EXAMBANK
BEST REVIEWS FOR GCSE (9–
1)Ancient History 2025/2026
J198/01Greece and Persia
OCR
EXAMBANK
3/24/2025
, OxfordCambridgeandRSA
Tuesday14May2024–Afternoon
GCSE (9–1)Ancient History
J198/01GreeceandPersia
Timeallowed:2 hours
*1367684302*
Youmusthave:
• theOCR12-pageAnswer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Useblackink.
• WriteyouranswertoeachquestionintheAnswerBooklet.Thequestionnumbersmust be
clearly shown.
• FillintheboxesonthefrontoftheAnswerBooklet.
• AnswerallthequestionsinSectionAandallthequestionsineitherSectionBor
SectionCorSectionD.
INFORMATION
• Thetotalmarkforthispaperis 105.
• Themarksforeachquestionareshowninbrackets[].
• Qualityofextendedresponsewillbeassessedinquestionsmarkedwithanasterisk(*).
• Spelling,punctuationandgrammar(SPaG)andtheuseofspecialistterminologywillbe
assessed in questions marked with a pencil ().
• This document has8 pages.
ADVICE
• Readeachquestioncarefullybeforeyoustartyour answer.
©OCR2024[603/0664/6] OCRisanexempt Charity
DC (DE/CT) 331313/5 Turnover
, 2
SectionA
ThePersianEmpire,559–465BC
1
(a) IdentifyoneofthenamesofthemanoverthrownbyDariusin522BC. [1]
(b) IdentifytwoofDarius’building/engineeringprojects. [2]
(c) NametheregionofthePersianEmpirewhichrevoltedin499BC. [1]
2 Outline how Cyrus treated the peoples that he conquered. [6]
Passage A
[1-6]AgreatgodisAhuramazda,whocreatedthisearth,whocreatedheaven,whocreatedman, who
created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of many kings, commander of many
commanders.
[6-11]IamXerxes,thegreatking,thekingofkings,thekingofallcountriesandmanymen,the king in this
great earth far and wide, the son of Darius, anAchaemenid.
[11-17]KingXerxessays:bythefavourofAhuramazdathisGateofAllNationsIbuilt.Muchelse that is
beautiful was built in this Persepolis, which I built and my father built. Whatever has been built and
seems beautiful - all that we built by the favour ofAhuramazda.
[17-20]KingXerxessays:mayAhuramazdapreserveme,mykingdom,whathasbeenbuiltbyme, and
what has been built by my father.
TextknownasXPa,inscribedinthewallsoftheGateofallNations
3 Using details from PassageA and your own knowledge, what can we learn about the way that
XerxessawhimselfasKingof Persia? [10]
4 Using details from PassageA and your own knowledge, how significant were the actions of the
previousPersiankingsininfluencingtheactivitiesof Xerxes? [15]
5* ‘Persiankingswerecivilisedandtolerant.’
Towhatextentdoyouagreewiththisview? [20]
Spelling,punctuationandgrammarandtheuseofspecialistterminology[5]
©OCR2024 J198/01Jun24
, 3
Section B
FromTyrannytoDemocracy,546–483BC
6
(a) NamethepersonwhointroducedsocialandeconomicreformstoAthensin594BC. [1]
(b) StatetwooftheeconomicreformsundertakenbythePeisistratidsinAthens. [2]
(c) NamethetwofamilieswhowererivalsforpowerinAthensin510BC. [2]
PassageB
First, he [Polycrates] divided the city into three parts, and gave a share in its governance to his
brothers, Pantagnotus and Syloson.After a short while, however, he had Pantagnotus killed, and
banishedSyloson,theyoungerbrother;thus,hemadehimselftherulerofallSamos.Subsequently,
hedrewupatreatywithAmasis,thekingofEgypt,andtherewasanexchangeofgiftsbetweenthe two. Shortly
after this, Polycrates’power and reputation grew so much that he was famous in Ionia and all across
the Greek territories, because all of his military campaigns were successful. He had 150 triremes
and 1,000 archers, and he plundered everywhere indiscriminately... He captured a great many of
the islands, and several mainland cities as well.
Herodotus,Histories 3.39
7 WhatcanwelearnfromPassageBaboutPolycrates’leadershipof Samos? [5]
8 UsingdetailsfromPassageB,howaccuratedoyouthinkHerodotus’accountoftheseeventsis?
[5]
9 ExplainthesignificanceofCleisthenestotheeventsthatledtotheremovaloftyrannyinAthens.
[10]
10*‘TheintroductionofdemocracyinAthensonlycreatedproblemsfortheAthenians.’ To what
extent do you agree with this view?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as supporting your
answer with your own knowledge. [20]
©OCR2024 J198/01Jun24 Turnover
BEST REVIEWS FOR GCSE (9–
1)Ancient History 2025/2026
J198/01Greece and Persia
OCR
EXAMBANK
3/24/2025
, OxfordCambridgeandRSA
Tuesday14May2024–Afternoon
GCSE (9–1)Ancient History
J198/01GreeceandPersia
Timeallowed:2 hours
*1367684302*
Youmusthave:
• theOCR12-pageAnswer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Useblackink.
