OCR GCSE Ancient History · J198
Paper 1, Paper 2
Revise: Plutarch and Cornelius Nepos: Biographical SourcesTheir limitations are specific rather than universal: reported anecdotes may have been shaped to illustrate character; motives such as envy are difficult to establish; Nepos makes an identifiable error about Themistocles’ war; and sympathetic or critical language steers the reader’s judgement. Plutarch’s references to named earlier writers also show that he drew on inherited accounts rather than personal observation.
- Revise: Other Literary Sources
A short story about a particular incident or person. It can illustrate character, but its memorable details may be difficult to verify.
- Revise: Plutarch
A short story about an individual incident, often used to illustrate someone’s character.