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OCR A Level Classical Civilisation Paper 1 (H408/11) - 14th May 2024 [Exam Chat]

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Reply 20

Original post
by Krishk15
Any predictions for odyssey questions ?
I think for Odyssey
20 Marker might be Telemachus, slaves or deceit, trickery and disguise

30 M

I am not to sure, but it will probably not be about Odysseus character.

It could women, perhaps Penelope in some form for 30 marker or the Gods.

Reply 21

Original post
by aaaaaaaaaa2006
oh i am so not prepared for that

yeah neither. like I have notes on it but icl i just don’t get it 😭 Can anyone explain clearly .. esp abt like the civil war like whatttt

Reply 22

Original post
by Caboodle01
I think for Odyssey
20 Marker might be Telemachus, slaves or deceit, trickery and disguise
30 M
I am not to sure, but it will probably not be about Odysseus character.
It could women, perhaps Penelope in some form for 30 marker or the Gods.

Yeah potentially, hoping Aeneid 30 marker isn’t tough, would rather do Aeneid

Reply 23

Original post
by parmiss05
yeah neither. like I have notes on it but icl i just don’t get it 😭 Can anyone explain clearly .. esp abt like the civil war like whatttt

I don't know if it will be exactly the glorification of Rome since they did a sample question on praising Augustus (To what extent do you consider praising Augustus to be the only purpose of the Aeneid? Justify your response.)

Reply 24

Original post
by parmiss05
yeah neither. like I have notes on it but icl i just don’t get it 😭 Can anyone explain clearly .. esp abt like the civil war like whatttt

Basically all you need to know is that the emperor Augustus (semi) commissioned the Aeneid as a ‘national epic’. Virgil wrote it FOR HIM.

Therefore all of the direct mentions of Augustus (in Book 6 with the parade, the shield in Book 8) are in direct praise of him.

The shield depicts, among other things, the Battle of Actium. This was a battle between Mark Antony / Cleopatra and Octavian. Octavian won. Mark Antony was seen as a massive threat to Rome and Cleopatra can also be seen in the presentation of Dido - a foreign, ‘other’ queen.
Aeneas’ intense pietas is shown when, after seeing the shield, he takes it onto his shoulders without even knowing who the people are on it. He will take it into battle and defeat Turnus with it, founding the city that will become Rome.

The parade of Roman heroes in Book 6 also directly sees Augustus’ soul come face to face with Aeneas, along with other Roman heroes (such as Julius Caesar). It is significant that this is what gives Aeneas motivation to continue to Italy - in book 5 he becomes incredibly demotivated after the Trojan women burn down his ships.

There are also other ways of promoting Augustus. One of these is in the values that characters display - Augustus heavily promoted what he saw as ‘traditional’ Roman values. These are of course Aeneas’ pietas and severitas, but also father-son relationships, devotion to the gods, and the traditional role of women (exemplified by Creusa and Lavinia, the opposite to Dido, Amata, and Camilla).

Father-son values are best exemplified by Aeneas and Anchises, Aeneas and Ascanius, and Evander and Pallas. They are the opposite to Lausus and Mezentius. They were so important to Augustus because of his relationship to his adopted father Julius Caesar, who is also heavily praised and mentioned as a ‘god’ in Books 6 and 8.

There are then all the prophecies that foretell Roman destiny - Jupiter’s in Books 1 and 10, the omens in Books 2 and 5, and many more you can probably find a list of somewhere. There is also Anchises’ speech in Book 6 about what a Roman should be - where he speaks directly to Virgil’s audience.

With all of this it can be argued that the Aeneid as a piece of propaganda overrides its value as a piece of poetry and entertainment. This is up to you to decide.
There are also some moments that scholars have decided are anti-Augustan. Book 6 ends on a tragic note with the death of Marcellus, Aeneas’ proto-Roman values are forgone in Books 10 and 12 as he lapses into furor over pietas and clementia, a poor ‘final note’ for Virgil to end on if he is purely praising Augustus. But again he did not actually finish the epic, so it is uncertain. There is also the heavy cost of war / Roman destiny and the death of youth - Books 2, 4, 9, 10, and 11.

