Download 2014 - Massachusetts Junior Classical League

2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
NOVICE DIVISION
ROUND ONE
1. Whose death in Book XVI of Homer’s Iliad precipitated Achilles’ return to the
fighting after his withdrawal from combat following his bitter dispute with
Agamemnon?
PATROCLUS
B1: Over what slave-girl’s ownership had Achilles and Agamemnon fought?
BRISEIS’
B2: Besides cremating his body on a pyre, what did Achilles do in Book XXIII of the
Iliad to commemorate his fallen friend?
HOSTED FUNERAL GAMES (ATHLETIC CONTESTS)
2. Translate the word for “happy” into Latin for the following sentence: I gave the
happy sailor a ship.
LAETŌ
B1: Translate the word for “long” in the following sentence: I traveled for three long
months to get here.
LONGĀS
B2: Translate the word for “bitter” in the following sentence: It has been a cold and
bitter winter, hasn’t it?
ACRIS
3. For the verb dūcō, dūcere, give the second person plural, imperfect, passive,
indicative,
DŪCĒBĀMINĪ
B1: Change the form dūcēbāminī to the future tense.
DŪCĒMINĪ
B2: Change the form dūcēminī to the first person singular, pluperfect tense.
DUCTUS/A ERAM
4. Who was the first enemy of Rome on record to bring elephants to Italy for warfare?
PYRRHUS (OF EPIRUS)
B1: Plutarch wrote, in Greek of course, “If we are victorious in one more battle with
the Romans, we shall be utterly ruined.” What two word phrase means a victory
won at too great a cost?
PYRRHIC VICTORY
B2: What battle of 280 BC was a characteristic Pyrrhic victory?
HERACLEA
5. Which of the major deities of the Greek pantheon was the only one with a mortal
mother, though he was, in the end, actually born from Zeus’ thigh?
DIONYSUS/BACCHUS
B1: Which of the major deities of the Greek pantheon was, in some versions, born
from Hera alone?
HEPHAESTUS
B2: Name one of the two minor goddesses who were also children of Hera.
HEBE OR EILEITHYIA
6. From what Latin word with what meaning are “common”, “communist”,
“municipal”, and “remunerative” all derived?
MŪNUS – GIFT
B1: From what Latin noun with what meaning are “royal”, “viceroy”, and “realm”
derived?
RĒX – KING
B2: Which of the following, if any, is NOT derived from via: “deviation”, “enviable”,
“trivial”, “impervious”, “obvious”?
ENVIABLE
7. After Tarquinius Superbus was driven from Rome, he tried to reclaim the throne
with the aid of what Etruscan king?
LARS PORSENNA
B1: For what action had Porsenna set free a Roman youth named Gaius Mucius who
was seized in his camp?
THRUSTING HIS RIGHT HAND INTO A FIRE (TO PROVE HIS VALOR)
B2: In some ways, Porsenna met his match in a young maiden sent to him as a
hostage. Rather than stay in his possession, though, she led a group other girls out of
his camp and swam across the Tiber. Who was this maiden?
CLOELIA
8. What use of the ablative case is found in the following sentence: Pater amīcī mēcum
ambulābat?
(ABLATIVE OF) ACCOMPANIMENT
B1: What use of the ablative case is found in this sentence: Hostem gladiō magnō
interfēcī.
(ABLATIVE OF) MEANS/INSTRUMENT
B2: What use of the ablative case is found in this sentence: Ad urbem magnā cum
celeritāte volāvī.
(ABLATIVE OF) MANNER
9. What hero was responsible for the deaths of Phaea, Damastes, Corynetes, Sinis and,
somewhat indirectly, his own father Aegeus?
THESEUS
B1: What did Theseus fail to do that caused Aegeus to throw himself off of a cliff into
the sea?
CHANGE THE (BLACK) SAILS (OF HIS SHIP) TO WHITE (ON THE WAY BACK
TO ATHENS FROM CRETE AFTER SLAYING THE MINOTAUR)
B2: What young girl of Sparta, world-renowned for her beauty, did Theseus kidnap
during his later years as a sort of wife-in-waiting for himself?
