What is the OCR Roman depth study about?

The Roman depth study, the Breakdown of the Late Republic 88 to 31 BC, is Section B of the Roman component. It traces the collapse of the Republic from Sulla's marches on Rome, through the extraordinary commands of Pompey and the wealth of Crassus, the First Triumvirate and Caesar, his dictatorship and assassination, to the Second Triumvirate and Octavian's victory at Actium. It is assessed by one 36-mark essay chosen from two, built on the prescribed ancient sources.

Which sources are prescribed for the Late Republic depth study?

The core sources include Cicero (his letters and speeches, contemporary and invaluable but partisan), Sallust (moralising analysis of decline), Caesar's own Gallic War and Civil War (self-justifying), Plutarch's Lives (Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, Caesar, Antony, Cicero, but later and biographical), Appian's Civil Wars (a connected later narrative) and Cassius Dio. Evaluating their date, purpose and bias is essential.

Why did the Roman Republic break down?

The depth study treats the breakdown as structural: the army's personal loyalty to its generals (paid and settled by them, not the state), the use of extraordinary commands and violence to bypass the constitution, the ambition and rivalry of dynasts (Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, Caesar, Antony, Octavian), the obstruction and failures of the Senate, and social and economic strain. Sulla's precedents of marching on Rome and proscription proved especially destructive.

How did the Republic finally end?

Caesar's victory and his permanent dictatorship led to his assassination in 44 BC, which triggered renewed civil war. The Second Triumvirate (Antony, Octavian, Lepidus) avenged him, defeated the Liberators at Philippi in 42 BC, and then fell apart. Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, ending the period and leaving him sole master, the position from which he created the principate.

How should I revise the Late Republic depth study?

Build a clear narrative from Sulla to Actium and master the structural causes of the breakdown. Attach the prescribed sources to each phase and learn their biases, especially Caesar's self-justification and the pro-Augustan tradition on Antony. Practise the 36-mark essay by building arguments (why Sulla mattered, why the Triumvirates broke down, why Caesar was killed, why Octavian won) from named sources, and always evaluate rather than narrate.

EnglandAncient History

OCR Ancient History Roman depth study: the Breakdown of the Late Republic 88 to 31 BC, a complete overview

A complete overview of the OCR A-Level Ancient History Roman depth study, the Breakdown of the Late Republic 88 to 31 BC. Explains the structure of Section B and the 36-mark essay, ties together Sulla, Pompey and Crassus, the Triumvirates, Caesar and Actium, and shows how to argue from the prescribed sources.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.814 min readH407Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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How Section B works
The breakdown, phase by phase
The structural causes
Arguing from the sources

The OCR Ancient History Roman depth study, the Breakdown of the Late Republic 88 to 31 BC, is Section B of the Roman component. It is the story of how the Roman Republic destroyed itself over two generations of civil war, and it is told through some of the richest sources in ancient history, including the letters of a man who lived through it. This overview ties together the dot-point pages and the source skills the section demands.

How Section B works

The depth study is examined as Section B of the Roman paper (48 marks within the 98-mark paper), through one 36-mark essay chosen from two. The essay tests knowledge (AO1), analysis (AO2) and the use and evaluation of the prescribed ancient sources (AO3), so it rewards an argument built on and from the sources.

The breakdown, phase by phase

Sulla. The first march on Rome (88 BC), the civil war, the proscriptions and the dictatorship, setting the precedents that doomed the Republic.
Pompey and Crassus. The extraordinary commands and the wealth that concentrated power outside the constitution in the 70s and 60s BC.
The First Triumvirate and Caesar. The alliance of 60 BC, Caesar's Gallic command, the breakdown after the deaths of Julia and Crassus, and the crossing of the Rubicon (49 BC).
Caesar's dictatorship. Victory, the dictatorship for life, the reforms, and the assassination on the Ides of March (44 BC).
The Second Triumvirate and Actium. The alliance of 43 BC, the proscriptions and Philippi, the propaganda war, and Octavian's victory at Actium (31 BC).

The structural causes

Armies loyal to generals. Soldiers paid and settled by their commanders, not the state.
Extraordinary commands and violence. Used to bypass the constitution.
Dynastic ambition and senatorial failure. Rivalry among the great men and the Senate's inability to control them.

Arguing from the sources

Cite by name. Cicero, Sallust, Caesar, Plutarch, Appian and Dio each have a distinctive view; name them and use them.
Weigh their bias. Caesar justifies himself, the tradition on Antony is pro-Augustan, and Plutarch and Appian write long after the events.

Sources & how we know this

OCR A Level Ancient History H407 specification — OCR (2017)