I hope this is helpful!
There are obviously more moments of Roman glorification - these are just the most significant that I could think of from the top of my head. :-]

Reply 25

Original post
by tbhcreature
Basically all you need to know is that the emperor Augustus (semi) commissioned the Aeneid as a ‘national epic’. Virgil wrote it FOR HIM.
Therefore all of the direct mentions of Augustus (in Book 6 with the parade, the shield in Book 8) are in direct praise of him.
The shield depicts, among other things, the Battle of Actium. This was a battle between Mark Antony / Cleopatra and Octavian. Octavian won. Mark Antony was seen as a massive threat to Rome and Cleopatra can also be seen in the presentation of Dido - a foreign, ‘other’ queen.
Aeneas’ intense pietas is shown when, after seeing the shield, he takes it onto his shoulders without even knowing who the people are on it. He will take it into battle and defeat Turnus with it, founding the city that will become Rome.
The parade of Roman heroes in Book 6 also directly sees Augustus’ soul come face to face with Aeneas, along with other Roman heroes (such as Julius Caesar). It is significant that this is what gives Aeneas motivation to continue to Italy - in book 5 he becomes incredibly demotivated after the Trojan women burn down his ships.
There are also other ways of promoting Augustus. One of these is in the values that characters display - Augustus heavily promoted what he saw as ‘traditional’ Roman values. These are of course Aeneas’ pietas and severitas, but also father-son relationships, devotion to the gods, and the traditional role of women (exemplified by Creusa and Lavinia, the opposite to Dido, Amata, and Camilla).
Father-son values are best exemplified by Aeneas and Anchises, Aeneas and Ascanius, and Evander and Pallas. They are the opposite to Lausus and Mezentius. They were so important to Augustus because of his relationship to his adopted father Julius Caesar, who is also heavily praised and mentioned as a ‘god’ in Books 6 and 8.
There are then all the prophecies that foretell Roman destiny - Jupiter’s in Books 1 and 10, the omens in Books 2 and 5, and many more you can probably find a list of somewhere. There is also Anchises’ speech in Book 6 about what a Roman should be - where he speaks directly to Virgil’s audience.
With all of this it can be argued that the Aeneid as a piece of propaganda overrides its value as a piece of poetry and entertainment. This is up to you to decide.
There are also some moments that scholars have decided are anti-Augustan. Book 6 ends on a tragic note with the death of Marcellus, Aeneas’ proto-Roman values are forgone in Books 10 and 12 as he lapses into furor over pietas and clementia, a poor ‘final note’ for Virgil to end on if he is purely praising Augustus. But again he did not actually finish the epic, so it is uncertain. There is also the heavy cost of war / Roman destiny and the death of youth - Books 2, 4, 9, 10, and 11.
I hope this is helpful!
There are obviously more moments of Roman glorification - these are just the most significant that I could think of from the top of my head. :-]

other possible points!

Augustus juxtaposed with Romulus; founding rome 753BC- out of chronological sync; he will bring back golden age of mythology and morality: a second founding of Rome. Expand empire. Even to far away corners like Caspian sea- to lands even Herculus cannot reach. Ref to Nile: Battle of Actium 31BC vs Antony and Cleopatra.

Augustus’ religiosity reflected in Aeneas’ promises to Apollo: Building temple to Apollo on Palatine hill 28BC

[Anchises' mission statement for Romans - 6.847-53 - 'govern the peoples of the world ... pardon the defeated and war down the proud'] convey an optimistic picture of Rome's destiny

The Neptune statesman similie starting “as when disorder arises”. Here is a high standing figure with the power to restore order, to end furor and strife and to bring peace and stability to the state. Augustus!!

Reference to how Aeneas will rule 3 years, Ascanius 30: rule of the Iulus…i.e Julian family. Augustus was adopted into Julius’ family and here Virgil is showing a clear line of heritage: adding legitimacy to his rule

