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TASAncient History

The Nature of Power and Authority

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How did ancient rulers use propaganda, monuments and force to maintain control over their subjects?

Evaluate how propaganda, monumental building and coercion maintained authority in an ancient society
How ancient rulers maintained control through propaganda, monumental building and coercion, with archaeological case studies and the source problems they raise.
6 min answer →

How did ancient rulers use religion and ideology to make their power seem legitimate?

Analyse how religion and ideology were used to legitimise authority in an ancient society
How ancient rulers used religion and ideology to legitimise power, comparing pharaonic, Mesopotamian, Chinese and Roman models with their sources and limits.
6 min answer →

How can a dramatic text such as Sophocles' Antigone illuminate the nature of power and authority in an ancient society?

Use a major dramatic text to analyse the nature of power and authority in an ancient society
How a major dramatic text such as Sophocles' Antigone reveals ancient ideas of power and authority, covering the play, its Athenian context, source value and limits.
6 min answer →