Tiryns and Mycenaean defences - OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (The Homeric World) Exam Questions

Practise 33 exam-style questions on Tiryns and Mycenaean defences for OCR GCSE Classical Civilisation (The Homeric World). 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.

33 questions
1–15 marks each
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20 questions, marked as you go

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

On which side of the citadel of Tiryns was the main entrance?

Model answer

The main entrance was on the east side of the citadel.

Explanation

The main entrance is a gap in the east wall at the top of the Cyclopean ramp, which climbs from the north along the outside of the wall. Inside it a narrow passage runs south between walls, through two gates, towards the palace. The small sally port on the west side, at the foot of the western staircase, was not the main entrance.

Mark scheme

1 mark
The east (side)
Accept 'east', 'eastern side', 'in the east wall'. Do not accept north (the ramp starts from the north, but the entrance itself is in the east wall), west or south.

Question 2

2 marks

Source A: part of a wall painting (fresco) from the palace at Tiryns, 13th century BC. It comes from a scene of a procession of women. A woman with long dark hair is shown in profile, wearing a richly patterned flounced skirt and a short-sleeved bodice. She holds a small lidded box in front of her as an offering.

Suggest two reasons why the rulers of Tiryns decorated their palace with paintings such as this.

Model answer

One reason was to impress visitors with the wealth of the ruler, since colourful paintings of richly dressed women showed the luxury of the palace. Another reason was to record the religious processions and offerings that took place there, linking the palace and its ruler with the gods.

Explanation

Frescoes from Tiryns include this procession of women and a boar hunt, both showing the activities of the elite. Mycenaean wall painting followed Minoan models in technique and style, so it also signalled the rulers' sophistication. Answers that only describe the painting do not earn marks: the question asks why the rulers wanted it.

Mark scheme

1 mark
First valid reason
Two from: to show off the wealth and power of the ruler / impress visitors; to show or celebrate religious processions and offerings that took place at the palace; to link the ruler and palace with the gods / religious authority; to display the fine clothing, jewellery and luxury goods of the elite; to follow the fashion of Minoan palace art / show sophistication; to make the rooms beautiful / decorate them. Max 2.
1 mark
Second, different valid reason
As above; must be a different reason from the first.

Question 3

4 marks

Source A: Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.25.8 (2nd century AD)

'The wall, which is the only part of the ruins still left, is the work of the Cyclopes. It is built of unworked stones, each so big that a pair of mules could not even begin to shift the smallest of them. Long ago small stones were fitted in, so that each of them binds the great blocks together as tightly as possible.'

What impressions of the walls of Tiryns do you gain from Source A? Make two points.

Model answer

The walls seem enormous and almost superhuman: Pausanias says they are 'the work of the Cyclopes' and that each stone is so big that 'a pair of mules could not even begin to shift the smallest of them'. They also seem very strong and long-lasting, because the wall is 'the only part of the ruins still left' when everything else at Tiryns had fallen.

Explanation

Pausanias visited Tiryns in the 2nd century AD, when the citadel had long been abandoned (the Argives destroyed the town in the 5th century BC), yet the walls still stood. His account reflects the Greek belief that such walls were built by the Cyclopes for the legendary king Proetus. Good answers keep each impression distinct and back it with a short, accurate quotation.

Mark scheme

2 marks
First point with supporting evidence from Source A: 1 mark for a valid impression of the walls, 1 mark for a relevant reference or quotation from the source that supports it. The two marks are independent: award 1 for a valid point even if no evidence is given, and 1 for a relevant quotation from, reference to or close paraphrase of the source even if the point is missing, weak or wrong.
Two pairs from, e.g.: they are massive / made of enormous stones (1) - 'a pair of mules could not even begin to shift the smallest' (1); they seemed superhuman / legendary (1) - 'the work of the Cyclopes' (1); they are very strong / durable, outlasting the rest of the city (1) - 'the only part of the ruins still left' (1); they are rough / primitive in style (1) - 'unworked stones' (1); they were skilfully / solidly built (1) - small stones 'binds the great blocks together as tightly as possible' (1); they are very ancient (1) - 'long ago' / 'ruins' (1). The second pair must make a different point from the first. Credit a relevant reference (1) even if the impression is weak. Points must come from the source.
2 marks
Second, different point with supporting evidence from Source A: 1 mark for a valid impression of the walls, 1 mark for a relevant reference or quotation from the source that supports it. The two marks are independent: award 1 for a valid point even if no evidence is given, and 1 for a relevant quotation from, reference to or close paraphrase of the source even if the point is missing, weak or wrong.
As above; must be a different impression from the first point.