HELEN
10. Listen to the following passage, which I will read twice, and then answer in LATIN
the question that follows.
Scrīptōrēs Rōmānī fābulam dē mīlite Rōmānō nārrāvērunt. Mīles tantum
ūnum oculum habēbat et rem pūblicam valdē amāvit. Cēterī mīlitēs hostēs
timēbant et effūgērunt, quod hostēs trāns pontem Rōmam iter faciēbant. Sed
mīles ūnō oculō mānsit et sōlus cum hostibus pugnāvit et Rōmam servāvit.
The question: Quōmodō dē rē pūblicā mīles sēnsit?
(VALDĒ) AMĀVIT
B1: Cūr mīlitēs effūgērunt?
(QUOD) (HOSTĒS) TIMĒBANT / HOSTĒS (TRĀNS PONTEM) RŌMAM ITER
FACIĒBANT
B2: Quot oculī militī sunt?
UNUS
11. Welcome to the Cīnēma Rōmāna! What recent movie might the Romans have called
Duodecim Annōs Servus?
12 YEARS A SLAVE
B1: What other somewhat recent animated movie might the Romans simply have
called Fortis?
BRAVE
B2: What other recent animated movie might the Romans have called Ventus
Surgit?
THE WIND RISES
12. What youth’s beauty earned him the attention of both Zephyrus and Apollo?
HYACINTH(US)
B1: Into what kind of tree did Apollo transform his lover Cyparissus when he
proved inconsolable after the death of a beloved pet stag?
CYPRESS
B2: Whose infidelity caused Apollo to change the feathers of the crow from white to
black?
CORONIS’
13. What garment did Roman boys earn the right to wear at their coming of age
ceremony?
TOGA VIRILIS
B1: What bright garment did candidates for office wear to distinguish them in the
crowd?
TOGA CANDIDA
B2: What toga, with a broad crimson stripe, was worn by freeborn boys, who had not
yet come of age, and by curule magistrates?
TOGA PRAETEXTA
14. Translate the following sentence into Latin: I gave the large dog food.
CIBUM CANĪ MAGNŌ DEDĪ / DABAM
B1: Now translate this sentence into Latin: The tired sailors were sleeping for five
days.
NAUTAE (DĒ)FESSĪ QUĪNQUE DIĒS DORMIĒBANT
B2: Now translate this sentence into Latin: My mother named me Lucius.
(MEA) MĀTER MĒ LŪCIUM APPELLĀVIT / VOCĀVIT
15. Quid Anglicē significat “clam”?
SECRETLY
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “cotīdiē”?
DAILY
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “māne”?
IN THE MORNING
16. Tribus et viginti vulneribus confossus est. With these words, the historian
Eutropius describes the death of what Roman leader, whose mortal wounds had
been inflicted by a conspiracy of senators, including Cassius and Brutus?
JULIUS CAESAR
B1: A defeat in what battle marked the end of the conspirator’s rebellion?
PHILIPPI
nd
B2: What third member of the 2 triumvirate remained in Italy while Brutus and
Cassius were defeated at Philippi by the two other members?
LEPIDUS
17. Translate the following sentence into English: Sapiens fēmina urbem servāvit.
THE WISE/SMART WOMAN SAVED/PROTECTED THE CITY
B1: Now translate this sentence: Illa nōn ob pulchritūdinem vīcit.
SHE (THAT WOMAN) DID NOT WIN BECAUSE OF HER BEAUTY
B2: Now translate this sentence: Ea sororque laetē regnāvērunt.
SHE AND HER SISTER RULED HAPPILY
18. For what Boeotian city did the sons of Zeus and Antiope, Amphion and Zethus,
construct the walls?
THEBES
B1: What special ability did Amphion utilize to complete this task?
