Download ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS 2004

TASMANIAN QUALIFICATIO NS A UTH O RITY
Tasmanian Certificate of Education
ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS
Senior Secondary 5C
Subject Code: AN803
External Assessment
2004
Time: Three Hours
On the basis of your performance in this examination, the examiners will provide
results on each of the following criteria taken from the syllabus statement:
Criterion 2
Recall relevant factual information.
Criterion 5
Demonstrate an ability to analyse critically sources of
information.
Criterion 7
Understand and use the terminology relevant to the particular
unit under study.
Criterion 9
Communicate logically and analytically in written work.
Pages:
Questions:
©
15
40
Copyright for part(s) of this examination may be held by individuals and/or organisations other
than the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority.
Ancient Civilisations
BLANK PAGE
Page 2
Ancient Civilisations
CANDIDATE INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates MUST ensure that they have addressed ALL of the externally assessed criteria on this
examination paper.
Candidates must answer THREE questions.
Each question must be from a different unit.
Each question assesses Criteria 2, 5, 7 and 9.
Answer each question in a separate answer booklet.
Page 3
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 1: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN POLITICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY
Question 1
(a)
‘Ancient Egyptian history is characterised by cycles of unification under a central government,
followed by periods of fragmentation and collapse.’
Do you agree with this statement? Illustrate your answer with reference to at least two of the
three ‘Kingdom’ periods.
or
(b)
Explain your understanding of the ancient Egyptian political system and how it changed over
time. In your answer refer to at least two of the three ‘Kingdom’ periods in Egyptian history.
or
(c)
The concepts of ‘duality’ and the ‘cyclic nature of events’ were central to the Egyptian
understanding of their universe. Explain these concepts and how they influenced the way that
the Egyptians saw the Pharaonic system of government. How did these concepts influence the
Egyptians’ use of symbols of government?
Question 2
(a)
Did Egypt’s foreign policy towards its southern neighbours, Kush and Wawat (Upper and
Lower Nubia), change over time? If so, how? In your answer refer to at least two of the three
‘Kingdom’ periods.
or
(b)
How important was foreign tribute as a source of wealth to the rulers of Egypt? In your answer
refer to at least two of the ‘Kingdom’ periods of Egyptian history.
Question 3
(a)
Why did the ancient Egyptians build royal mortuary complexes? Did the art and architecture of
these complexes remain constant?
Illustrate your answer with detailed reference to two of the three ‘Kingdom’ periods.
or
(b)
Did real power in Egypt rest with the King/Pharaoh or with the army of officials – scribes,
viziers, high priests, generals – who served him? Support your answer with reference to a range
of sources.
or
(c)
Which of the Egyptian Kings/Pharaohs were regarded by their own people as being great?
Why? What did the Egyptians regard as the qualities of an outstanding King/Pharaoh?
Question 4
‘The most abundant sources of evidence to remain about life in ancient Egypt – the royal monuments
– are simply propaganda celebrating the effectiveness of the Egyptian system of government.’
Discuss this statement with reference to a wide range of sources.
Page 4
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 2: GREEK HISTORY 510 BC — 431 BC
Question 5
(a)
What were the functions and purpose of the boulé or Council of 500 in Cleisthenes’ democratic
system?
or
(b)
What further democratic reforms occurred in the Athenian state after Cleisthenes? Why were
these reforms implemented?
Question 6
(a)
‘Whichever side the Athenians joined in the Persian War was bound to be victorious, so Greece
was effectively saved by the Athenians.’ Discuss.
or
(b)
Evaluate the strategy and tactics of the Persians in their attack on Greece. Why did they fail to
conquer Greece, given their numerical superiority?
Question 7
(a)
To what extent were Athens’ allies responsible for transforming the Delian League into the
Athenian empire?
or
(b)
Why did the Athenian empire become so hated amongst Athens’ allies by the time of the
Peloponnesian War?
