Preliminary Examination in Classics and English
Differences from 2014/15 to 2023/24
A
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1.
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2.
3.B Candidates must offer all the papers at a single examination, provided that: (i) a candidate who fails to satisfy the Examiners in one or two papers may offer those subjects at one subsequent examination, and (ii) a candidate who fails to satisfy the Examiners in three or more papers must offer all five subjects at one subsequent examination.
B
The committee appointed by the Boards of the Faculties of English Language and Literature and Classics to advise on the examination for the Honour School of Classics and English shall make proposals to the two boards for regulations for this examination.
Any candidate whose native language is not English may bring a bilingual (native language to English) dictionary for use in any examination paper where candidates are required to translate Ancient Greek and/or Latin texts into English.
Candidates shall take one of the following courses:
I. Course I
Each candidate shall offer five papers, each of three hours duration except where specified, as follows:
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1.
The paper will be examined by a portfolio of work, comprising one commentary answer and one discursive essay, of not fewer than 1,500 and not more than 2,000 words each. Footnotes will be included in the total word count, but bibliographies do not count towards the limit. The list of questions for this paper will be divided into Section A (Language) and B (Literature) and will be published on Monday of the fourth week of the Trinity Term of the first year. Candidates must select one question from Section A and one question from section B.
Questions in Section A (Language) invite candidates to make their own selection of texts or passages of texts for commentary, in accordance with the terms of the particular question chosen. Copies of the texts or passages used must be included as an appendix to the portfolio. The combined length of all texts or passages chosen must not exceed 70 lines. The texts or passages used will not count towards the word limit for the commentary answer.
TwoA typedcopiescopy of the portfolio must bedeliveredsubmittedtousing theChairUniversityofapprovedExaminersassessmentfor the Preliminary Examinations in English Language and Literature, Examination Schools, High Streetplatform, by noon on Thursday of the fifth week of the same Trinity Term. A certificate, signed by the candidate to the effect that each answer is the candidate's own work, and that the candidate has read the Faculty guidelines on plagiarism, must bepresented togetherincluded with each portfolio.Following the publication of themes for this subject on Monday of the fourth week of Trinity Term, the candidate must neither discuss his or her choice of themes nor the method of handling them with any tutor. Every portfolio must be the work of the candidate alone, but he or she may discuss with his or her tutor the subjects and approach to the essays up until the stated publication date of the portfolio themes.
Portfolios previously submitted for the First Public Examination in English Language and Literature may be resubmitted. No answer will be accepted that has already been submitted, wholly or substantially, for a final honour school or any other degree of this University, or degree of any other institution.
Work deemed to be either too short or of excessive length may be penalised.
Candidates must avoid duplicating material used in this paper when answering other papers. In addition, candidates are not permitted to duplicate material between Section A and Section B of the portfolio.
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2.
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3.
Candidates may offer either Latin or Greek or both.
Two passages must be offered and in each language one prose passage and one verse passage will be set. 4.
, 5.Greek and Latin Literature: Essay QuestionsCandidates must offer two of the following.They must offer either (a) or (b), but may not offer both.(a)Homer,Iliad, I, VI, IX, XVI, XVIII, XXII-XXIV;*-
Details of the prescribed texts and editions for papers 4 and 5 will be published in the course handbook.(5.bGreek and Latin Literature: Translation and Comment)Virgil,Aeneid, I, II, IV, VI;* -
(c)CandidatesEuripides,whoBacchaefail1one–or1167; Aristophanes,Frogs1 – 459, 830 – 1533; Herodotus 7.1 – 53; 8.56 – 110;** (d)Cicero,Pro Caelio17 – 53 (...dedisti.); Catullus 1 – 16, 31 – 7, 42 – 5, 48 – 51, 53, 69 – 70, 75 – 6, 79, 83 – 6, 95, 99 – 101, 116; Propertius I.1 – 3, 6, 11, 14; Petronius,Cena Trimalchionis26.7 – 36, 47 – 78; Juvenal 3, 5.***Paper 4 will consistmore ofessaypapersquestions; all candidates will be required to answer questions on each of: Homer or Virgil; other texts; general topics. Paper1-5willmaycompriseresitpassagestheforfailedtranslation and comment; all candidates will be required to answer on three passages,paper(s) atleastaonesubsequentpassage of Homer or Virgil and at least one from the other textsexamination.
The Examiners shall publish the names of candidates who have satisfied them in all five papers, or all of papers 1 and 2 or all of papers 3, 4 and 5.N.B For prescribed editions, see the Classics and English handbook.*For the purposes of the essay paper (paper 4), candidates who offer these texts will be expected to have knowledge of the whole work and not merely the prescribed portions.**For the purposes of the essay paper (paper 4), candidates who offer these texts will be expected to have knowledge of the whole ofBacchae, Frogs, and Herodotus 7 – 8 and not merely the prescribed portions.***For the purposes of the essay paper (paper 4), candidates who offer these texts will be expected to have knowledge of the whole ofPro Caelio, Propertius I, and theCena Trimalchionisand not merely the prescribed portions.
II. Course II
Candidates for Course II shall be required:
(a) during
duringTrinity Term of their first year of study tohavepasspassedaanqualifying examinationunder the auspicesconsisting of theBoardfollowing papers:Either
- Greek Texts and
- Greek Language
or
- Latin Texts and
- Latin Language
Details of the Facultyprescribed oftexts Classicsand during the Trinity Term. This examination is also availableeditions for appropriatepaper candidates1 intendingwill tobe offer paperspublished in the Preliminarycourse Examinationhandbook.
Candidates forwho Modernfail Languageseither or both of papers 1 and 2 may resit the failed paper(s) at a subsequent examination in the Long Vacation following their secondfirst year of study. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners shall be permitted to offer themselves for re-examination during the following September. Each candidate shall offer two papers, each of three hours' duration, as follows:
1.Greek or Latin texts. Candidates must offer either (a) or (b):(
ab)Homer,Iliad24; Lysias 1 and 3; Euripides,Bacchae1-63, 180-369, 434-518.(b)Virgil,Aeneid6; Seneca,Epistles54, 57, 79, 114 and 122; Catullus 1-16, 31-4.
For a list of prescribed texts, see the Classics and English handbook. The paper will comprise passages from these texts for translation and comment.2.Greek or Latin Language. The paper will consist of passages for unseen translation out of Greek or Latin and sentences for translation from English into Latin or Greek.
(b) during their second year of study, to offer papers as for Course I.