MUSIC (THE STONES MOVED ON THEIR OWN
IN RESPONSE TO HIS LYRE-PLAYING)
B2: What was Zethus’ special connection to the name of the city?
IT WAS NEWLY RENAMED AFTER HIS WIFE (THEBE)
19. At what skirmish in 218 BC did the forces of Hannibal so decisively rout the cavalry
of Publius Cornelius Scipio that the consul almost lost his life?
TICINUS RIVER
B1: The following year, Hannibal and his forces ambushed the Roman army posted
around Lake Trasimene under the command of what consul, who ultimately died in
the attack?
(GAIUS) FLAMINIUS
B2: At what battle in 206 BC did Scipio Africanus utilize a refined doubleoutflanking maneuver to defeat the combined forces of Mago Barca and Hasdrubal
Gisco, bringing an end to Carthage’s hold on Iberia?
ILIPA
20. When recognized, perform the following command: Surge et rīdē clamōrōsē.
PLAYER MUST STAND AND LAUGH LOUDLY
B1: Now perform these commands: Surgite, omnēs, et sedite bis.
ALL TEAMMATES SHOULD STAND UP AND SIT DOWN TWICE
B2: Now perform this commands: Dīc Anglicē moderātōrī nōmen scholae tuae.
CAPTAIN (ONLY) MUST TELL THE MODERATOR HIS/HER SCHOOL’S NAME
ROUND ONE EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. Give the third person plural, pluperfect, active, indicative of the verb “to be.”
FUERANT
B1: Keeping all else the same, change fuerant to the future perfect tense.
FUERINT
B1: Change fuerint to the present, passive.
CANNOT BE DONE
2. Give the Latin and English for the abbreviation R.I.P.
REQUIĒSCAT IN PĀCE, MAY HE REST IN PEACE
B1: Give the Latin and English for the common medical abbreviation b.i.d.
BIS IN DIĒ, TWICE IN A DAY
B2: Give the Latin and English for abbreviation cf.
CONFER, COMPARE
MYTHOLOGY
3. What goddess was the patron goddess of marriage and child birth?
JUNO/HERA
B1: What hero’s birth did Juno try to prevent by refusing to allow his mother to
deliver him?
HERCULES (DO NOT ACCEPT HERACLES)
B2: What twins’ birth did Hera try to prevent by declaring that their mother could
not give birth on terra firma?
APOLLO AND ARTEMIS (DO NOT ACCEPT DIANA)
ROMAN HISTORY & LIFE
4. Who was the fifth king of Rome who was said to have been Etruscan in origin,
originally coming from Greece through his father?
TARQUINIUS PRISCUS
B1: What was the Greek name of Priscus?
LUCUMO
B2: Who was Priscus’s prophetic and power-hungry wife?
TANAQUIL
5. What type of Roman structure does the following list have in common: Traiāna,
Claudia, Mārcia, Virgō, Appia.
AQUEDUCTS
B1: Now try these: Domitian, Trajan, Titus, and Caracalla
BATH (COMPLEXES)
B2: And now these: Domitian, Flamininus, Nero, Maxentius, Maximus.
CIRCUSES
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
NOVICE DIVISION
ROUND TWO
1. Differentiate in meaning between the words ager and aeger.
FIELD and SICK (RESPECTIVELY)
B1: Differentiate in meaning between the words tamen and tandem.
NEVERTHELESS and FINALLY (RESPECTIVELY)
B2: Differentiate in meaning between the words ferō and feriō.
(TO/I) BRING/BEAR and (TO/I) HIT/STRIKE (RESPECTIVELY)
2. The provinces Thrace, Noricum, Lycia, and Judea were annexed under the reign of
what Julio-Claudian emperor, who also acquired Britain in 43 AD?
CLAUDIUS
B1: Claudius was credited with rebuilding what great building, which had been
completed in 55 B.C. but had subsequently burned down? This building was the
largest of its kind in ancient Rome and is remembered in part as the location of
Julius Caesar’s murder.
