Skills We Will Build
Literature and History
We will build our skills in literary analysis. Discover a book's literary themes so that we can learn what the author wanted to teach us as readers. Practice writing about those themes and use strong textual evidence for support. Compare the ancients' thinking with our own today.
Throughout this process, we will learn to do the work of historians. We will not just be reading from some textbook, as many other schools would. We will learn to read the ancient sources for ourselves and work directly with the voices of those who came before us. Consequently, we will learn to evaluate historical evidence for ourselves.
On the whole, we will learn to observe, interpret, discuss, and even debate.
Course Summaries and Resources
Middle School
High School and Adults
High School and Adults
Omnibus I takes you through basic primary texts of the ancient world. From Mesopotamia, we will read The Epic of Gilgamesh (one of the oldest stories in history) and The Code of Hammurabi (one of the oldest law codes).
Homer will introduce us to the Greeks with his compelling poetry of The Odyssey. Herodotus, the Father of History, will bring us to the Thermopulae pass as we witness Leonidas' last stand against the Persian invasion. Socrates will invite us to upset the conventional Greek wisdom with his ceaseless questioning.
Vergil and Livy will transport us into Rome's mythical beginnings. Caesar will tell us first hand of his own adventures in Gaul.
Let's dive into these classics, discuss them, and come back to our own world informed by the past! We will not only learn what happened, but also how it all fits together into a narrative of history.
High School and Adults
High School and Adults
High School and Adults
Omnibus IV covers the same ancient ground as Volume I, except you go much more in depth. We will read the same primary texts as Volume I for those who have not yet covered Volume I.
Homer will show much more of the Greeks from what he showed the middle school students. We will meet new authors as well, such as Thucydides, one of the greatest historians of the ancient world, and Aristophanes, who will give us good laughs with his dramas.
We will learn more about the Romans through Cicero's eloquent speeches, Tacitus' dramatic descriptions of the Empire, and Josephus' vivid chronicles of the Jewish War.
Let's dive into these classics, discuss them, and come back to our own world informed by the past! We will not only learn the grammar and logic of history, but also develop our rhetorical skills and become compelling, persuasive speakers and writers.