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Latin A2 Thread

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Original post by candycake
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 :smile:



Hi, I'm doing Virgil tomorrow too, just running through my notes now, and trying not to panic!

Just in my opinion, I would agree that, yes supernatural refers to the ghosts, strangeness of the underworld, oracle, Cerberus and all 'supernatural' creatures. Additionally all supernatural 'encounters', such as the pair of doves which come to Aeneas from his mother, the power of the golden bough, and the remarkable effects of the river Laethe.

Basically, the Underworld is a completely bizarre and nonsensical place, so the 'supernatural' theme is almost endless!:smile:

In my lessons we've focused a lot on the passages we have to know and I'm scared that I haven't acquainted myself well enough with the general themes and the whole of Book 6.
Does anyone know of a really good synopsis which I could quickly go through to check I have a grasp of all the important stuff?

Thanks, and good luck to everyone!
Original post by candycake
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!


Thanks so much for the brainstorming guys...these ideas are really helpful.

Good luck everyone, let's just pray we don't get a horrific Ovid passage!:smile:
Hi everyone,

Anyone doing Catullus for the Verse have any ideas what sort of essay questions might be asked?

Thanks
Original post by Juan Baya
Hi everyone,

Anyone doing Catullus for the Verse have any ideas what sort of essay questions might be asked?

Thanks


Not me, sorry!:frown:

I'd just go through verse past papers and try to apply the essay questions to themes/characters/plot etc. of Catullus.

Here's the link to the OCR Latin past papers just in case it helps
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-a-level-gce-classics-latin-h039-h439/
Original post by zitarose
Hi, I'm doing Virgil tomorrow too, just running through my notes now, and trying not to panic!

Just in my opinion, I would agree that, yes supernatural refers to the ghosts, strangeness of the underworld, oracle, Cerberus and all 'supernatural' creatures. Additionally all supernatural 'encounters', such as the pair of doves which come to Aeneas from his mother, the power of the golden bough, and the remarkable effects of the river Laethe.

Basically, the Underworld is a completely bizarre and nonsensical place, so the 'supernatural' theme is almost endless!:smile:

In my lessons we've focused a lot on the passages we have to know and I'm scared that I haven't acquainted myself well enough with the general themes and the whole of Book 6.
Does anyone know of a really good synopsis which I could quickly go through to check I have a grasp of all the important stuff?

Thanks, and good luck to everyone!


Thanks, I really like your point about the Lethe particularly. As for a synopsis, this website's pretty good:
http://www.shmoop.com/aeneid/book-6-summary.html

Good luck!
Original post by candycake
Thanks, I really like your point about the Lethe particularly. As for a synopsis, this website's pretty good:
http://www.shmoop.com/aeneid/book-6-summary.html

Good luck!


Wow, thank you...that's so helpful!:smile:
I think the commentary will be on:
- The Sibyl's speech and being possessed by Apollo
- The description of Charon
- Aeneas' encounter with Dido.

Then the essay could be on:
- Piety
- The gods and divine inspiration
- Whether the underworld is described in a positive or negative light
- Something about how it describes the future of Rome.

I may be wrong, but that's what I think the exam will be like
Original post by cfbillingham
I think the commentary will be on:
- The Sibyl's speech and being possessed by Apollo
- The description of Charon
- Aeneas' encounter with Dido.

Then the essay could be on:
- Piety
- The gods and divine inspiration
- Whether the underworld is described in a positive or negative light
- Something about how it describes the future of Rome.

I may be wrong, but that's what I think the exam will be like


I think I would be fairly happy with these, except perhaps the future of Rome. My answer would probably mostly concentrate on the second half of the book. Other than the prophesy, is there anything from the first half which I could reference?

Thanks :smile:
Original post by cfbillingham
I think the commentary will be on:
- The Sibyl's speech and being possessed by Apollo
- The description of Charon
- Aeneas' encounter with Dido.

Then the essay could be on:
- Piety
- The gods and divine inspiration
- Whether the underworld is described in a positive or negative light
- Something about how it describes the future of Rome.

I may be wrong, but that's what I think the exam will be like


I agree, these questions look very likely.

