Classics GCSE (OCR) - Women in Ancient World Questions & Answers
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Classics GCSE - Women in Ancient
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Classics GCSE - Women In Ancient
Why was "woman" created according to Ancient Greeks and how was life before them? - ANSWERSThey believed that men experienced old age, suffering and death because of women. They were created to punish the mankind for receiving the stolen gift of fire.
Who was Pandora? - ANSWERSFirst woman. Zeus'...
Classics GCSE (OCR) - Women in
Ancient World Questions & Answers
Why was "woman" created according to Ancient Greeks and how was life before them?
- ANSWERSThey believed that men experienced old age, suffering and death because
of women. They were created to punish the mankind for receiving the stolen gift of fire.
Who was Pandora? - ANSWERSFirst woman. Zeus' plan to punish mankind. Something
they would welcome but will lead to their destruction.
How did Hephaestos contribute to Pandora? - ANSWERSMixed earth and water and
created her alike immortal goddeses, which gave her a divine beauty.
How did Athena contribute to Pandora? - ANSWERSTaught her various crafts; also
clothed and styled her.
How did Aphrodite contribute to Pandora? - ANSWERSHesiod's account says
"sprinkled charm about her face", which means she made her desireable for men and
physically attractive.
How did Pandora spread the evil? - ANSWERSShe brought a pithos (jar) with her, in
which were all the evils that plague mankind. She opened the jar as soon as she
reached the earth. Only hope remained in the jar, which was Zeus' will.
How do different tales of Pandora vary? - ANSWERSSome versions say she had a
pyxis (box). Another later addition to this myth is the detail that Pandora was given the
box but forbidden to open it, although eventually her curiosity was too great and she
opened the lid to see what was inside, unleashing the evils by mistake. This version
portrays a Pandora who is more complex, curious, disobedient and lacking self-control.
How does Hesiod describe the inherent evil of women in Theogony? - ANSWERS-
"deadly race and tribe"
- "Zeus made women to be evil and with a nature to do evil."
- "whoever avoids marriage and the sorrows that women cause, reaches deadly old age
without anyone to tend his years."
Why did the gods punish mankind? - ANSWERSPrometheus, who sided with the gods
during Titanomachy, played a trick on Zeus so mankind could keep the better parts of
the sacrifice. Zeus was angry and hid the fire so men could not cook their food.
Prometheus secretly stole a spark of Zeus' fire from the Olympus and brought it down to
earth; as a result, Zeus sent Pandora to punish the mankind.
,Who was Helen? - ANSWERSDaughter of Zeus and the mortal woman Leda (wife of
Tyndareus, King of Sparta). She was renowned for being a princess, a demi-god and
the most beautiful woman in the world.
Who did Helen choose to be her husband? - ANSWERSMenelaus, a prince of
Mycenae. The pair continued to live in Sparta and had a daughter, Hermione.
What is the story of Paris' judgement? - ANSWERSEris, who was the only goddess not
invited to the wedding of mortal Peleus and sea nymph Thetis, decided to wreck the
wedding and threw a golden apple with "to the fairest" written on it among the guests.
All three godesses claimed the apple and Zeus (who did not want to judge) ordered
them to find an honest mortal instead. They chose Paris, a Trojan prince.
What was the offer of Athena to Paris? - ANSWERSVictory in war
What was the offer of Hera to Paris? - ANSWERSPower
What was the offer of Aphrodite to Paris? - ANSWERSLove of the most beautiful
woman in the world.
Whose offer did Paris accept? - ANSWERSParis was most tempted by Aphrodite's offer
and awarded her the golden apple.
What does the story of Paris suggest about "beauty" ? - ANSWERSAlthough this may
have shown the importance of physical beauty in the Ancient World, which may have
been valued more than power and glory, this is likely to be a false conclusion since
Paris is often criticised for being shallow and superficial.
How do different versions of Helen's tale vary? - ANSWERSSome of them say she was
blinded by her new love and voluntarily escaped with Paris to Troy; by being unfaithful
to Menelaus she brought ultimate shame upon herself. However there are competing
versions in which Helen was either overcome by the irresistable power of Aphrodite or
carried off by force which presents her as a victim.
How is Euripides' version of the story different? - ANSWERSHe writes that Hera, angry
with Paris, created a phantom of Helen for him to take back to Troy. The real helen was
whisked away to Egypt. Therefore this version present Helen as neither villain nor
victim, but a pawn in a game played by the gods.
What did Menelaus do after Paris took Helen? - ANSWERSHe assembled the greatest
force of Greek soldiers that the world have ever known to set out for Troy to retrieve his
wife.
What may have been 3 additional reasons for the war? - ANSWERS- Because Paris
took Helen when he was a guest at Menelaus' home, this was a serious breach of xenia
(hospitality ethos, whose breach was blasphemous as it was overseen by Zeus)
, - Ancient poet Semonides suggested Helen was sent to earth by her father Zeus to
trigger a war that would reduce the number of people on the world which was
overpopulated.
- Modern interpretations suggests Helen just helped them to justify a war for money and
power.
How does Homer portray Helen in The Iliad? - ANSWERSAt the start of the scene, she
is weaving which suggests virtue.
Trojan elders are impressed by her beauty but wish that she would leave as she
brought war and destruction for both sides.
Story shows she came to regret her decision.
- "I wish I had chosen death rather than following your son. But I did not and now I pine
away in sorrow."
She regrets her decision but mostly blames gods and fate for what happened.
She misses her husband, child and friends.
How does Priam's speech differ from the elders? - ANSWERSHe emphatises with
Helen, as her father in law and gods are to blame.
What was the problem of the Roman Kingdom when it was first established? -
ANSWERSRomulus grew the city by inviting refugees who were mainly men. Therefore
they had a shortage of woman which could make them the last generation of Romans.
What did Romulus initially tried to do? - ANSWERSHe tried to convince neighbouring
kingdoms to encourage marriages between different citizens. However they did not
welcome the idea since Rome was a new and untested kingdom.
What did Romulus do after his offer was refused (according to Livy's account)? -
ANSWERSHe sent invitations to neighbouring towns to attend a festival, which a large
number of Sabines accepted. Before the formal part of the festival started, he gave a
signal and Roman men started to seize and carry off the Sabine women. Particularly
beautiful maidens were marked out for the patrician Romans.
How did Sabine women reacted? How did Romulus tried to soothe their anger? -
ANSWERSThey were outraged and claimed the bond between Romans and Sabines
were broken.
Romulus blamed their parents' arrogance and granted them the privilages of Roman
Citizenship.
How did their new husbands treated the Sabine women? - ANSWERSThey spoke
loving words to them and justified their deed with love and longing. They thought
appealing to vanity was the most effective way of winning over a woman's hearth.
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