A LEVEL ANCIENT HISTORY
H407/22 THE ELEVEN CAESERS
ACTUAL 2025 PAPER MERGED
WITH MARK SCHEME
vincent marekia
[COMPANY NAME] [Company address]
, 1
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
A LEVEL ANCIENT HISTORY
H407/22 THE ELEVEN CAESERS
ACTUAL 2025 PAPER MERGED
WITH MARK SCHEME
*1845778427*
M
onday 2 June 2025 – Afternoon
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer four questions in total:
Section A: Answer Question 1 or Question 2 and answer Question 3.
Section B: Answer Question 4 and answer Question 5 or Question 6.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 98.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
© OCR 2025 [603/0805/9] DC (WW) 353008/2
OCR is an exempt Charity
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
, 2
Turn over
Section A: The Julio-Claudian Emperors, 31 BC–AD 68
Answer Question 1 or Question 2 and answer Question 3.
Answer either Question 1 or Question 2.
1* To what extent did the reign of Tiberius set a pattern for the future direction of the
principate?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [30]
2* ‘The imperial women had very little influence during this period.’
How far do the sources support this view?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [30]
Answer Question 3.
3 Read the interpretation below.
The people most bitter about imperial rule were the aristocrats, who had lost the political
power that had always belonged to their ancestors. The average Roman had never held
more than a token share of this power and could not, therefore, grieve too deeply when
the monarchy of the emperor replaced the aristocracy of the Senate. In fact, many
Romans welcomed this new system of government because it brought peace, stability,
and therefore prosperity. In the republican period, the fate of the common man was
frequently dependent on magistrates who changed every year and who were willing to
sacrifice the welfare of other people to achieve their own political and financial 5
ambitions. In the imperial period, affairs of state were conducted by bureaucrats, not
politicians; by men who had served in one office for a long time and who had no illusions
of securing for themselves supreme control over the Roman world.
J-A Shelton, As the Romans Did (adapted) 10
How convincing do you find Shelton’s interpretation that the majority benefitted from
the Julio-Claudian system of government because it brought ‘peace, stability, and
therefore prosperity’?
You must use your knowledge of the historical period and the ancient sources you have
studied
to analyse and evaluate Shelton’s interpretation. [20] Section B: The Flavians, AD
68–96
Answer Question 4 and answer Question 5 or Question 6.
Answer Question 4.
4 Read the passages below.
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
, 3
Though the general public greeted the news of Domitian’s fate with indifference, it 5
deeply affected the troops, who at once began to speak of him as Divus – they would
have avenged him had anyone given them a lead – and insisted that his assassins
should be brought to justice. The senators, on the other hand, were delighted, and
thronged to denounce Domitian in the Senate House with bitter and insulting cries.
Then, sending for ladders, they had his images and votive shields engraved with his
likeness brought smashing down, and ended by decreeing that all inscriptions
referring to him must be effaced and all records of his reign obliterated.
Suetonius, Domitian 23
He established two new factions of charioteers, called Gold and Purple. He gave
many gifts to spectators …, and once he gave them a feast while they stayed in their
seats, and supplied them with wine, which flowed in abundance all night everywhere.
All this of course won him great popularity with the mob, but for the upper classes it
spelt ruination. For he had no reserves of cash from which to fund his generosity, and
so he murdered many of them.
DioCassius67.4.4– 4.5 5
How useful are these passages for our understanding of relations between Domitian and the
different classes of Roman citizens?
Answer either Question 5 or Question 6.
5*
To what extent and for what reasons did the Flavian emperors change the nature of the
principate?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [36]
6* How far do the sources help us to understand the attitudes of the Flavians towards religion?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [36]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all
copyright holders whose work is used in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are
reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public
website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
If OCR has unwittingly failed to correctly acknowledge or clear any third-party content in this assessment material, OCR will be happy to correct its mistake at the
earliest possible opportunity.
For queries or further information please contact The OCR Copyright Team, The Triangle Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8EA.
