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EnglandClassical Civilisation

Myth and Religion: Gods and Heroes

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What did the Greeks and Romans believe about death, and how did myths of the underworld express those beliefs?

Greek and Roman attitudes to death and the afterlife, funerary and burial practices (rituals, tombs and offerings), beliefs about the underworld, and the mythic journeys to the underworld (katabasis) made by Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Orpheus.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of death and the underworld in Myth and Religion. Covers Greek and Roman attitudes to death and the afterlife, funerary and burial practices and offerings, beliefs about the underworld and its geography, and the mythic journeys (katabasis) of Odysseus, Aeneas, Heracles and Orpheus, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
16 min answer →

Why was Heracles the universal hero of both the Greek and the Roman world?

Heracles (Roman Hercules) as the universal hero: his birth and the hostility of Hera, the Twelve Labours, other exploits, his depiction in art, and his significance to both Greeks and Romans, including his use in Roman ideology.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of Heracles (Roman Hercules), the universal hero in Myth and Religion. Covers his birth and Hera's hostility, the Twelve Labours and other exploits, his depiction in art (lion skin, club), his apotheosis, and his significance to both Greeks and Romans, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
16 min answer →

How did rulers, above all Augustus, use myth and the gods to project political power?

Myth and the symbols of power: the use of gods, heroes and foundation myths to project political authority, with a focus on Augustus (his association with Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus) and monuments such as the Ara Pacis, and the use of mythic imagery on coins, statues and buildings.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of myth and symbols of power in Myth and Religion. Covers how rulers used gods, heroes and foundation myths for authority, focusing on Augustus (his links to Apollo, Venus, Aeneas and Romulus) and monuments such as the Ara Pacis, plus mythic imagery on coins and statues, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
16 min answer →

How did the myths of Aeneas and Romulus explain and glorify the foundation of Rome?

The foundation myths of Rome: Aeneas's journey from Troy to Italy and his role as ancestor of the Romans, the story of Romulus and Remus (the she-wolf, the founding of the city and the death of Remus), and how these myths expressed Roman values and identity.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of Rome's foundation myths in Myth and Religion. Covers Aeneas's journey from Troy to Italy and his role as ancestor of the Romans, the story of Romulus and Remus (the she-wolf, the founding and the death of Remus), and how the myths expressed Roman values and identity, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
15 min answer →

Who were the Greek and Roman gods, and what did myths reveal about how the ancients imagined them?

The nature of the gods (immortality, anthropomorphism, power and limitations), the major Olympian gods and goddesses and their Roman equivalents and spheres of influence, their symbols and attributes in literature and material culture, and myths showing the gods interacting with mortals.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of the gods in Myth and Religion. Covers the nature of the gods (immortality, anthropomorphism, power and limits), the twelve Olympians and their Roman equivalents and spheres, their symbols and attributes in art, and myths of gods and mortals, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
16 min answer →

How did the myths of Theseus express Athenian identity and civic values?

Theseus as the local hero of Athens: his journey to Athens and the bandits, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Ariadne and the voyage home, his role as a unifier and king of Athens, and how his myths expressed Athenian values and civic identity.
An OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (J199) study of Theseus, the local hero of Athens, in Myth and Religion. Covers his journey to Athens and the bandits, the Minotaur and the Labyrinth, Ariadne and the tragic return, his role as unifier and king of Athens, and how his myths expressed Athenian civic identity, with the source and essay skills the J199/11 paper rewards.
15 min answer →