Old Western Culture · Year One

The Greeks

Homer, the tragedians, the historians and the philosophers: where the West begins.

Old Western Culture: The Greeks

Old Western Culture: The Greeks is a full-year literature and history curriculum for high school students (and above). Guided by storyteller and veteran teacher Wesley Callihan, learn about the greatest and most influential works in Western Civilization, starting with the two epics poems by Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Discover the genius of the Greek playwrights at describing human emotion. Enjoy the winding story telling of Herodotus, the “Father of History.” And ponder human nature with Plato and Aristotle. See how God used these Pagan works in the history of the world, and particularly in the history of God’s people.

4 units · 48 lessons (video lectures and curriculum) · Grades 9–12+

The year’s four units

Most families buy the year. Any unit can also be bought on its own.

Unit 2 · Reader Vol. 2

Drama and Lyric

Aeschylus: The Oresteia; Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus; Euripides: Medea, The Trojan Women; Aristophanes: The Frogs, The Clouds; Sappho, Pindar, Theocritus: lyric poems; Hesiod: Works and Days; Quintus of Smyrna: The Fall of Troy; Apollonius of Rhodes: The Argonautica

This unit alone · $74.75 ›
You’re buyingOld Western Culture: The GreeksThe complete digital year, four units
$299
Included
  • 48 video lectures. Stream or download videos in the Roman Roads app, yours for life
  • The four Readers (Vols. 1–4) as eBooks, in the app
  • Four Workbooks (PDF) with answer keys
  • A and B exams for every unit, with teacher guides
How will you read the books? choose one
The workbooks choose one
Recommended with The Greeks

Prefer discs? , while supplies last.

Total$299

Readers or workbooks for a second student: Readers · Workbooks
Co-ops and schools: group licensing · Live classes for The Greeks: Kepler Education

New for 2026 · Recommended with The Greeks

The Greeks Companions

A full-color guide to each unit: schedules, questions for every lesson, and Digressios on the art, history and places behind the books. Sold separately; use them beside the Workbooks or in their place.

Vol. 1 · $39Vol. 1 · $39Shipping now
Vol. 2 · $39Vol. 2 · $39Shipping now
Vol. 3 · $39Vol. 3 · $39Forthcoming · pre-order
Vol. 4 · $39Vol. 4 · $39Forthcoming · pre-order
Explore the Companion Series
The lectures

48 lectures, unit by unit

Each lecture opens with a short review, then summary, commentary and connections across history, art and theology. The first lecture of each unit is free. Taught by Wesley Callihan.

