LC Ancient Greek study guide
LC Ancient Greek · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Leaving Certificate Ancient Greek is a written examination sat by students in Ireland as a subject in the Leaving Certificate programme. It is a classical-language qualification: candidates read real Greek authors in the original, and are assessed on their ability to translate, to explain grammar and syntax, and to discuss the prescribed texts and their background. The LC Ancient Greek study guide has 6 sections and about 1,796 words.
01Translation of unseen Greek prose and verse
This domain asks you to turn unfamiliar Greek into accurate, readable English and to show the grammatical reasoning behind your choices. Prose is usually Attic-Lysias, Xenophon, Plato or Thucydides-while verse may be Homeric hexameter or tragic iambic trimeter.
339 words, about 2 min02Prescribed Greek texts: comprehension and interpretation
This domain examines your knowledge of the prescribed Greek text in detail. Comprehension questions test whether you understand the Greek as it stands; interpretation questions test whether you can connect a detail to character, theme, structure or context.
321 words, about 2 min03Language, grammar, syntax and vocabulary
This domain tests control of Ancient Greek accidence and syntax: cases, moods, voices, principal parts, clause constructions and high-frequency vocabulary. Questions may ask you to parse a form, explain a construction, or choose the correct form in context.
300 words, about 2 min04Classical civilisation, context and background
This domain tests your knowledge of the institutions, events and social practices that illuminate Greek texts. You need chronological grip and precise terminology: polis, dēmos, oikos, ekklesia, boulē, dikastēria, gerousia, ephors.
279 words, about 1 min05Literary analysis, theme and style
This domain tests close analysis of how Greek literature works: genre, structure, narrative technique, imagery, rhetoric and metre. You must move from identifying a device to explaining its effect on meaning, character or theme.
269 words, about 1 min06Personal response and essay questions
This domain tests sustained argument and judged personal response. You are expected to answer a precise question, use textual evidence, evaluate alternatives and reach a conclusion.
288 words, about 1 min