Reply 26

Original post
by tbhcreature
Basically all you need to know is that the emperor Augustus (semi) commissioned the Aeneid as a ‘national epic’. Virgil wrote it FOR HIM.
Therefore all of the direct mentions of Augustus (in Book 6 with the parade, the shield in Book 8) are in direct praise of him.
The shield depicts, among other things, the Battle of Actium. This was a battle between Mark Antony / Cleopatra and Octavian. Octavian won. Mark Antony was seen as a massive threat to Rome and Cleopatra can also be seen in the presentation of Dido - a foreign, ‘other’ queen.
Aeneas’ intense pietas is shown when, after seeing the shield, he takes it onto his shoulders without even knowing who the people are on it. He will take it into battle and defeat Turnus with it, founding the city that will become Rome.
The parade of Roman heroes in Book 6 also directly sees Augustus’ soul come face to face with Aeneas, along with other Roman heroes (such as Julius Caesar). It is significant that this is what gives Aeneas motivation to continue to Italy - in book 5 he becomes incredibly demotivated after the Trojan women burn down his ships.
There are also other ways of promoting Augustus. One of these is in the values that characters display - Augustus heavily promoted what he saw as ‘traditional’ Roman values. These are of course Aeneas’ pietas and severitas, but also father-son relationships, devotion to the gods, and the traditional role of women (exemplified by Creusa and Lavinia, the opposite to Dido, Amata, and Camilla).
Father-son values are best exemplified by Aeneas and Anchises, Aeneas and Ascanius, and Evander and Pallas. They are the opposite to Lausus and Mezentius. They were so important to Augustus because of his relationship to his adopted father Julius Caesar, who is also heavily praised and mentioned as a ‘god’ in Books 6 and 8.
There are then all the prophecies that foretell Roman destiny - Jupiter’s in Books 1 and 10, the omens in Books 2 and 5, and many more you can probably find a list of somewhere. There is also Anchises’ speech in Book 6 about what a Roman should be - where he speaks directly to Virgil’s audience.
With all of this it can be argued that the Aeneid as a piece of propaganda overrides its value as a piece of poetry and entertainment. This is up to you to decide.
There are also some moments that scholars have decided are anti-Augustan. Book 6 ends on a tragic note with the death of Marcellus, Aeneas’ proto-Roman values are forgone in Books 10 and 12 as he lapses into furor over pietas and clementia, a poor ‘final note’ for Virgil to end on if he is purely praising Augustus. But again he did not actually finish the epic, so it is uncertain. There is also the heavy cost of war / Roman destiny and the death of youth - Books 2, 4, 9, 10, and 11.
I hope this is helpful!
There are obviously more moments of Roman glorification - these are just the most significant that I could think of from the top of my head. :-]

thank you so so much this is so helpful. so if there is a question on the portrayal of war, I would talk 1. how it is meant to reflect the civil war and therefore necessary for the founding of Rome 2. I would probs say war is necessary for individual glory etc and then 3. the cost of founding rome, death of innocent etc. does that sound okay?

Reply 27

I think that it's really interesting to see that so many people really prefer the Aeneid over the Homeric text. I'm so much more comfortable writing about the Odyssey and to me it has been much more memorable as a 'story'. I also do AQA Eng Lit, it's my favourite subject, so I tend to approach answers like I do for English. I actually quite like the 10 mark questions, they're just like analysing unseen extracts. Take a simile, metaphor or some imagery and talk about what it evokes or makes you see.

I fully agree that Aeneas is much more nuanced as a hero, more realistic by far, but I really enjoy talking about character tropes and purposes in the Odyssey. I'm actually really hoping for a question that can let me talk about the context, the culture surrounding the epic and why it's successful. In an Eng Lit essay, it'd be pretty much a requirement to talk about the diversions in the narrative, how its almost a form of metafiction with storytelling inside a story, roles of minor characters, as well as the ways that Odysseus mirrors/subverts the expectations of a Mycenaean hero. I'm definitely planning on doing the Odyssey 30 mark :smile:

Reply 28

Original post
by parmiss05
thank you so so much this is so helpful. so if there is a question on the portrayal of war, I would talk 1. how it is meant to reflect the civil war and therefore necessary for the founding of Rome 2. I would probs say war is necessary for individual glory etc and then 3. the cost of founding rome, death of innocent etc. does that sound okay?
Sounds good!! If you’re talking about individual glory I would probably mention that this is a trait of Homeric heroes such as Turnus (who has his very Greek aristeia at the end of Book 9) as in Book 12 he asks Latinus to let him throw away his ‘life for glory’ - the opposite to the proto-Roman hero Aeneas who has no kleos and instead pietas (until furor takes over >:-] )

Also if you’re talking about war being necessary for Rome then maybe mention the Pax Romana - the prolonged period of peace that Augustus brought after decades of civil war (Pompey v. Caesar, Antony v. Octavian), as mentioned in Book 6 by Anchises.

love the Aeneid so much blehhhhhhh virgil and augustus should’ve just made out or something

Reply 29

Original post
by ladydracula
I think that it's really interesting to see that so many people really prefer the Aeneid over the Homeric text. I'm so much more comfortable writing about the Odyssey and to me it has been much more memorable as a 'story'. I also do AQA Eng Lit, it's my favourite subject, so I tend to approach answers like I do for English. I actually quite like the 10 mark questions, they're just like analysing unseen extracts. Take a simile, metaphor or some imagery and talk about what it evokes or makes you see.
I fully agree that Aeneas is much more nuanced as a hero, more realistic by far, but I really enjoy talking about character tropes and purposes in the Odyssey. I'm actually really hoping for a question that can let me talk about the context, the culture surrounding the epic and why it's successful. In an Eng Lit essay, it'd be pretty much a requirement to talk about the diversions in the narrative, how its almost a form of metafiction with storytelling inside a story, roles of minor characters, as well as the ways that Odysseus mirrors/subverts the expectations of a Mycenaean hero. I'm definitely planning on doing the Odyssey 30 mark :smile:

i do englit too and i find this so interesting!!! i prefer the aeneid as an englit student because its actually written as a text and so it's easier to analyse in that way than the odyssey which is a mishmash of oral tradition with contradictions all the time

i'm the complete opposite lol - i find the aeneid way more memorable i seriously don't understand how there's 12 books on ithaca??? makes no sense to me whatsoever... i will never do the ody 30 i know like 2 scholars and thats it

