The document includes top level essays from OCR past paper 2019 and 2020 (except the Gods and Death and Burial)
I am getting a grade 9 in classics currently with 77/90 (86%) and 79/90 (88%) in my y10 end of year and y11 mocks respectively.
Reading sample essays helps you as you know the leve...
Y10 end of year examination
Which temple is more impressive; the Parthenon or the Temple of Zeus? Use Source C as
a starting point and your own knowledge in your answer (8)
I think that the Parthenon is more impressive. Seen in source C, the Parthenon had 8 columns
at the front whereas the temple of Zeus only had 6. This demonstrates that the Parthenon is
more grand. Moreover, unlike the typical Greek temple of Zeus at Olympia with metopes each
on the east and west sides of the temple, the Parthenon had 14 metopes at the front and back
and even more on the north and south sides. The decorativeness of the Parthenon is much
greater and impressive compared to the temple of Zeus. Furthermore, the mythological stories
depicted in the Parthenon consists of the gigantomachy, centauromachy, amazonomachy and
the trojan war unlike the 12 labours of Herakles on the temple of Zeus. The purpose of the
depictions on the metope at the Parthenon is to show off the greatness of Athenians against the
barbarians such as the Persians. Whereas the 12 labours only explains the origin of the
Olympic Games and the universal hero which is a son of Zeus. The purposefulness on the
Parthenon is much more impressive than the temple of Zeus as the power shown is enormous.
THe Parthenon also had an ionic frieze behind the metopes depicting the Panathenaic
procession. The story is realistic unlike most ionic frieze that only shows mythological stories
making the Parthenon unusual, thus impressive.
However, the temple of Zeus can be considered more impressive as it is dedicated to the king of
all gods (Zeus). The power that Zeus holds is much more superior than Athena which is
dedicated on the Parthenon. Moreover, the cult statue in the naos is much more grand in the
temple of Zeus than in the Parthenon. Despite being a chryselephantine made by Phdias, Zeus’
cult statue is sitting on a throne unlike Athena which is standing. As both are 13m tall, Zeus’
statue seems more massive compared to Athena. In addition, the location of the temple of Zeus
allowed all Greeks to visit whereas the Parthenon is only opened to Athenians. The temple of
Zeus is shown off more to others which makes it more impressive. Furthermore, the temple of
Zeus is the most important temple in the Altis whereas the most important one in the Acropolis
is the Erechtheion. The parthenon did not have an altar nor a priest in it which makes it less
impressive.
In conclusion, I think the Parthenon is more impressive as it is expensive to built and had
greater purpose. The pentallic marbles used in the Parthenon contrast greatly towards local
marbles in the temple of Zeus. The Parthenon is more grand, more massive thus more
impressive than the temple of Zeus.
8/8 through and balanced
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller perlachan. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £2.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