• WriteyouranswertoeachquestionintheAnswerBooklet.Thequestionnumbersmust be
clearly shown.
• FillintheboxesonthefrontoftheAnswerBooklet.
• AnswerallthequestionsinSectionAandallthequestionsineitherSectionBor
SectionCorSectionD.
INFORMATION
• Thetotalmarkforthispaperis 105.
• Themarksforeachquestionareshowninbrackets[].
• Qualityofextendedresponsewillbeassessedinquestionsmarkedwithanasterisk(*).
• Spelling,punctuationandgrammar(SPaG)andtheuseofspecialistterminologywillbe
assessed in questions marked with a pencil ().
• This document has8 pages.
ADVICE
• Readeachquestioncarefullybeforeyoustartyour answer.
©OCR2024[603/0664/6] OCRisanexempt Charity
DC (DE/CT) 331313/5 Turnover
, 2
SectionA
ThePersianEmpire,559–465BC
1
(a) IdentifyoneofthenamesofthemanoverthrownbyDariusin522BC. [1]
(b) IdentifytwoofDarius’building/engineeringprojects. [2]
(c) NametheregionofthePersianEmpirewhichrevoltedin499BC. [1]
2 Outline how Cyrus treated the peoples that he conquered. [6]
Passage A
[1-6]AgreatgodisAhuramazda,whocreatedthisearth,whocreatedheaven,whocreatedman, who
created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of many kings, commander of many
commanders.
[6-11]IamXerxes,thegreatking,thekingofkings,thekingofallcountriesandmanymen,the king in this
great earth far and wide, the son of Darius, anAchaemenid.
[11-17]KingXerxessays:bythefavourofAhuramazdathisGateofAllNationsIbuilt.Muchelse that is
beautiful was built in this Persepolis, which I built and my father built. Whatever has been built and
seems beautiful - all that we built by the favour ofAhuramazda.
[17-20]KingXerxessays:mayAhuramazdapreserveme,mykingdom,whathasbeenbuiltbyme, and
what has been built by my father.
TextknownasXPa,inscribedinthewallsoftheGateofallNations
3 Using details from PassageA and your own knowledge, what can we learn about the way that
XerxessawhimselfasKingof Persia? [10]
4 Using details from PassageA and your own knowledge, how significant were the actions of the
previousPersiankingsininfluencingtheactivitiesof Xerxes? [15]
5* ‘Persiankingswerecivilisedandtolerant.’
Towhatextentdoyouagreewiththisview? [20]
Spelling,punctuationandgrammarandtheuseofspecialistterminology[5]
©OCR2024 J198/01Jun24
, 3
Section B
FromTyrannytoDemocracy,546–483BC
6
(a) NamethepersonwhointroducedsocialandeconomicreformstoAthensin594BC. [1]
(b) StatetwooftheeconomicreformsundertakenbythePeisistratidsinAthens. [2]
(c) NamethetwofamilieswhowererivalsforpowerinAthensin510BC. [2]
PassageB
First, he [Polycrates] divided the city into three parts, and gave a share in its governance to his
brothers, Pantagnotus and Syloson.After a short while, however, he had Pantagnotus killed, and
banishedSyloson,theyoungerbrother;thus,hemadehimselftherulerofallSamos.Subsequently,
hedrewupatreatywithAmasis,thekingofEgypt,andtherewasanexchangeofgiftsbetweenthe two. Shortly
after this, Polycrates’power and reputation grew so much that he was famous in Ionia and all across
the Greek territories, because all of his military campaigns were successful. He had 150 triremes
and 1,000 archers, and he plundered everywhere indiscriminately... He captured a great many of
the islands, and several mainland cities as well.
Herodotus,Histories 3.39
7 WhatcanwelearnfromPassageBaboutPolycrates’leadershipof Samos? [5]
8 UsingdetailsfromPassageB,howaccuratedoyouthinkHerodotus’accountoftheseeventsis?
[5]
9 ExplainthesignificanceofCleisthenestotheeventsthatledtotheremovaloftyrannyinAthens.
[10]
10*‘TheintroductionofdemocracyinAthensonlycreatedproblemsfortheAthenians.’ To what
extent do you agree with this view?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as supporting your
answer with your own knowledge. [20]
©OCR2024 J198/01Jun24 Turnover