Question 8
(a)
What is meant by Thucydides’ statement that the Athenian democracy under Pericles was really
‘rule by the first citizen’? How democratic was Periclean Athens?
or
(b)
‘The outbreak of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta was not inevitable, but the
product of very specific causes and disputes.’ Discuss.
or
(c)
Give an account of Athenian imperial expansion 479-431 BC. How aggressive was Athenian
imperial expansion between 479 and 431 BC? Explain how Athenian imperialism contributed to
the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War.
Page 5
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 3: GREEK HISTORY 431 BC — 323 BC
Question 9
(a)
What crucial strategic mistakes did Athens make during the Peloponnesian War that led to her
defeat?
or
(b)
To what extent was the Athenian failure in the Peloponnesian War a failure of the Athenian
demos to make intelligent, rational decisions? Provide specific examples.
Question 10
Describe the nature of Macedonian kingship. Given this, what obstacles did Philip II have to
overcome in order to unify Macedon when he came to the throne?
Question 11
(a)
What military reforms did Philip II introduce for the Macedonian army? How did these
contribute to his military success?
or
(b)
‘Brilliant military strategist that he was, Philip II would never have been as successful as he was
had he not been a master diplomat as well.’ Discuss.
or
(c)
‘There is no city in Greece whose walls are so high or so thick that they cannot be climbed by a
donkey bearing sacks of gold,’ said Philip II. What did he mean? Relate this to his overall
strategy and attitude towards the Greeks.
Question 12
(a)
‘Alexander’s drive to conquer was motivated primarily by his need to compete with the
posthumous reputation of his father Philip II.’ Discuss.
or
(b)
How ‘Great’ was Alexander as a general and leader of men? Was his success more a matter of
luck than skill and calculation?
or
(c)
‘Before he died Alexander tried to create a “brotherhood of mankind” through a policy of
cultural fusion.’ Critically evaluate this statement.
Page 6
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 4: ROMAN HISTORY 134 BC — 44 BC
Question 13
(a)
‘The Gracchan reform agenda was motivated by personal political ambition not by any altruistic
social conscience.’ Evaluate this statement.
or
(b)
What was the Social War and what were its causes? What does this war tell us about Rome’s
relationships with its Italian allies between 133 and 89 BC?
Question 14
(a)
How did the senate try to neutralize the power of the tribunes after 133 BC? Evaluate the
‘constitutionality’ of these moves.
or
(b)
What reforms to the Roman state did Sulla institute? Were they ultimately successful or
unsuccessful? Why?
Question 15
(a)
‘Pompey spent his entire career subverting the senatorial establishment in order to become part
of it.’ Discuss.
or
(b)
How were the members of the first triumvirate able to circumvent the authority and power of the
senate in Roman politics?
or
(c)
How did Cicero’s status as a ‘new man’ affect his political career?
Question 16
(a)
‘Julius Caesar’s entire political career demonstrates the inability of the Roman Republican
constitution to accommodate ruthlessly ambitious individuals.’ Discuss.
or
(b)
What reforms did Julius Caesar institute during his dictatorship? How effective were they in
restoring order to the Republic?
or
(c)
‘Julius Caesar was assassinated because the soldiers and people loved him, his enemies
mistrusted him—and his friends trusted him even less.’ Discuss.
Page 7
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 5: ROMAN HISTORY 44 BC — 68 AD
Question 17
What specific steps did Octavian take between 42 and 32 BC to ensure that his position in the second
triumvirate would be the dominant one?
Question 18
(a)
‘After [27 BC] I excelled all others in authority [auctoritas], but of power [potestas] I held no
more than those who were my colleagues in any magistracy.’ (Augustus, Res Gestae 34.3)
What does this statement mean? Evaluate its truth or falsity.
or
(b)
What were the chief sources of Augustus’ extraordinary power and influence in the Roman
state?
Question 19
(a)
Evaluate the ability of Tiberius as an administrator of the Roman empire.
or
(b)
Discuss the administrative role of the imperial freedmen under Claudius.
or
(c)
How did the women in Nero’s life and family affect his personal life and his ability to govern
the empire?