POMPEY’S THEATER
B2: Look at these pictures. (See separate sheet with pictures.) Identify by letter the
one which is a picture of the deified Claudius.
B
3. Translate the relative clause in the following sentence into English: Vir, quī
numquam cum līberīs lūdit, laetus nōn est.
WHO NEVER PLAYS WITH (HIS) CHILDREN
B1: Translate the relative clause in this sentence: Mārcus, quem nēmō amat, tamen
bonam vītam dūcit.
WHOM NO ONE LOVES
B2: Now translate the independent clause from that sentence.
MARCUS NEVERTHELESS LEADS/LIVES A GOOD LIFE
4. What personification of the sky was the principal partner of Gaia and the father of
the Titans?
(O)URANUS
B1: What goddess, according to Hesiod, rose from the foam of the sea that formed
after Cronus severed Uranos’ genitals with a sickle?
APHRODITE
B2: What final monstrous and nearly indescribable child did Gaia produce in order
to punish Zeus after he imprisoned the Titans in the Underworld?
TYPH(A)ON/TYPHOEUS
5. Give the accusative singular of the phrase amīcum animal.
AMĪCUM ANIMAL
B1: Make the phrase amīcum animal plural.
AMĪCA ANIMĀLIA
B2: Make the phrase amīca animālia genitive.
AMĪCŌRUM ANIMĀLIUM
6. Who was the mortal half-brother of Heracles who cried in the face of snakes
invading his crib?
IPHICLES
B1: Name Heracles’ nephew and charioteer who provided him invaluable assistance
on many occasions, particularly against Lernaean Hydra when he quickly cauterized
the stumps of the necks as Heracles severed the snake’s heads.
IOLAUS
B2: Who was Heracles’ son by Deianira, his last wife?
HYLLUS
7. Romulus was observing his army when he disappeared and was believed to have
been enveloped by a cloud. Subsequently, the Romans deified him. What was
Romulus’ deified name?
QUIRINUS
B1: Who was the father of Romulus, who received his request from Jupiter to have
Romulus join him on Mt. Olympus?
MARS
B2: Where did Romulus’ disappearance allegedly take place?
CAMPUS MARTIUS
8. What did it mean if a Roman man was a lībertus?
HE WAS A FREED/MANUMITTED SLAVE
B1: The slave’s former master would then become his protector, sponsor, and
benefactor. What was the Latin name for this master’s role?
PATRONUS/PATRON
B2: In return the freedman had social obligations such as campaigning for his former
master, now patron, or carrying out requested jobs. What was a lībertus called
when he offered services to his former master?
CLIENS/CLIENT
9. Whose shade did Circe direct Odysseus to summon from the Underworld and
consult before he journeyed home to Ithaca?
TIRESIAS’
B1: Before speaking to Tiresias, what close relative’s shade did Odysseus also
encounter—much to his sorrowful surprise—and attempt to embrace?
ANTICLEA’S (prompt on “his mother’s”)
B2: What monster with six dog-heads, encountered by Odysseus on his way home,
had once been a beautiful woman but was transformed by Circe out of jealousy?
SCYLLA
10. Listen to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer in LATIN the
question that follows.
Ōlim erant duō mūrēs, quōrum alter mūs rūsticus erat, alter mūs urbānus. Mūs
urbānus mūrem rūsticum vīsitabat. Mūs rūsticus mūrī urbānō pānem et mel
dabat. Cēna erat parva sed bona.
The question: Quae mūs rūsticus mūrī urbānō dabat?
PĀNEM ET MEL
B1: Now listen to the continuation of the passage, which I will read twice. Then
answer in ENGLISH the question that follows.
Ubi mūs rūsticus mūrem urbānum vīsitāvit, cēnae erant maximae. Tamen fēlēs
mūrēs petīvit. Mūs rūsticus dīxit, “Domī cēna est parva, sed quoque perīculum.”
Other than dinner, what is small at the country mouse’s home?
DANGER
B2: Now answer this question in Latin: Cur fēlēs mūrēs petīvit?
