OCR A Level Classical Civilisation H408/23 Invention of
the Barbarian Combined Question paper & Marking
Scheme A+ May 2025
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Monday 19 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Classical Civilisation
H408/23 Invention of the Barbarian
Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions in Section A and one question in Section B.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 75.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
Turn over
, 2
Section A
Start your answer to each 10, 20 and 30 mark question on a new page.
Source A
Statue of a Persian king
1 Name the king shown in Source A. [1]
2 Where was the statue shown in Source A made? [1]
3 Where was the statue moved to in the 5th century BC? [1]
4 Evaluate what we can learn about Persian kings from Source A. [10]
© OCR 2025 H408/23 Jun25
, 3
Source B
Herodotus The Histories 7.103
At this Xerxes laughed and said: ‘Demaratus, what sort of a story is this, that a thousand
men would fight against an army like mine? Come, tell me, you claim to have once
been king yourself of these men. Are you willing at this very moment to fight against ten
men? Yet if your state is just as you say it is, you, as their king, should face against a
double portion according to your laws. For if each of them is capable of dealing with ten 5
men in my army, I demand that you be capable of dealing with twenty. In this way the
story you have just told me would be proved true. If they are in fact like you and the other
Greeks who have conversed with me, you are bragging a great deal; beware that what you
say may be an empty boast. How could one thousand or ten thousand or fifty thousand
men face an army as great as mine, especially when they are all equally free and not 10
controlled by any one person? If they were controlled by one man as we are, through
fear of him they might behave more bravely against their own nature or they might go
into battle forced by the whip, a smaller number against a greater. However, as they are
completely free, neither of these things would happen. In my opinion, even if the numbers
on either side were the same, the Greeks would find it difficult to fight against the Persians 15
alone. In my army there is this same attitude that you mentioned, yet it is found only
rarely: there are those amongst my spearmen who want to fight with three Greeks at the
same time. You have no experience of this and you are talking nonsense.’
5 What city state was Demaratus (line 1) formerly the king of? [1]
6 Why does Xerxes mention a ‘double portion’ (line 5) to king Demaratus? [1]
7 Explain how Source B shows reasons for the Greeks to resist the Persians.
Use details from Source B to support your answer. [10]
8 Assess the role of the Persian wars in defining and confirming Greek views of the Persians.
You may use Source B as a starting point in your answer. [20]
[Section A Total: 45]
© OCR 2025 H408/23 Jun25 Turn over
the Barbarian Combined Question paper & Marking
Scheme A+ May 2025
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Monday 19 May 2025 – Afternoon
A Level Classical Civilisation
H408/23 Invention of the Barbarian
Time allowed: 1 hour 45 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions in Section A and one question in Section B.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 75.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
Turn over
, 2
Section A
Start your answer to each 10, 20 and 30 mark question on a new page.
Source A
Statue of a Persian king
1 Name the king shown in Source A. [1]
2 Where was the statue shown in Source A made? [1]
3 Where was the statue moved to in the 5th century BC? [1]
4 Evaluate what we can learn about Persian kings from Source A. [10]
© OCR 2025 H408/23 Jun25
, 3
Source B
Herodotus The Histories 7.103
At this Xerxes laughed and said: ‘Demaratus, what sort of a story is this, that a thousand
men would fight against an army like mine? Come, tell me, you claim to have once
been king yourself of these men. Are you willing at this very moment to fight against ten
men? Yet if your state is just as you say it is, you, as their king, should face against a
double portion according to your laws. For if each of them is capable of dealing with ten 5
men in my army, I demand that you be capable of dealing with twenty. In this way the
story you have just told me would be proved true. If they are in fact like you and the other
Greeks who have conversed with me, you are bragging a great deal; beware that what you
say may be an empty boast. How could one thousand or ten thousand or fifty thousand
men face an army as great as mine, especially when they are all equally free and not 10
controlled by any one person? If they were controlled by one man as we are, through
fear of him they might behave more bravely against their own nature or they might go
into battle forced by the whip, a smaller number against a greater. However, as they are
completely free, neither of these things would happen. In my opinion, even if the numbers
on either side were the same, the Greeks would find it difficult to fight against the Persians 15
alone. In my army there is this same attitude that you mentioned, yet it is found only
rarely: there are those amongst my spearmen who want to fight with three Greeks at the
same time. You have no experience of this and you are talking nonsense.’
5 What city state was Demaratus (line 1) formerly the king of? [1]
6 Why does Xerxes mention a ‘double portion’ (line 5) to king Demaratus? [1]
7 Explain how Source B shows reasons for the Greeks to resist the Persians.
Use details from Source B to support your answer. [10]
8 Assess the role of the Persian wars in defining and confirming Greek views of the Persians.
You may use Source B as a starting point in your answer. [20]
[Section A Total: 45]
© OCR 2025 H408/23 Jun25 Turn over