Question 20
(a)
What military policies were favoured by the Julio-Claudian emperors? How secure were the
frontiers in these years, and what steps did the emperors (from Tiberius to Nero) take to secure
them?
or
(b)
‘For any emperor, legitimacy came not from the senate, nor even from the people of Rome, but
from the soldiers.’ Evaluate this statement by considering the accession of at least two JulioClaudian emperors.
or
(c)
What strategies did the Julio-Claudian emperors employ to maintain their popularity with the
urban poor of Rome? Why was the support of this group so important?
or
(d)
What was the role of senate under the Julio-Claudian emperors?
Page 8
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 6: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN CIVILISATION
Question 21
(a)
‘It was as though the common people of Egypt had a different religion entirely from the state
religion of the royal court.’
Do you agree with this statement? Discuss with reference to a range of sources.
or
(b)
‘The art, architecture and furnishings of non-royal tombs allow us a fascinating insight into
Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife, as well as affording us some idea of what Egyptian society was
really like.’
Do you agree with this statement? Discuss with reference to a wide range of sources.
Question 22
(a)
‘The majority of Egyptians were illiterate and yet the written word held great significance in
Egyptian society.’
What technologies were available to the Egyptians to make the written word? What was the
written word’s function and purpose in Egyptian society?
or
(b)
How did Egyptian architecture reflect Egyptian society’s view of the universe and its creation?
or
(c)
‘The ancient Egyptians did not view art as being decorative: every image had a meaning and a
function.’
Do you agree with this assessment? Support your answer with reference to a wide range of
sources.
Question 23
(a)
Evaluate the primary sources available to us concerning the position of women within Egyptian
society. What do they tell us about the role and status of women in Egyptian society?
or
(b)
What were the attitudes of ancient Egyptians towards sex and sexuality? What sources exist to
tell us of them? Do these sources give us a complete picture of such attitudes?
or
(c)
What do the primary sources available to us tell us about Egyptian attitudes towards children
and childbirth?
Question 24
‘Egypt, whatever her scribes and artists would have us believe, was by no means the perfect society.’
Discuss this statement with reference to your understanding of the Egyptian moral and legal codes,
and the ways in which they were enforced.
Page 9
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 7: GREEK AND ROMAN HISTORIOGRAPHY
Question 25
(a)
How does Herodotus’ use of reported speeches in The Histories affect his reliability as an
historian?
or
(b)
Critically evaluate the structure of Herodotus’ work. Why does he have so many digressions?
How do these relate to the main themes of the work?
or
(c)
How does Herodotus view causation? To what extent do human beings cause things to happen?
To what extent do the gods do this? Does this affect Herodotus’ reliability as an historian?
Question 26
(a)
How does Thucydides justify his decision to include speeches in his history? How does this
affect his claim to be an objective historian?
or
(b)
How does Thucydides view causation? What is the difference between what Thucydides calls
the ‘real reason’ Sparta went to war with Athens in 431 BC and the ‘causes of complaint’?
or
(c)
‘In his history Thucydides rarely lets the reader know what his real prejudices are, but they can
be seen easily enough in his characterisation of various Athenian politicians.’ Evaluate this
statement.
Question 27
(a)
Critically evaluate Sallust’s use of speeches in his works.
or
(b)
What are some of the important themes in Sallust’s works? Does his reliance on these themes
adversely affect his historical objectivity?
or
(c)
How does Sallust’s role as a critic of Roman political morality affect his historical analysis?
Does this role aid or inhibit his objectivity as an historian?
Question 28
(a)
Critically assess Tacitus’ claim to write history ‘without anger or partisanship’ in The Annals.
or
(b)
How did Tacitus’ moral views affect his interpretation of Roman history under the emperors?
or
(c)
‘Tacitus’ Annals demonstrate the principle that it is impossible to write history objectively under
a despotic system of government.’ Evaluate this statement, particularly in regard to Tacitus’ use
of his sources.
Page 10
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 8: GREEK LITERATURE AND THOUGHT
Question 29
(a)
‘Odysseus needs Ithaca as much as Ithaca needs Odysseus.’
