#a level classics

[cunctatorsupreme]

Sunday 2nd November 2025

Self study: 1 hour 40 minutes

Goals:

Finish Mindmap and moodboard for art

Read Aeneid Book VI

Hopefully going back to school will fix my mindset. I feel as though I am going slightly insane.

[theheightsarewuthering]

chat vote for which a levels I should do bc I can't choose for the life of me

im definitely doing history and classics but I can't choose between French and English lit

pros of French - it's better for uni applications, better for international relations which I want to do at uni, I'm quite good at French, I like reading so the books bit will be fun, it's interesting to learn about frnech culture and society

cons of French- I hate speaking with a burning passion and it's a big part of the a level, I will probably struggle more with it and have to work a lot harder at it

pros of English- I love the teacher I'd have, I love reading, I love writing essays and doing analysis, I'd really enjoy it, loads of friends in the class, I'm good at it, I enjoy revising it, love the texts they do at a level, I could probably do better in English with less work and obviously a better grade is good for university

cons of English- my teacher this year (at the school I'm currently at but I'll be moving schools) basically bullied me and made me hate the subject and I had to get a tutor bc she destroyed my confidence, I don't really like the exams for English lit

so with all that taken into account: english or french

english literature

french

Voting ended onJun 25, 2025

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[poshgirlsstuff]

A level classical civilisations Greek theatre test 18/20

[casskeeps]

hermes and dionysus

basic information

name: hermes and dionysus

date: 343 bce

artist: praxiteles

size: over life-size

location: olympia

original, reconstruction, or copy: marble, only copies remain

subject matter

the sculpture depicts hermes with the infant dionysus - another anthropomorphisation of gods. we're not quite sure what hermes was holding, but it's commonly believed to be grapes.

context

praxiteles was part of a movement back to marble sculpture, but he was renowned for his polishing of the marble - it increased the luminosity and shine of the sculpture. this statue can be considered a culmination of late classical features - contrapposto, naked male statues, anthropomorphisation of gods, and sensitive treatment of both anatomy and drapery.

composition

both figures are in contrapposto - a very common pose for the period, but the stance is adapted to become more serpentine; the praxitelean s-curve

hermes' arm that extends out and upwards, potentially holding a bunch of grapes, has broken off - this is an example of sculptors choosing unsuitable poses for their material, as the low tensile strength of marble is not suitable for the positioning of the arms so far away, especially without any possibilities for bridging and support

speaking of support, the arm that holds the infant dionysus is supported by a large pillar of draped fabric - this is done to mask the support underneath, and is mostly successful, except for the bridge between his left hip and the support pillar

the anatomy of the figures is largely typical of the period, with musculature created by gently rounded planes such as the calves and thighs, but also exaggerated in places such as the iliac crest

praxiteles imitates the radiance and softness of skin by polishing the statue, but fails to apply this treatment to the whole statue - the back is not as finely finished, making the sculpture appear frontal

the faces, again, lack much emotion.

the eyebrows do not really exist? there is a clear depiction of the browbone, but the actual eyebrows as entities do not appear on the face

the bone structure on the face is gently carved, and the curved planes of forms such as the jaw and cheekbones make the face more aesthetically pleasing and naturalistic.

the proportions are pretty solid, as to be expected in late classical sculpture

the drapery used to mask the support pillar utilises numerous catenary folds in order to demonstrate the effect of gravity on the fabric

scholars

boardman: "the relaxed langour of the figure just stops short of effeminacy to our eyes"

osborne: "aggressively three-dimensional drapery"

osborne: "it is wit, rather than tradition, that surely lies behind the choice of subject: the young god of wine is made to show precocious interest in the fruit of the vine"

extra information

museum of olympia

[rippilie]

Me and my classics class walking into the exam on Tuesday knowing that Odyssey is a Mario game

[meraisun]

crouches uncrouches like minecraft. classics gang

a fellow classics student! hello! i swear, classics is too cool of a subject to be so underrated.

[crumblestew]

Classics student (I am insufferable)

[ellies-studies]

23.4.20

online school started this week and wow is it strange, but being able to learn about things off the syllabus is proving to be so worth it (especially in class civ)! my pen did run out half way through a seminar on apollonius of rhodes this morning though ...

listening to; magic in the hamptons by social house