To navigate the world with a sense of one’s own history is the goal of this course in the ‘grammar’ of History - the study of physical, historical and political geography. Students will learn to map the world by heart, locate countries, states and cities, the boundaries of the great empires of the past, and the names and locations of the earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains, deserts, and natural resources.

Students of Ancient History will explore the deepest roots of Western Civilization as found in the histories of the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and especially the Old Testament peoples. The Lyceum student will encounter the geography, art, myths, legends, heroes, rulers, and lasting contributions of each culture by reading their laws and histories, studying their art and architecture, and mapping their lands and waters.

Students of the History of the Greek and Roman World will experience, vicariously, the birth of Western Civilization by study of the Greek genius as found in their literature, politics, philosophy, mythology, and ideals, and the Roman genius for disseminating these ideals in a practical fashion by law and empire-building. Together, these form the essential character of Western Civilization. The Lyceum student can expect to read the words of the original Greek and Roman historians, citizens, philosophers, poets, lawmakers, soldiers and leaders, map their empires, and learn the language of these peoples in an effort to better understand the source and the genius of our own.

The Lyceum student will learn the political and cultural history of Europe by study of the writings of kings, poets, Popes and Saints, the deeds of heroes and soldiers. Through the reading of original sources and in depth analysis of historical works, the student will grasp the intellectual, legal, and religious influences which shaped the European continent.

Tracing the development of the great ‘American Experiment’ from the discovery and exploration of the New World to the works of Enlightenment thinkers and the political climate of Europe, students will seize the unique opportunity afforded them by the founding fathers to read first-hand the discussions and documents which have shaped our nation. Students will have a first-hand encounter with the Federalist Papers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. America, the recipient of the genius of the Classical World as translated by the peoples of Europe, is the privileged youngest child of Western Civilization. By the study of America’s discovery, founding and development, Lyceum students will better understand the meaning, the privilege, and the responsibility of American citizenship today.