An extension of the 'how it describes the future of Rome' question could be the whole aspect of Virgil's flattery of the Emperor Augustus.
He does this by emphasising his ancestral connection to Aeneas and constantly heaping admiration upon the latter.
For example as he describes his piety (sacrificing and praying to gods), capability (succesfully made long journey), bravery (not scared of the Underworld or Charon!:smile:, attention to duty (giving Misenus a proper burial, and sticking to his promise of finding his father in the Underworld).

As much as this epic was a wonderful story certain aspects also make it a political work. Virgil was writing his Aeneid in the years just before his death (19 BC) which was also during Augustus' reign (which began in 27 BC and ended with his death in 14 AD), and was consistently making sure that he was painting Augustus' 'ancestor' in a positive light.

Not sure this was really related, but typing it out is helping me remember, so thanks for putting up with listening guys!:smile:

Hope your revision is going well
Does anyone have/know of any good Ovid passages I can do as a practice translation please? I've done all the ones in the Ovid Unseens book but none of the ones in Latin Beyond GCSE.

Thanks!
Original post by candycake
I practiced a couple of Ovids that were in past papers over the weekend and although they're still hard, they're easier than the unadulterated ones I've been attempting. I'm really hoping they'll choose a nice passage and not one from the tristia. I haven't learnt any style but I've been through the whole piece a couple of times just practicing picking out the relevant features so I have a rough idea of what I'm looking for in each section. How about you?


About the same on all fronts, the Livy in the papers is adapted so lets ope the Ovid is too! Ive read through the annotated latin a couple of times and picked stuff out on blank ones, so about the same as you.
Original post by candycake
Does anyone have/know of any good Ovid passages I can do as a practice translation please? I've done all the ones in the Ovid Unseens book but none of the ones in Latin Beyond GCSE.

Thanks!

Do you have the Ashley carter Latin Unseens book? There are some god ones in there.
Original post by sargentsargent2
About the same on all fronts, the Livy in the papers is adapted so lets ope the Ovid is too! Ive read through the annotated latin a couple of times and picked stuff out on blank ones, so about the same as you.


Phew - thought I was going to be the only one not knowing style by heart! Hopefully the passage will have lots to comment on - usually I don't have time to mention most of the style in the commentary, I just choose a few sections and totally pull them apart. I'm doing the prose comp in the second paper - the Livy just looks so difficult!

Original post by sargentsargent2
Do you have the Ashley carter Latin Unseens book? There are some god ones in there.


I don't have it but I'll see if I can find any sections online - thank you!
Good luck everyone - just wanted to double check - for the essays on the whole book, we don't have to know direct quotes of Latin, do we?
Original post by z1ggystardust
Good luck everyone - just wanted to double check - for the essays on the whole book, we don't have to know direct quotes of Latin, do we?


No, we only have to quote Latin in the commentary. Good luck to you too!
Is there anybody doing Catullus at all?? :')
Original post by candycake
No, we only have to quote Latin in the commentary. Good luck to you too!


Thanks for putting my mind at ease, I always start thinking the most irrational things the night before... :redface:

You know, it is easy to take up Latin A level, the door of the exam room lays open night and day... but to do well... hic opus, hic labor est :colondollar:
Original post by z1ggystardust
Good luck everyone - just wanted to double check - for the essays on the whole book, we don't have to know direct quotes of Latin, do we?


Essays which ask us to refer to the Latin will need to have direct quotes of Latin.
However, as far as I understand, paraphrasing and summary should get you by in the general essays requiring commentary on the whole book .

Of course, direct quotes for Latin would be good!:smile: If only I was that kind of sorted student who had all those organised...but no, thank goodness there's always hope!

Hope this helps! And good luck to everyone tomorrow...as long as the earth is still turning when we all come out everything'll be ok:smile:
Original post by z1ggystardust
Thanks for putting my mind at ease, I always start thinking the most irrational things the night before... :redface:

You know, it is easy to take up Latin A level, the door of the exam room lays open night and day... but to do well... hic opus, hic labor est :colondollar:


Haha, don't worry, me too! I'm always paranoid I've got the wrong day/time! (tomorrow afternoon, right...?)
Original post by candycake
Haha, don't worry, me too! I'm always paranoid I've got the wrong day/time! (tomorrow afternoon, right...?)


Yeah! :smile: I've had to check so many times that it's verse tomorrow and not prose... :angry:

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