process is coming along. You could impress your teacher with a bibliography (list of sources like books, websites, etc.) and make sure you include a review or reflection at the end of your display.

Finding sources can seem like an immense task at the beginning of the CBA. Try to get a hold of some ancient sources regarding myths, most of which can be found online. Stephen Fry’s Mythos book series also provides loads of different Greek myths you could draw inspiration from.

Here are some helpful websites and videos to get you started:

It’s important to remember that you can complete this CBA individually, in pairs or in a group.

This CBA is your chance to put your own spin on these myths or even to create your own. There are lots of different ways you could present your chosen myth, for example:

You can present your CBA in any way which suits you such as acting it out, as a display or presentation or as an audio or video recording. You need to capture the important aspect of the myth and display an understanding of the key components of storytelling.

The Roman Empire stood for hundreds of years and had many achievements including its works of art, literature and military conquests and it shaped the history of Europe and beyond. However, the Romans were also amazing builders and engineers. CBA 2 allows you to explore this by compiling a record of your imagined visit to a public building in the city of Rome that is associated with a leisure activity or with a relevant political leader or emperor. Let's break this CBA down further:

As there are so many to choose from, it’s useful to narrow down what type of building you’re going to look at. The obvious ones involve the gladiator fights in the Colosseum or chariot races in the Circus Maximus but there are other options too. Don’t forget you could include Roman theatres or baths which the Romans also utilised for entertainment purposes. Roman basilicas or forums were administrative and civic centres and formed an integral part of daily life in the city of Rome. Triumphal arches and columns provided great prestige to Roman emperors and many of these are treasured historical sites, still standing today.

Once you’ve chosen what type of building to explore in your CBA, you can pick a specific building from this category. You’ll need to research the nature and importance of the physical infrastructure of the city of Rome through a detailed exploration of one key building to be selected from the many different types of buildings, structures and sites with which we are familiar. This includes administrative centres, leisure buildings, military structures and commemorative monuments.

If you’re stuck when you’re trying to find a building, have a chat with your teacher and see if they can name any famous buildings which would be suitable. Then, you can take a look at a few and decide on which one you’re most interested in.

Your CBA will need to be a record compiled of an imagined visit to the building by the student in the role of a traveller (alone or with companions) who has left her/his small country village for a day and is excited to be visiting the metropolis of Rome. Try to watch videos which explore the city of Rome as it stood 2,000 years ago and put yourself in the shoes of someone who has never experienced a city of this size before. There are many videos and websites which offer virtual tours of Rome and many of its historic buildings which will be a great help here.

When you’re undertaking your research, try to keep the following in mind:

• the role or contribution of a building to an aspect of significant developments in the history of Rome;
• the role of a significant figure (such as the political leader or emperor of the time) in the commissioning and construction of the building;
• the role played by the building and the activities that took place there in the political, social, cultural, religious or military life of Rome;
• what the function of the building can tell us about how those who used it lived their lives.

Keep track of where you’re getting your evidence. Primary sources are key here and if you can track down a primary source which deals with your chosen building, that would be great. For example, the historians Cassius Dio, Pliny the Elder, Tacitus and Suetonius write about the Colosseum and other features of the city while they lived in and travelled the Roman Empire.

You need at least two sources (which you should include in a bibliography at the end) but if you get a few more you’ll have more information to work with. Some sources will be more beneficial than others. Some might give you loads of information while others might just give you a small quote. It’s all useful if it’s relevant to your chosen building.

Here are some helpful websites and videos to get you started:

You will be marked individually on your contributions to the CBA but you are allowed to complete the CBA alone, in pairs or in groups if you want. Just make sure you can demonstrate that you’ve done loads of work on the CBA so you get the best grade possible.

When completing your CBA, you can undertake it in a variety of ways as long as it’s in the form of a record. You could write or type it as a blog, record it as a vlog, an article for a website, a poster, a newspaper report or an interview or presentation. Your record should be accompanied by a visual representation or a model that supports the description of the structure and its architectural features. If it’s a large area like the Roman Forum, you could create a map of the area whereas for smaller buildings or monuments, you could recreate the building or monument itself out of cardboard, etc.

In the end, don’t forget your reflection. Focus on what you learned about the topic and on your experiences as a researcher, the good and the bad. Just be honest. Everything might not have gone perfectly and that’s OK.

The assessment consists of mainly two components: the Assessment Task and the final exam.

As of writing this guide, the Assessment Task has not been undertaken yet due to COVID. Here are the guidelines from the State Examinations Commission:

• students complete a specified written task which is sent to the State Examinations Commission for marking;
• the Assessment Task will link to 'Rome: Centre of an Empire' (CBA 2, strand 2) or the student language portfolio (CBA 2, strand 3);
• the Assessment Task will be undertaken following the completion of the second Classroom-Based Assessment in Year 3.

The exam is broken down into four parts, each worth 180 marks. You only need to do two here: everyone does strand 1 so you choose either strand 2 or strand 3, depending on what you’ve studied with your teacher. Each strand is worth the same marks and you have two hours to complete the paper so give each strand one hour. Stick to the timings; don’t spend too long on one half and neglect the other.

Here are the sections:

• Section A: Myth and Daily Life
• Section B: The World of Achilles - Rome
• Section C: Classical Languages - Latin
• Section D: Classical Languages - Ancient Greek

Here are some exam tips you might find useful:

Hopefully, this guide will help you on your quest to overcome the heroic quest that is the Junior Cycle. I’ll leave you with a little Latin phrase:

“Per aspera ad astra”

Through hardship, to the stars