Reply 30

Original post
by Caboodle01
I think for Odyssey
20 Marker might be Telemachus, slaves or deceit, trickery and disguise
30 M
I am not to sure, but it will probably not be about Odysseus character.
It could women, perhaps Penelope in some form for 30 marker or the Gods.

Good calls! Here's my two cents...

I think that Telemachus is a really good prediction, he's been quite absent from a pretty much all the recent papers. I'd be super happy to see him come up as a 20 mark. His transition from boy to man is really easy to trace through the narrative, and Athene's role as a surrogate father who pushes him in the right direction is also good to debate. Slaves alone as a theme is unlikely in my opinion. I think if it does come up, it'll be a part of a wider context question, like the structure of society. Though if it does appear in isolation, there's definitely enough to say about bards/minstrels and how culturally important they were, honest slaves like Eumaeus/Philoetius and disloyal slaves such as Melanthius, Melantho and the maids. It'd then be worth mentioning their excessively cruel punishments at the end of the epic (hanging the maids like dead doves in a snare, torturing and chopping up Melanthius) as perhaps an emphasis of just how shameful disobeying your master really was in that age.

Anything related to deceit, disguise or trickery would be a very generous question for a 20 mark, I think that it's more likely to be the 30 mark if it appears just because there's so much to say. It's certainly an unconventional way to show heroism for Greek heroes, but it's arguably the most prominent way Metis is shown, so it could even come under a question about that. Disguise is absolutely Odysseus' thing; Helen's story of his beggar disguise all the way back at Troy, the infamous name 'Nobody' and the beggar disguise cast on him by Athene. There would also be room to state how often he conceals his name; with the Phaeacians, arriving on Ithaca and even when meeting Laertes again. It's something that's often used by the gods too, a way to give mention to theoxenia as an example or one of the many disguises Athene takes. In short it further connects Odysseus with the gods, boosting him up as a hero. An interesting point would also be how often deceit and deception is linked to women specifically. Penelope deceives the suitors by unravelling her work on Laertes' death shroud, Helen calls out to the Argive captains inside of the horse in the voices of their wives, Agamemnon's entire speech about how 'all' women are unfaithful.

Women is generally a pretty popular theme and features in some way each year. I don't think it will be the direct focus of the 30 mark since I believe something similar has come up fairly recently. If it does, there's plenty to be said about them and how they're supposed to behave. Go crazy with context and knowledge of gender roles- easy link with the Love and Relationships module. Gods contribute a lot to the epic, but it depends on what the question is asking for in particular. Whether it's about divine intervention specifically, to what extent Gods are important to the epic, if they're fair to mortals, how they influence the narrative in other ways...

I think that justice/order, good/evil or something very loosely based on heroism/kleos in the ancient world could be part of the 30 mark (OCR loves vague questions 🙃). I agree that it'll be unlikely to name Odysseus/his character specifically, but I can imagine a question like 'Monsters are the only source of evil in the epic, agree/disagree' or 'An ancient hero should always celebrate his achievements, agree/disagree' where he'd need to be discussed.

Reply 31

Does anyone have any notes on language in the Aeneid and the Odyssey, like the first spec topic bc I have nothing as I'm really hoping it won't come up! I'd really appreciate it.

Reply 32

Language/techniques aren't likely to be the main focus of the larger questions as that part of the spec is mostly addressed with the 10 marks. In those questions, that's when you can pick out your language, imagery, similes, metaphors etc. You don't have to remember exact quotes for the larger questions, but as long as you can reference them and expand on them, you should be good 🙂

Some examples in the Odyssey:

The many times Odysseus is likened to a lion, examples being in Bk6 as he approaches Nausicaa and the girls, and in Bk23, Eurycleia tells Penelope he was 'like a lion spattered with gore'. It's a comparison that emphasises heroism.

Odysseus' men are transformed into pigs in Bk10, symbolising their greed and appetites that have caused many problems throughout Odysseus' journey.

Odysseus' return from Circe's palace is described like a mother cow returning to bounding calves, positions Odysseus as a parental figure/father to his men.

