β Scotland Classical Studies
Scotland Β· SQASyllabus
Classical Studies syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Scotland Classical Studiessyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Assignment and skills
Module overview β- How do you answer the Classical Society question paper, from short 'describe' questions to the 20-mark evaluative essay?Answering the Classical Society paper: handling 'describe' and 'explain' questions, structuring the 20-mark evaluative essay, using evidence and reaching a supported judgement.12 min answer β
- What is the Higher Classical Studies assignment, and how do you research and write it for full marks?The Higher Classical Studies assignment: choosing a classical issue, researching it, comparing the ancient and modern worlds, and writing it up under controlled conditions for 30 marks.11 min answer β
Life in Classical Greece
Module overview β- How free were the people of classical Athens, and how well did Athenian democracy distribute power?Power and freedom in classical Greece: the workings of Athenian democracy, its strengths and weaknesses, and the limits of freedom for women, slaves and metics.14 min answer β
- What did the Greeks believe about their gods, and how did religion shape everyday life and the state in classical Athens?Religion and belief in classical Greece: the Olympian gods, worship and sacrifice, temples and festivals, oracles and the afterlife, and the place of religion in the Athenian state.13 min answer β
- How free were women, slaves and metics in classical Athens, and what does their position reveal about Athenian freedom?Society and freedom in classical Greece: the lives and limited freedom of women, slaves and metics in Athens, and what their status shows about the reach of Athenian liberty.13 min answer β
Classical Literature
Module overview β- How do you analyse a prescribed classical text and answer the classical literature question paper for full marks?Analysing classical literature for the question paper: handling a printed extract, commenting on the writer's techniques, discussing themes and values, and structuring the extended response.12 min answer β
- How does Virgil use the figure of Aeneas to explore duty, fate, sacrifice and the cost of founding Rome?Virgil's Aeneid as a prescribed epic text: the theme of pietas and duty, the conflict between fate and personal desire (Dido), the values of Roman heroism, and Virgil's epic technique.13 min answer β
- How does Sophocles use the conflict between Antigone and Creon to explore divine law, the authority of the state and the place of the individual?Sophocles' Antigone as a prescribed text: the tragic conflict between divine and state law, the characters of Antigone and Creon, the role of the chorus, and the values the play promotes.14 min answer β
Life in the Roman world
Module overview β- How was power held and exercised in the Roman world, and how free were the people who lived under Rome?Power and freedom in the Roman world: the power of the emperor, the role of the Senate and old republican forms, Roman citizenship, and the limits of freedom under autocracy.14 min answer β
- What did the Romans believe, how did religion serve the state, and why were the Romans hostile to Christianity?Religion and belief in the Roman world: the state gods and worship, the imperial cult, Roman tolerance of foreign cults, and attitudes towards Christianity and its persecution.14 min answer β
- How was Roman society structured, and how free were slaves, freedmen and women within it?Society and freedom in the Roman world: the social hierarchy, slavery and its range, the place of freedmen, the position of women, and what these reveal about freedom under Rome.13 min answer β