Examination board: OCR
Set texts 2024
In the Pro Cluentio, Cicero defends a (probably guilty) stepson for the murder of his stepfather, Oppianicus. Cicero accuses Oppianicus of a series of lurid murders (11!) to get his client off the hook. Full of dodgy scandals, bribery, poisoning…
Aeneid XII details the final encounter between Aeneas and Turnus and their clash to the death. Can Aeneas be true to the stoic ideals of the new Rome he hopes to find while fighting in battle? To what extent is Turnus, the enemy of Aeneas, worthy of our sympathy? What is the nature of heroism?
Set Texts 2025-26
In the Pro Caelio, Cicero tries to divert attention away from his playboy client by attacking Caelius’ former mistress, Clodia, and painting her as a she-devil, guilty of multiple affairs and attempts at murder.
In Aeneid II, Aeneas recounts to Queen Dido the devastating story of the downfall of his native city, Troy, at the hands of the dastardly Greeks and violent deities.
Unit 1: Unseen Translation
Unit 2: Prose Comprehension
Unit 3: Prose Literature: Cicero, Pro Cluentio (2024); Pro Caelio (2025-2026)
Unit 4: Verse Literature: Virgil, Aeneid XII (2024); Aeneid II (2025-2026)
Examination board: OCR
