Athens and Sparta — AS & A Level Classical Studies (9274) questions by topic
Essays here weigh the Sicilian expedition's impact on Athens, trace how Sparta's grip on the Peloponnesian League shifted by war's end, and use a set passage as a springboard to judge how Athenian leadership changed after Pericles, with every essay worth 20 to 30 marks.
How far, to what extent, assess, how and discuss are the command words that structure every answer, and each demands a stated line of judgement defended with named events and sources, not a narrative retelling. This page holds 18 real questions from 2023 and 2024 papers, and drafting a full essay response for instant marking is the clearest way to see whether the mark scheme rewards your analysis of Athenian and Spartan politics as much as your factual recall of the period.
October–November 2024, Paper 31
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss to what extent political leadership in Athens changed after Pericles died.
Answer this question and get it marked →How did the outcome of the Persian Wars affect the power of Athens in the Greek world before 446 BCE?
Answer this question and get it marked →'The sources provide a clear understanding of decision-making in Sparta.' How far do you agree with this statement?
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 32
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss to what extent political leadership in Athens changed after Pericles died.
Answer this question and get it marked →How did the outcome of the Persian Wars affect the power of Athens in the Greek world before 446 BCE?
Answer this question and get it marked →'The sources provide a clear understanding of decision-making in Sparta.' How far do you agree with this statement?
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 33
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss to what extent political leadership in Athens changed after Pericles died.
Answer this question and get it marked →How did the outcome of the Persian Wars affect the power of Athens in the Greek world before 446 BCE?
Answer this question and get it marked →'The sources provide a clear understanding of decision-making in Sparta.' How far do you agree with this statement?
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 31
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss the changes in the relationship between Athens and Sparta after the Persian Wars.
Answer this question and get it marked →How important was ostracism in the Athenian democracy?
Answer this question and get it marked →Assess the impact of the disastrous Sicilian expedition on Athens.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 32
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss the changes in the relationship between Athens and Sparta after the Persian Wars.
Answer this question and get it marked →How important was ostracism in the Athenian democracy?
Answer this question and get it marked →Assess the impact of the disastrous Sicilian expedition on Athens.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 33
Read the passage and answer the question. Using this passage as a starting point, discuss the importance of the kings in Sparta.
Answer this question and get it marked →How far had Sparta's relationship with the Peloponnesian League changed by the end of the Peloponnesian War?
Answer this question and get it marked →To what extent were slaves necessary for Athenians to maintain both their democracy and their empire?
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