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EnglandClassical Civilisation

The World of the Hero: Virgil (Component 1)

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is pietas, and how does it define Aeneas as a distinctively Roman hero?

Virgil's Aeneid: pietas (duty to gods, family and state) as the defining virtue of Aeneas, illustrated through the fall of Troy, the carrying of Anchises, and his submission to fate, and how it distinguishes the Roman hero from the Homeric hero.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of pietas and the heroism of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid. Covers duty to gods, family and state, the escape from Troy carrying Anchises, the sacrifice of personal desire to fate, and how Aeneas differs from Achilles and Odysseus, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
18 min answer →

How does the killing of Turnus complete (or complicate) Virgil's portrait of Aeneas as a Roman hero?

Virgil's Aeneid: the war in Italy and the climactic duel with Turnus, the ambiguous ending in which Aeneas kills the suppliant Turnus in a moment of furor, and what it reveals about Aeneas, pietas and the meaning of the poem.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of the ending of the Aeneid and Aeneas as a Roman hero. Covers the war in Italy, Turnus as antagonist, the final duel, the killing of the suppliant Turnus when Aeneas sees Pallas' belt, and the debate over the ambiguous ending, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
18 min answer →

How does Virgil present Dido, and why is Book 4 the tragic heart of the Aeneid?

Virgil's Aeneid: the characterisation of Dido, the development and destruction of her love for Aeneas, the conflict between love and duty, and the tragedy of Book 4 culminating in her suicide and curse.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of Dido and Book 4 of the Aeneid. Covers the divine manipulation of Dido's love, the conflict between her passion and Aeneas' duty, her sense of betrayal, the curse foreshadowing Rome and Carthage, and her suicide, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
18 min answer →

How do the opposing forces of furor and fatum shape the Aeneid, and what is the cost of Rome's destiny?

Virgil's Aeneid: the opposition of furor (destructive passion) and fatum (destiny), the role of the gods (especially Juno's anger and Jupiter's plan), and the human cost of founding Rome as a recurring theme.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of furor and fatum in the Aeneid. Covers the opposition of destructive passion and destiny, Juno's anger against Jupiter's plan, the deaths of Dido, Pallas, Lausus and Turnus as the cost of empire, and the poem's ambiguity, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
18 min answer →

How does the underworld of Aeneid Book 6 serve Virgil's vision of Rome and Augustus?

Virgil's Aeneid: the descent to the underworld in Book 6, the meeting with Anchises, the parade of future Roman heroes, the prophecy of Rome's mission, and how the episode promotes Augustan ideology.
An OCR A-Level Classical Civilisation (H408/11) study of Aeneid Book 6 and Augustan ideology. Covers the descent with the Sibyl, the meeting with Dido and Anchises, the parade of Roman heroes culminating in Augustus, the prophecy of Rome's mission to rule, and the gates of sleep, with the source and essay skills the paper rewards.
18 min answer →