Latin was not only the language of the Roman people, but of the empire they built. It was thus not merely a descriptive tool, but a weapon – whether in a senator’s speech, on the lips of a diplomat, as a legal document or a work of poetry, Latin was used to take and hold power. In this subject, students develop their knowledge of Latin grammar, vocabulary, and Roman civilisation; in so doing they begin to read more advanced Latin texts, and to think increasingly critically about how the Romans used their language to shape the perceptions and understandings of interlocutors and audiences.
In Year 10 students are taught to understand the Latin language for the purpose of reading Latin texts containing increasingly complex sentences. Their knowledge of Roman culture is deepened through translating texts of increasing length and complexity. Students become acquainted with more advanced linguistic building blocks used in both English and Latin, and learn to analyse and interpret these structures.
Year 10 students complete part 2 John Taylor and Henry Cullen’s renowned UK Latin to GCSE course.
In Semester 1, we read accounts of the challenges faced by the Roman Republic, both internal and external, political and military. Students learn to recognise and translate sentences containing a variety of subordinate clauses, and reflect on the ways various events influenced Rome as it development into the undisputed superpower of the classical age.
In Semester 2, we read texts relating to fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire: this is the age of Julius Caesar and Cicero, of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, of Augustus and Julia, of the bloody Civil Wars and long peace of the Pax Romana. Students continue to broaden their vocabulary while being introduced to some of Latin’s most intimidating grammatical features, including deponent verbs, subjunctive clauses and gerundives.
The following areas of study are assessed throughout the year:
vocabulary
grammar
translation
comprehension
Additionally, there are Semester 1 and 2 examinations.