Odysseus and Telemachus embrace, crying like vultures whose nests have been robbed of their eggs. This is a metaphor for the fact that their time with each other as father and son has been stolen.

In the source Odysseus, when meeting Penelope in disguise, refers to her as 'gynai' which can mean 'lady' or 'wife.' Something to mention when speaking on Odysseus' disguise as it allows him to express his fondness for Penelope without giving himself away.

Odysseus embracing Penelope is described from her perspective like a sailor battered by the sea who has finally found safe harbour. They're both each other's safe place, both have suffered immensely- Penelope with grief and constant harassment from the suitors, and Odysseus with the losses of his travels.


The Aeneid:

In the original text, Dido is referred to as 'infelix' which can mean unlucky, unfortunate. This could be used in a point about the gods controlling mortals- Dido is burdened by misfortune.

Dido, infected by love, is described like a doe who has being struck fatally with an arrow lodged deep into her. She isn't aware of it, but it will bring her death. This highlights the tragedy of Dido's story, does are prey animals and Dido isn't even aware of who her attacker is.

Dido's love is also described as a flame/fire, which feasts and gnaws on 'the marrow in her bones.' It's generally referred to as being quite painful, torturous and all-consuming. The uncontrollable nature of fire again represents how Dido isn't really in control of her passions for Aeneas. Near enough the exact same language is used to describe Amata's passions and frenzy.

Virgil likens both Dido and Amata to bacchants/maenads when they are driven mad, allusions to Greek Theatre and the Bacchae.

Allecto's influence over Amata is snare like, winding and constricting Amata's body, particularly her neck, like a serpent.

Like the Odyssey, there's an abundance of animal imagery, mostly in the books focused on the war between the Trojans and Latins/Rutulians. It's often used in singled out fights to show who is the greater warrior. In the final battle between Aeneas and Turnus, Aeneas is described as a hunting dog pursuing a bewildered deer, Turnus.

In multiple instances, the tragedy of premature deaths in war are shown through the image of a white flower with a drooping head, sorrowful after being cut. This imagery is used when both Pallas and Lausus, young boys, die in battle. White as a colour is generally symbolic of innocence, the flower of their youth and the general sadness of the fact that young lives are a cost of war.

Reply 33

I've heard some conflicting advice and was wondering if you need precise quotations from the epics to support your points, or whether very close description is enough? I'm struggling to remember everything!! 💀

Reply 34

Original post
by Iz-belle
I've heard some conflicting advice and was wondering if you need precise quotations from the epics to support your points, or whether very close description is enough? I'm struggling to remember everything!! 💀

You don't need quotes, but I find it really hard to learn the plot in detail so I'm just gonna learn a few key quotes that I might be able to apply. But you won't get extra marks or anything, paraphrasing is fine.

Reply 35

Original post
by parmiss05
You don't need quotes, but I find it really hard to learn the plot in detail so I'm just gonna learn a few key quotes that I might be able to apply. But you won't get extra marks or anything, paraphrasing is fine.

Tysm!!

Reply 36

Original post
by erin11

OCR A Level Classical Civilisation Paper 1 (H408/11) - 14th May 2024
Welcome to the TSR discussion for OCR Classics Paper 1!
Introduce yourself, share your favourite or least favourite topic/s, how you're feeling about the exam and your best revision tips
Exam: The world of the hero
Date: 14th May 2024 PM
Duration: 2 hours 30 mins
Best of luck!

@Pwca
Yall are crazy I so much prefer the Iliad. Almost everyone in my classics does. Aeneas is the human version of the colour beige. i live for Achilles and Patroclus, and HECTOR <3. I really really need the Iliad question to be a good one

Reply 37

Any predictions for Iliad questions? I have no idea what to expect but am definitely planning on doing the Iliad 30 marker

Reply 38

How many scholars are you learning for each book? There are just so many of them. We have been told to try to include 3 in each essay but it really depends on the questions asked.

Reply 39

Original post
by sunshinelife
How many scholars are you learning for each book? There are just so many of them. We have been told to try to include 3 in each essay but it really depends on the questions asked.

I am almost certainly going to do the Iliad 30 marker so I'm mostly learning scholarship for that one. I've picked a bunch of vague quotes that could apply to a lot of questions, and I'm just making sure I have about 2 for each theme. Remember too that you can use lenses (e.g. "when viewed through a feminist lense"), or modern interpretations (e.g. the film Troy, or The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller) to also count towards AO2. I think the ideal amount of AO2 in a 30 marker is 4 pieces if you're going for top band
(edited 1 year ago)

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