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Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
Five tutorials on Virgil's account of Hercules and Cacus from Aeneid Book 8 — the 2026-2027 verse narrative for WJEC Eduqas GCSE Latin Component 3A — hosted by Virgil himself, covering the author, the context of Book 8, the episode itself, Virgilian verse technique, and the extended evaluative response.
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Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
The question
Who was Virgil, what is the Aeneid, and how should a reader approach the poem's Latin?
Outcome
The student has a working sense of Virgil's life, the arc of the *Aeneid*, the metre and style of the poem, and the four-register reading practice appropriate to Virgilian Latin. (WJEC Component 3A · author context)
Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
The question
Why does Virgil devote an entire book of the Aeneid to an extended visit to the future site of Rome? What is the function of Book 8 in the larger poem?
Outcome
The student can locate Book 8 within the arc of the *Aeneid*, describe its function as topographical and mythological hinge, and situate the Hercules-and-Cacus episode within the larger structure of Evander's tour. (WJEC Component 3A · narrative context)
Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
The question
What is the story Evander tells, and how is it structured as a narrative?
Outcome
The student knows the narrative of Hercules and Cacus in sequence, can identify the key episodes (theft, discovery, confrontation, slaying), and can locate specific prescribed Latin passages within it. (WJEC Component 3A · narrative detail)
Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
The question
What specific features of Virgilian hexameter should you be able to recognise and cite in exam responses?
Outcome
The student can identify hexameter structure in a prescribed Latin line, recognise spondaic-versus-dactylic movement, cite specific technical features of Virgilian verse in exam analysis, and explain the effect those features produce on the reader. (WJEC Component 3A · literary style in verse)
Led by Publius Vergilius Maro Simulacrum
The question
How do you construct an evaluative response on a verse narrative — and how does it differ from the prose response you practised with Livy?
Outcome
The student can construct an extended evaluative response on the Virgilian narrative, cite specific hexameter features with technical vocabulary, analyse across the four simultaneous registers, and deploy mythological allusion as critical evidence.