OCR is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
H407/22 THE ELEVEN CAESERS
ACTUAL 2025 PAPER MERGED
WITH MARK SCHEME
vincent marekia
[COMPANY NAME] [Company address]
, 1
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
A LEVEL ANCIENT HISTORY
H407/22 THE ELEVEN CAESERS
ACTUAL 2025 PAPER MERGED
WITH MARK SCHEME
*1845778427*
M
onday 2 June 2025 – Afternoon
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must
be clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer four questions in total:
Section A: Answer Question 1 or Question 2 and answer Question 3.
Section B: Answer Question 4 and answer Question 5 or Question 6.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 98.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
© OCR 2025 [603/0805/9] DC (WW) 353008/2
OCR is an exempt Charity
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
, 2
Turn over
Section A: The Julio-Claudian Emperors, 31 BC–AD 68
Answer Question 1 or Question 2 and answer Question 3.
Answer either Question 1 or Question 2.
1* To what extent did the reign of Tiberius set a pattern for the future direction of the
principate?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [30]
2* ‘The imperial women had very little influence during this period.’
How far do the sources support this view?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [30]
Answer Question 3.
3 Read the interpretation below.
The people most bitter about imperial rule were the aristocrats, who had lost the political
power that had always belonged to their ancestors. The average Roman had never held
more than a token share of this power and could not, therefore, grieve too deeply when
the monarchy of the emperor replaced the aristocracy of the Senate. In fact, many
Romans welcomed this new system of government because it brought peace, stability,
and therefore prosperity. In the republican period, the fate of the common man was
frequently dependent on magistrates who changed every year and who were willing to
sacrifice the welfare of other people to achieve their own political and financial 5
ambitions. In the imperial period, affairs of state were conducted by bureaucrats, not
politicians; by men who had served in one office for a long time and who had no illusions
of securing for themselves supreme control over the Roman world.
J-A Shelton, As the Romans Did (adapted) 10
How convincing do you find Shelton’s interpretation that the majority benefitted from
the Julio-Claudian system of government because it brought ‘peace, stability, and
therefore prosperity’?
You must use your knowledge of the historical period and the ancient sources you have
studied
to analyse and evaluate Shelton’s interpretation. [20] Section B: The Flavians, AD
68–96
Answer Question 4 and answer Question 5 or Question 6.
Answer Question 4.
4 Read the passages below.
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
, 3
Though the general public greeted the news of Domitian’s fate with indifference, it 5
deeply affected the troops, who at once began to speak of him as Divus – they would
have avenged him had anyone given them a lead – and insisted that his assassins
should be brought to justice. The senators, on the other hand, were delighted, and
thronged to denounce Domitian in the Senate House with bitter and insulting cries.
Then, sending for ladders, they had his images and votive shields engraved with his
likeness brought smashing down, and ended by decreeing that all inscriptions
referring to him must be effaced and all records of his reign obliterated.
Suetonius, Domitian 23
He established two new factions of charioteers, called Gold and Purple. He gave
many gifts to spectators …, and once he gave them a feast while they stayed in their
seats, and supplied them with wine, which flowed in abundance all night everywhere.
All this of course won him great popularity with the mob, but for the upper classes it
spelt ruination. For he had no reserves of cash from which to fund his generosity, and
so he murdered many of them.
DioCassius67.4.4– 4.5 5
How useful are these passages for our understanding of relations between Domitian and the
different classes of Roman citizens?
Answer either Question 5 or Question 6.
5*
To what extent and for what reasons did the Flavian emperors change the nature of the
principate?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [36]
6* How far do the sources help us to understand the attitudes of the Flavians towards religion?
You must use and analyse the ancient sources you have studied as well as your own
knowledge to support your answer. [36]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Copyright Information
OCR is committed to seeking permission to reproduce all third-party content that it uses in its assessment materials. OCR has attempted to identify and contact all
copyright holders whose work is used in this paper. To avoid the issue of disclosure of answer-related information to candidates, all copyright acknowledgements are
reproduced in the OCR Copyright Acknowledgements Booklet. This is produced for each series of examinations and is freely available to download from our public
website (www.ocr.org.uk) after the live examination series.
If OCR has unwittingly failed to correctly acknowledge or clear any third-party content in this assessment material, OCR will be happy to correct its mistake at the
earliest possible opportunity.
For queries or further information please contact The OCR Copyright Team, The Triangle Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8EA.
OCR is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.
© OCR 2025 H407/22 Jun25
