Persephone and Demeter: the Homeric Hymn to Demeter - OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (Myth and Religion) Exam Questions

Practise 32 exam-style questions on Persephone and Demeter: the Homeric Hymn to Demeter for OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (Myth and Religion). Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.

32 questions
1–8 marks each
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Sample questions with model answers

Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.

Question 1

1 mark

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, on which plain was Persephone picking flowers when the earth opened and Hades seized her?

Model answer

The Nysian plain.

Explanation

The Hymn places the abduction on the 'Nysian plain', a mythical, far-off place rather than a real location. Later writers moved the story to real places, such as Enna in Sicily (Ovid). Do not confuse it with the Rarian plain near Eleusis, which lies barren during the famine.

Mark scheme

1 mark
The Nysian plain (the plain of Nysa)
Accept Nysa / Nysian. Do not accept Eleusis, the Rarian plain or Sicily (the setting in Ovid's later version).

Question 2

2 marks

Source A: Homeric Hymn to Demeter 460-462 and 467-469. Rhea, sent by Zeus, speaks to Demeter.

'Come, child: wide-seeing Zeus, the loud-thunderer, calls you to come to the families of the gods, and he has promised to give you whatever honours you choose among the immortal gods. ... But come, my child, and obey; do not keep up your anger too stubbornly against the dark-clouded son of Kronos, but quickly make the life-giving grain grow for mortal men.'

Give two things Rhea asks Demeter to do in Source A.

Model answer

Rhea asks Demeter to come back to the families of the gods, and to stop being angry with Zeus and make the grain grow again for mortals.

Explanation

Zeus finally sends Rhea, the mother of both Zeus and Demeter, whose authority Demeter is more likely to accept. Her gentle words ('Come, child') contrast with the failed messages of Iris and the other gods, and Demeter now obeys and restores the crops. Answers must be requests made to Demeter, not the honours promised by Zeus.

Mark scheme

1 mark
First request, e.g.: to come to (rejoin) the families of the gods / to obey / not to keep up her anger against Zeus (the son of Kronos) / to make the grain (crops) grow again for mortals
Two different requests from the source, one mark each. Max 2.
1 mark
Second, different request from the list above
Do not credit Zeus' promises (honours) as things Rhea asks Demeter to do.

Question 3

3 marks

Source A: Homeric Hymn to Demeter 370-374. Hades has just told Persephone that she may return to her mother.

'So he spoke, and wise Persephone was glad, and quickly leapt up for joy. But he himself secretly gave her a pomegranate seed to eat, sweet as honey, glancing round him, so that she would not stay for ever up above with revered Demeter of the dark robe.'

Explain why the pomegranate seed is important in the Hymn. Make three points.

Model answer

The seed is important because anyone who eats food in the underworld is bound to it, so Persephone cannot stay with her mother for ever, which is exactly what Hades intends. As a result she has to spend a third of every year below the earth, which explains the seasons. It also means Demeter's victory is only partial: Hades obeys Zeus' order to let her go, but by his secret trick he keeps his wife.

Explanation

The narrator says Hades gave the seed 'secretly', but later Persephone tells her mother he forced her to eat it - a difference that readers interpret in different ways. The seed is the hinge of the whole settlement between Demeter, Hades and Zeus. The best answers link the seed to the seasons, the marriage and the balance of power between the gods.

Mark scheme

3 marks
Three valid points, 1 mark each, e.g.: eating food in the underworld binds Persephone to it / so she cannot stay with her mother for ever, as Hades intends ('so that she would not stay for ever up above') / she must spend a third of every year below with Hades / this explains the cycle of the seasons / it means Demeter's victory is only partial - Hades keeps his wife / it shows that Hades obeys Zeus' order but finds a clever way round it ('secretly', 'glancing round him') / sharing food is a sign of belonging to a household, so the seed seals the marriage / the pomegranate, full of seeds, was linked with fertility and marriage
Max 3. Points may be based on the source or on knowledge of the Hymn, but must explain importance, not just retell the passage.

