Latin A2 Thread

I suppose that if anything is going to prove the saving grace, it'll be the fact that there's no direct translation from the set texts. Pliny is manageable, but the Aeneid is very difficult.

I've tried some past papers, and was relieved to find that the unseen translations are somewhat simplified, and heavily glossed.

I've tried some past papers, and was relieved to find that the unseen translations are somewhat simplified, and heavily glossed.

Hi, I'm trying to practise the Ovid unseen translations at the minute but I'm struggling to find any resources except unglossed and unedited versions online. If you have a link to the past papers you were doing, would you mind terribly sharing them please? I'm struggling so much for this section - it's definetely the hardest part of both papers! I'd be really grateful if you were able to help.

Thank you!

Hi, have you got the Ovid Unseens book by Mathew Owen? It's amazing! Changed my Ovid ability totally, it has loads of unseens and Vocab and tips in it

We've been through them all in class but I still don't feel like I've got the Ovid sussed. I did find those much easier and the book is really good - but I'm at a loose end now I've finished them and I don't know what to do! The exam's getting scarily close now. I think vocab is one of my biggest problems - there is always more to learn and I just don't feel like I've aquired enough yet. Oh well - I'll just keep trying the poems I can find online. Thanks for your help

Hi, in the literature section of the poetry paper, does anyone know how often the passage should be referenced for the essay question? Is it supposed to be a starter or should it be referred to throughout the essay?

Thanks

You can reference it at any point in the essay to back up the context point you're making. It doesn't matter when, it is just there to use as evidence!

Ok, thanks! So if I were to write a paragraph somewhere in the essay on the topic it concerns, would that be enough to cover the requirements?

Yes, as far as I'm aware, that would be fine

Great, thank you very much Which author are you studying?

We're doing Virgil for the verse! Which are you doing?

I'm doing Virgil as well and Tacitus for the prose. Any predections on what might come up tomorrow? I'm hoping for a commentary from the first half of the book but I've got no idea for the essay question. Maybe something on life after death?

The only themes we've been given by our teacher are: Pathos, Charachter of Aeneas, the Role of the Gods and fate + the supernatural.
I'm slightly worried that the essay won't be one of these!

It's such a lottery, it's impossible to prepare for every question. I'm wondering if something on the Sibyl might come up. She's a fairly major character but I'm not sure there would be enough to write about - she mostly just serves as a catalyst for the action. Pehaps she might come up with something to do with religion/the gods?

The only themes we've been given by our teacher are: Pathos, Charachter of Aeneas, the Role of the Gods and fate + the supernatural.
I'm slightly worried that the essay won't be one of these!

I hadn't considered the supernatural before - do you mind if I ask: would that be the ghosts in the underworld/Oracle/Cerberus/monsters in the entrance to Hades? Am I missing anything obvious?

Thanks

Yeah, all that stuff. It's all the things which Aeneas tries to fight and the whole "he would have rent the shadows with steel in vain" not only do they scare Aeneas and allow him to be shown as a human charachter to the audience (a side which hasn't been seen before) they were also designed to scare the Roman Audience and to reinforce all the later messages in the book (such as make sure you are buried, or do good things for your country to get into Elysium so you don't have to face these things). So yes, in essence, it's anything scary/ ghostly in the underworld which is named.
That's okay! It's good to brianstorm on here as a group

Thank you so much, that's really helpful. If I have time I might add in a little about the elm with empty dreams and the gates of ivory and horn - would just be a quick sentence at the end though as this exam is so tight for time. I'm going to have to try to stick as best I can to 30 mins/30 mins/ and 1 hour for Ovid but I always run over on the essays!

That's okay! I run over too, I'm having to stopwatch myself in them exam haha. I'm just worried I'm going to mess up the unseen translation or not be able to do simple comprehension then get stressed 😂 Yes, the elm point is a good one I agree. I either breeze through the translations or just die in them.. Have you learnt style for Virgil or just picking it out on the day?