Unit 1 · The Epics · 12 lectures · 5 h 1 min
  1. 1Introduction to Old Western CultureFree16 min
  2. 2The Backdrop of the Iliad36 min
  3. 3The Anger of Achilleus31 min
  4. 4The First Critical Turning Point19 min
  5. 5The Deception of Zeus20 min
  6. 6The Second Critical Turning Point25 min
  7. 7The Death o f Hektor26 min
  8. 8The Telemachy25 min
  9. 9The Court of Alkinoös21 min
  10. 10Odysseus Tells of his Wanderings30 min
  11. 11The Homecoming of Odysseus30 min
  12. 12The Legacy of Homer in Western Civilization22 min
Unit 2 · Drama and Lyric · 12 lectures · 5 h 27 min
  1. 1Lesson 1 Background: The Development of TheaterFree24 min
  2. 2The Period, the Poets, and the Presentation29 min
  3. 3Aeschylus’ Oresteia: Agamemnon25 min
  4. 4The Libation Bearers and The Eumenides14 min
  5. 5Sophocles’ Oedipus the King32 min
  6. 6Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone25 min
  7. 7Euripides’ Medea and The Trojan Women34 min
  8. 8Aristophanes’ The Frogs and The Clouds22 min
  9. 9Lyric Poetry: Sappho, Pindar, and Theocritus37 min
  10. 10Lyric Poetry: Hesiod23 min
  11. 11Lesser Epics: Quintus of Smyrna’s The Fall of Troy28 min
  12. 12Lesser Epics: Apollonius of Rhodes’ The Argonautica34 min
Unit 3 · The Histories · 12 lectures · 5 h 38 min
  1. 1Overview of Greek HistoryFree29 min
  2. 2Herodotus I: Introduction and Croesus26 min
  3. 3Herodotus II: Stories of Egypt and the Other Nations30 min
  4. 4Herodotus III: The Beginning of the Persian Wars and the Battle of Marathon19 min
  5. 5Herodotus IV: The Battle of Thermopylae27 min
  6. 6Herodotus V: The Battle of Salamis, and the End of the Persian Wars25 min
  7. 7Thucydides I: Introduction, Thucydides' Philo. of History, and the Beginning of the Peloponnesian War33 min
  8. 8Thucydides II: The Early Years, Pericles, and the Great Plague26 min
  9. 9Thucydides III: Mytilene, Exile, Revolution And Melos44 min
  10. 10Thucydides IV: The Sicilian Campaign, and the Downfall of Athens29 min
  11. 11Xenophon: The March of the Ten Thousand29 min
  12. 12The Lessons of Greek History23 min
Unit 4 · The Philosophers · 12 lectures · 5 h 54 min
  1. 1Introduction to Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle28 min
  2. 2Lesson 2 Plato: The Apology: Socrates, St. Paul, and The Doctrine of Wisdom31 min
  3. 3Lesson 3 Plato: The Crito and Phaedo: Socrates, Christianity, and the Doctrine of Body and Soul31 min
  4. 4Lesson 4 Plato: The Phaedrus: Socrates, Augustine, Dante, C. S. Lewis, and the Dialectic of Desire38 min
  5. 5Lesson 5 Plato: The Republic: Understanding Morality30 min
  6. 6Lesson 6 Plato: The Republic: The Forms and the Influence on Medieval Christendom28 min
  7. 7Lesson 7 Aristotle: The Metaphysics: Aristotle, Aquinas, and the Doctrine of Wisdom30 min
  8. 8Lesson 8 Aristotle: The Metaphysics: the Cosmos in Antiquity and the Middle Ages33 min
  9. 9Aristotle: The Ethics: Happiness and the Chief End of Man23 min
  10. 10Aristotle: The Ethics: Concerning Friendship24 min
  11. 11Lesson 11 Aristotle: The Poetics: Stories, Oedipus, and Jane Austen30 min
  12. 12The Lessons of Greek Philosophy29 min
Play Lecture 1 · Introduction to Old Western Culture · 16 min · freeLecture 1 · Introduction to Old Western Culture · 16 min · free

Plays here on the page.

Taught byWesley Callihan
The books

What your student reads this year

Every assigned text is in the four Readers, printed or as the eBooks that come with the course. Students are welcome to use other editions of the great books they already own with this course. The video lectures reference Latin or Greek line numbers, which allows a broader use of editions for those who prefer to bring their own.

The Epics

Homer: Iliad, Odyssey

Drama and Lyric

Aeschylus: The Oresteia; Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus; Euripides: Medea, The Trojan Women; Aristophanes: The Frogs, The Clouds; Sappho, Pindar, Theocritus: lyric poems; Hesiod: Works and Days; Quintus of Smyrna: The Fall of Troy; Apollonius of Rhodes: The Argonautica

The Histories

Herodotus: The Histories; Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War; Xenophon: Anabasis

The Philosophers

Plato: Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus, Republic; Aristotle: Metaphysics, Ethics, Poetics

Good to know

Questions

Is The Greeks right for a younger student?

Old Western Culture is intended for mature and discerning students; we recommend it for ages 14 and up. The course deals with mature themes such as paganism, sexual immorality, battle scenes (mostly in the reading) and classical paintings, and is meant to equip your child with a Biblical lens for them. We assume a working knowledge of the Bible and basic Christian doctrine.

How much credit is it?

Two high-school credits: an integrated humanities credit, or one literature and one history credit. The credit assumes the lectures, the reading, the daily questions and the four unit exams.

How much time does it take?

Four nine-week units; plan on one to three hours a day, with 30–40 pages of reading. The Honors schedule reads everything; the Essentials schedule reads a shorter selection and still watches every lecture.

Do we need the printed Readers?

No. The Reader eBooks are in the app with the course, and the editions already on your shelf work too. We do recommend reading in print; the Readers’ advantage is every assigned text in one volume per unit.

Workbook or Companion?

Both work with the lectures. The Workbook (PDF included with the main curriculum; printed edition available as add-on) holds the questions for every lecture and reading with an answer key. The Companion is the fuller book: schedules, more questions at four levels, and the Digressios. Use it beside the workbook or in its place.

Can a co-op or school use it?

Yes. Students watch at home and discuss in class, or a teacher lectures live. Ask us about group licensing. Live online classes for The Greeks are offered through Kepler Education.

Is it a subscription?

No. You buy it once and it is yours for life.

Old Western Culture: The Greeks

The complete digital year, from $299. Add the printed Readers and the Companions above.