Question 4

8 marks

Source A: Homeric Hymn to Demeter 441-447

'Then wide-seeing Zeus, the loud-thunderer, sent lovely-haired Rhea to them as a messenger, to bring dark-robed Demeter to the families of the gods; and he promised to give her whatever honours she might choose among the immortal gods. He agreed that her daughter should spend a third part of the circling year down in the misty darkness, and the other two parts with her mother and the other immortals.'

To what extent is Zeus shown to be in control of events in the Hymn? Use Source A as a starting point and your own knowledge.

Model answer

Source A shows Zeus acting as the ruler of the gods. He sends Rhea as his messenger, promises Demeter whatever honours she chooses, and decides the final settlement: Persephone will spend a third of the year below and two thirds above. He has the authority to make the agreement that ends the story.

The rest of the Hymn supports the view that Zeus is in control. The abduction happens 'by the plan of Zeus', who has Earth grow the narcissus as a lure and gives Persephone to his brother Hades as his wife. When Persephone cries out to him, he is conveniently far away in his temple. Later, when he decides Persephone must return, everyone obeys: Hades smiles but 'did not disobey the command of Zeus the king'.

However, Zeus is not fully in control. He does not foresee Demeter's grief and anger, and her famine almost destroys mankind and robs the gods of their sacrifices. His messengers fail: Iris and all the gods with their gifts are rejected, so he has to undo his own plan and send Hermes to bring Persephone back. Even then he does not control everything, because Hades secretly gives Persephone the pomegranate seed. The settlement in Source A is a compromise he is forced to make, with honours offered to win Demeter back.

Overall, Zeus keeps his authority throughout - no one openly disobeys him - but he does not control events. His plan provokes a crisis that only Demeter can end, and the final agreement shows him managing a situation he could not prevent.

Explanation

Top answers distinguish Zeus' authority (everyone obeys his orders) from his control (his plan backfires and he must compromise), using the source and evidence from both prescribed sections. A clear judgement is needed for Level 4. Retelling the plot without assessing Zeus' role stays in Level 2.

Mark scheme

8 marks
Levels of response (8 marks). AO1 (4) and AO2 (4) are equally weighted.
Level 4 (7-8 marks): consistently accurate and detailed knowledge of the prescribed sections of the Hymn, using both Source A and own wider knowledge of the text; very good understanding of the cultural context and possible interpretations; a well-argued response with a clear, substantiated judgement on how far Zeus controls events, supported by a range of well-selected evidence, including critical analysis.
Level 3 (5-6 marks): accurate knowledge, using both the source and own knowledge; a focused response with relevant analysis and a judgement.
Level 2 (3-4 marks): sound, mostly accurate knowledge; engages with the general topic, limited range of evidence, some analysis.
Level 1 (1-2 marks): limited knowledge, may only use the source given; isolated analysis.
0 marks: no response or no response worthy of credit.
A mainly descriptive answer with little analysis or judgement cannot go above Level 2.
Indicative content (not a checklist; credit other valid points): AO1: Source A - Zeus sends Rhea, promises honours, and decides the division of Persephone's year (a third below, two thirds above); he 'agreed', using his authority. Zeus in control: the abduction happens 'by the plan of Zeus'; Earth grows the narcissus by his plan; he gave Persephone to Hades as wife (Helios); he sits apart in his temple while she cries; he notices the famine and acts; he sends Iris, all the gods, Hermes and Rhea; Hades smiles but 'did not disobey the command of Zeus the king'; Hades describes himself as 'own brother of father Zeus'. Zeus not in control: he did not foresee Demeter's reaction; the famine nearly destroys mankind and the gods' sacrifices; Demeter refuses his messengers and gifts; he has to reverse his decision and fetch Persephone back; Hades' secret pomegranate seed is not Zeus' plan; he must offer Demeter honours and compromise. AO2: Zeus' authority is never openly defied - everyone, even Hades, obeys his commands; but authority is not the same as control: Demeter's power over the harvest forces him to change course; the final settlement can be read as Zeus regaining control by imposing a compromise, or as Zeus being forced into it; the Hymn reflects the Greek view of Zeus as supreme ruler who must still balance the claims of the other gods. Credit a judgement either way if supported.

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