Why does the situation on Ithaca require Odysseus’ return? Why is Ithaca important to
Odysseus?
or
(b)
While the first half of The Odyssey is action-packed, a tale of adventure, the second half moves
much more slowly.’
How do you account for the differences in pace and tone between the two halves of The
Odyssey?
Question 30
(a)
‘In Aeschylus’ Agamemnon it is characteristic of Agamemnon that he has to make choices.’
Why does he make the choices he makes? Does he choose freely?
or
(b)
Why does Oedipus blind himself? Explain the importance of the self-blinding to your
understanding of Sophocles’ play.
or
(c)
‘Pentheus is deluded not only about the world he inhabits, but about his own nature.’ Discuss
this assessment of the role of Pentheus in Euripides’ Bacchae.
Question 31
(a)
What do we learn of Hesiod’s attitude to women from his creation stories?
or
(b)
‘In Hesiod’s Works and Days and Theogony, Zeus is presented as a cruel and ruthless god’.
Discuss.
Question 32
(a)
How does Socrates conceive of and present his mission in Apology and Phaedo?
or
(b)
What methods does Socrates employ in his refutation of Euthyphro’s view of the nature of piety
in Euthyphro? How effective are they?
Page 11
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 9: ROMAN LITERATURE AND THOUGHT
Question 33
(a)
Examine Aeneas’ treatment of either Dido or Turnus. Does Aeneas live up to the description
‘pious’ in his dealings with the character you have chosen to discuss?
or
(b)
Why are the gods important in the Aeneid? Does their activity restrict human freedom of action?
Question 34
(a)
‘In Seneca’s Phaedra the central characters act in accordance with their heredity.’ Discuss.
or
(b)
Examine Seneca’s treatment of the concept of death in Trojan Women.
or
(c)
‘Thyestes presents a world in which tyranny is triumphant.’ Discuss.
Question 35
(a)
How would you define the concept of ‘myth’? Are Livy’s stories of early Rome genuine
myths?
or
(b)
‘Livy’s account of early Rome is entirely uncritical of Roman values and behaviour.’ Do you
agree?
Question 36
(a)
Examine Lucretius’ representation of the relationship between religion and philosophy in Book
1 of the Nature of the Universe.
or
(b)
How persuasive, in your view, is Lucretius’ attempt in Book 3 of the Nature of the Universe to
remove the reader’s fear of death?
Page 12
Ancient Civilisations
UNIT 10: THE FAMILY IN GREECE AND ROME
Question 37
(a)
What does the term oikos mean? How did the ancient Greeks understand the concept, and what
roles did oikos play in the functioning of the Athenian state?
or
(b)
‘In Athens the woman’s role in the household was to produce children, and not to be seen or
heard.’ Discuss.
or
(c)
‘Women of the upper class in Athens were less free than their sisters in the lower class.’
Evaluate this statement with reference to the functions and roles of women in the home and
outside it.
Question 38
(a)
Compare and contrast the experiences of boys and girls growing up in an upper-class Athenian
household.
or
(b)
What functions did the elderly perform in the Athenian family and the Athenian state?
or
(c)
How did the Athenian household cope with death? What roles did the various members of the
family play in burying and mourning the dead?
Question 39
(a)
What was the paterfamilias in the Roman family, and what sort of powers did he have over the
other members of the family?
or
(b)
What were the various membership groups that made up the Roman family (familia), and what
roles did they traditionally play?
or
(c)
Evaluate Roman attitudes towards divorce and marriage. How did these attitudes affect the
relationships in the Roman upper-class household?
Unit 10 continues over the page.
Page 13
Ancient Civilisations
Unit 10 (continued)
Question 40
(a)
What legal rights and privileges did Roman citizen women enjoy? How did these affect their
quality of life?
or
(b)
‘While Roman ideology and moral convention revered the elderly for the wisdom and
experience they embodied, in practice old men and women were treated rather shabbily in
Roman society.’ Discuss.
or
(c)
How did the Romans view death? What influence did the dead exert over the living, particularly
in upper-class families?
Page 14
Ancient Civilisations
BLANK PAGE
Page 15