MŪRĒS CĒNAM MAXIMAM HABUIT / CĒNA MAXIMAE MŪRIBUS ERAT /
FĒLĒS CĒNAM MAXIMAM (MŪRUM) VOLUĒRUNT
11. What use of the genitive case is found in the following sentence: Patria patrium
nostrōrum semper vīvat?
(GENITIVE OF) POSSESSION
B1: What use of the genitive case is found with words such as satis and nihil?
PARTITIVE/OF THE WHOLE/QUANTITY
B2: On to something else! What case is used for direct address?
VOCATIVE
12. Name the boy, who, according to Livy, swore to his father, a Carthaginian general,
that he would never be a friend of Rome as long as he lived.
HANNIBAL
B1: What was this father’s name?
HAMILCAR BARCA
B2: At what battle in 216 B.C. did Hannibal decisively defeat a larger Roman army
under the leadership of the co-consuls Varro and Paullus in the plains of Apulia?
THE BATTLE OF CANNAE
13. Of the characters Dido, Anchises, Creusa, Turnus, and Camilla, who dies last in
Vergil’s Aeneid?
TURNUS
B1: What Italian princess had Turnus originally planned to marry before her father
betrothed her to Aeneas?
LAVINIA
B2: Complete the following analogy: Achilles : Patroclus :: Aeneas : _______.
PALLAS
14. Give the Latin root and its meaning from which we derive “impeach,” “centipede,”
and “pedal.”
PĒS, FOOT
B1: Give the Latin root and its meaning from which we derive “renown,”
“denomination,” and “nominee.”
NŌMEN, NAME
B2: Give the Latin root and its meaning from which we derive “duel,” “bellicose,”
and “belligerent.”
BELLUM, WAR
15. Translate the following sentence into Latin: I can’t see you now, Julius.
TĒ, IULĪ, NUNC/IAM VIDĒRE NŌN POSSUM
B1: Now translate this into Latin: Don’t hurt that dog, boys!
NŌLĪTE, PUERĪ, VULNERĀRE ILLUM CANEM/NOCĒRE ILLĪ CANĪ!
B2: Now translate this into Latin: No spirit will ever conquer me!
NŪLLA ANIMA/ANIMUS UMQUAM MĒ VINCAT!
16. Complete the following analogy: dō : dabitur :: regō : _______.
REGĒTUR
B1: Complete this analogy: dō : dederāmus :: placeō : _______.
PLACUERĀMUS
B2: Now complete this analogy: dō : datae eritis :: sum :______.
FUTURAE ERITIS
17. Who, a Stoic philosopher, successful military leader, and author of the Meditations,
was the last of the so-called Five Good Emperors?
MARCUS AURELIUS
B1: Who was Marcus Aurelius’s deranged son whose own reign ended in
assassination?
COMMODUS
B2: What was different about Marcus Aurelius’s decision regarding a successor
compared to the previous of the Good Emperors?
HE CHOSE HIS SON BY BIRTH, NOT AN UNRELATED HEIR
18. What Latin phrase would one use to indicate that one’s teacher has the legal
responsibility to make custodial decisions in a parent’s stead.
IN LOCŌ PARENTIS
B1: Many believe that a child’s personality is determined solely by life experiences.
They say that a child’s mind is like what Latin phrase?
TABULA RĀSA
B2: Many young children, like Linus from Peanuts, have something like a blanket
that they simply can’t go without. What Latin phrase describes such an object?
VĀDĒ MĒCUM
19. What two brothers bitterly connived and conspired against each other for the throne
of Mycenae, engaging in a feud that culminated in one tricking the other to dine
upon the flesh of his own sons?
ATREUS & THYESTES
B1: What ivory-shouldered man who had once been served as a meal himself was
the father of Atreus and Thyestes?
PELOPS
B2: What mournful mother of fourteen children that were struck down by the arrows
of Apollo and Artemis was Pelops’ sister?
NIOBE
20. Welcome to the Bibliothēca Mūsicae Rōmānae! What popular song might the
Romans have called Equus Obscūrus?