Question 4

8 marks

Source A: a description of the east gallery at Tiryns

A long, narrow corridor runs inside the thickness of the east wall of the upper citadel. Its roof is made of huge stone blocks that overlap inwards from each side until they meet, forming a pointed vault. Along one side, a row of doorways leads into small rooms (casemates), also built inside the wall. The corridor could be entered only from inside the citadel.

To what extent were the galleries at Tiryns built for defence? Use Source A as a starting point and your own knowledge.

Model answer

Source A suggests that the galleries had a defensive purpose. They are built inside the thickness of the east wall, so anyone inside them was protected by many metres of stone, and the corbelled roof of huge overlapping blocks was strong enough to carry the weight of the wall above and could not be burned. The small casemates opening off the corridor could have stored weapons, food and oil, which would be vital in a siege, or sheltered soldiers and people from outside. Because the corridor could be entered only from inside the citadel, it was safe from the enemy. Building rooms within the wall also made it extremely thick without using solid stone all the way through, so the galleries strengthened the fortifications economically.

The context supports this. The galleries belong to the last phase of building at Tiryns in the 13th century BC, the same period in which the lower citadel was walled and underground passages were dug to water outside, when the rulers were clearly preparing for attack. They lie near the main entrance and the palace, the most important parts of the citadel.

On the other hand, the galleries were enclosed corridors, not fighting platforms: defenders would have fought from the tops of the walls, not from inside them. The casemates may simply have been storerooms for the palace economy, like the storerooms full of oil jars at Pylos, which was hardly fortified at all. The galleries also show off the builders' mastery of corbelling, the technique used in tholos tombs, so display may have played a part. Their exact use is uncertain.

Overall, the galleries were probably built mainly as part of the defences, since they were built in the period of greatest fortification, but they were defensive in a passive way - as protected storage and shelter for a long siege - rather than as positions from which to fight.

Explanation

Because the purpose of the galleries is debated, the question rewards weighing possible interpretations against the evidence. Linking the galleries to the other late 13th-century additions (lower citadel, water passages) is strong contextual analysis. A judgement that distinguishes passive defence (storage, shelter) from active defence (fighting) shows the critical analysis needed for Level 4.

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 galleries and the wider defences of Tiryns, using both Source A and own wider knowledge; very good understanding of the cultural context and possible interpretations of the galleries' purpose; a well-argued response with a clear, substantiated judgement on how far they were built for defence, 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 of the galleries' purpose 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 or narrative answer with little analysis or judgement cannot go above Level 2.
Indicative content (not a checklist; credit other valid points): AO1: galleries inside the east and south walls; corbelled pointed vault; casemates opening off the corridor; reached only from inside the citadel; built in the last phase of fortification (13th century BC) along with the lower citadel walls and underground water passages; near the main entrance and the palace; the same corbelling technique as tholos tombs and relieving triangles; the ramp, passage and gates; palace storerooms elsewhere (e.g. oil jars at Pylos). AO2: for defence - protected by many metres of stone; corbelled roof strong and fireproof; casemates as storage for food and weapons or shelter in a siege; made the walls thicker economically; a covered route for defenders; built when threats were growing. Against - they were enclosed corridors, not fighting platforms (defenders fought from the wall tops); possibly ordinary storerooms for the palace economy; possibly built partly to display building skill; their exact use is uncertain. Judgement: e.g. mainly defensive, but in a passive way (storage and shelter for a siege) rather than as fighting positions.

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