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GCSE Latin — Roman Civilisation: Roman Festivals and Worship

Led by Publius Ovidius Naso Simulacrum

Six tutorials on Roman religion and festivals — the Topic 8 prescription for WJEC Eduqas GCSE Latin Component 3B for 2027, 2028, and 2029 — hosted by Ovid (whose Fasti is the poem of the Roman calendar) with guest appearances from Cicero (on the college of priests), Pliny the Younger (on private worship), and Seneca (on the afterlife), covering major festivals, temples, priests, sacrifice, household religion, and the cult of the dead.

1. Module 1 ○ Open

   Major Roman Festivals: Origins, Rites, Celebrations

   Led by Publius Ovidius Naso Simulacrum

   The question

   Three festivals — the Lupercalia, the Bona Dea, and the Saturnalia — are prescribed for close study. What were they, what did they do, and why did they matter?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the Lupercalia, Bona Dea, and Saturnalia with attention to their dates, rites, and social functions, and use Ovid's *Fasti* as primary source for Roman religious calendar. (WJEC Component 3B · Topic 8 · Major Roman Festivals)

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2. Module 2 ○ Open

   Temples and Religious Buildings

   Led by Publius Ovidius Naso Simulacrum

   The question

   How did Romans build their sacred spaces, and what can three specific buildings — the Ara Pacis, the Pantheon, and the Temple of Vesta — tell us about the variety of Roman religious architecture?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the standard Roman temple form, distinguish temples from altars, analyse the three prescribed buildings in their architectural and political context, and read images and reconstructions of them as evidence. (WJEC Component 3B · Topic 8 · Temples and religious buildings)

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3. Module 3 ○ Open

   Priests, Priestesses, and Religious Officials

   Led by Marcus Tullius Cicero Simulacrum

   The question

   Roman public religion was operated by a set of specialised colleges and individual priesthoods. Who were the *pontifices*, the *flamines*, the *augures*, the *haruspices*, and the Vestal Virgins — and what did each actually do?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the pontifical college, the *flamines*, the augurs, the haruspices, and the Vestal Virgins, and explain the relationship between religious office and political power in the Roman state. (WJEC Component 3B · Topic 8 · Priests, priestesses, and religious officials)

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4. Module 4 ○ Open

   Sacrifice: Methods, Processes, and Offerings

   Led by Publius Ovidius Naso Simulacrum

   The question

   Sacrifice was the central act of Roman public religion. What forms did it take, what was being offered, and what did the ritual actually look like?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the three types of Roman sacrifice, the process of a blood sacrifice from selection to consumption, the role of verbal precision in ritual, and the underlying logic of sacrifice as exchange. (WJEC Component 3B · Topic 8 · Sacrifice)

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5. Module 5 ○ Open

   Private Religion: Worship in the Roman Home

   Led by Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus Simulacrum

   The question

   Alongside the public religion of the state, every Roman household had its own domestic religion. What were the *Lares*, the *Penates*, and the rites of the household shrine?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the Roman household shrine and its contents, explain the *Lares*, *Penates*, and *genius*, describe the Vestalia, and connect private household religion to the larger public system. (WJEC Component 3B · Topic 8 · Private religion)

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6. Module 6 ○ Open

   Honouring the Dead, and the Extended Response

   Led by Publius Ovidius Naso Simulacrum

   The question

   How did Romans mark and care for their dead — and how do you construct an extended evaluative response on the topic of Roman religion as a whole?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the Roman cult of the dead, distinguish the Parentalia from the Lemuria, connect death-rites to the family religion of Module 5, and construct an extended evaluative response on an aspect of Roman religion drawing across all six modules.

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