DARK HORSE
B1: What hit song from 2012 might the Romans have called Aliquae Noctēs?
SOME NIGHTS
B2: What song might the Romans have called Dēsinere Nōn Possumus?
WE CAN’T STOP
A
B
C
D
ROUND TWO EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. Subter, super, sub, and in are all prepositions that take what two cases?
ACCUSATIVE/ABLATIVE
B1: What do the adjectives alius, unus, ullus, and nullus have in common?
THEY ARE IRREGULAR IN THE GENITIVE/DATIVE SINGULAR (-IUS/-I)
B2: What is special about adjectives like bonus, magnus, and multus?
THEY ARE IRREGULAR/HAVE SEPARATE FORMS IN THE
COMPARATIVE/SUPERLATIVE
2. Out of the words arēna, casa, fumus, sōl, and vēr, which of the following is
described by the following sentence: Est in quā animalia gladiātorēsque pugnant,
et prope mare invenīrī potest?
ARĒNA
B1: Out of the words arēna, casa, fumus, sōl, and vēr, which of the following is
described by the following sentence: Est quid vidēre potes ubi ignis est?
FUMUS
B2: Out of the words arēna, casa, fumus, sōl, and vēr, which of the following is
described by the following sentence: Calidum pluviumque esse dēbe, sed nunc
frigidum niveumque est.
VĒR
MYTHOLOGY
3. Many mythological stories involve trees. What type of tree had is fruit dyed red by
the blood of the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe?
MULBERRY TREE
B1: What couple was turned into two trees with a conjoined trunk?
BAUCIS AND PHILEMON
B2: Into what trees were they each turned?
OAK AND LINDEN
ROMAN HISTORY & LIFE
4. In 285 A.D., what emperor initiated the system of government known as the
tetrarchy?
DIOCLETIAN
B1: Who was Diocletian’s co-Augustus in this system?
MAXIMIAN
B2: Which of the men that Diocletian named as Caesar, or “junior emperor,” was the
father of the eventual first Christian Emperor?
CONSTANTIUS (CHLORUS)
5. What was the name of the wax masks or busts created in the image of deceased
ancestors?
IMĀGINĒS
B1: In what room of the Roman house, in which the lararium was also located, were
imāginēs displayed?
THE ATRIUM (OF THEIR FAMILY’S HOUSE) OR THE ALAE
B2: Some wax masks were possibly molded as death masks of the deceased. After
these masks were first made, when were they worn and by whom?
DURING A FUNERAL BY PAID ACTORS OR FAMILY MEMBERS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
NOVICE DIVISION
ROUND THREE
1. 60 B.C. marked the beginning of what political alliance between the co-consuls of 70
B.C. and future consul of the following year?
FIRST TRIUMVIRATE
B1: By what action did Caesar solidify his alliance with Pompey?
(CAESAR) MARRIED HIS DAUGHTER JULIA TO HIM (POMPEY)
B2: Crassus was the first of the triumvirs to die. He died at the battle of Carrhae in
Parthia in 53 B.C. How did the Parthians reportedly kill Crassus as a symbol of his
thirst for wealth?
THEY POURED (MOLTEN) GOLD DOWN HIS THROAT
2. What form of the Latin word fēlīx would agree with the word “night” in the
following sentence: There is no man braver than I on this lucky night?
FĒLĪCĪ
B1: In that same sentence, how would you translate “than I” using two words.
QUAM EGO
B2: How would you translate the word for “that” in the following sentence: That
man’s dog is rather ferocious.
ILLĪUS
3. Whose hand in marriage did Cepheus and Cassiopeia consent to give to Perseus
before the hero saved her from being sacrificed to a sea monster?
ANDROMEDA’S
B1: What group of goddesses had Cassiopeia offended with her boasts about her
own and Andromeda’s beauty?
NEREIDS
B2: To whom had Andromeda been previously engaged before the arrival of
Perseus?
HER UNCLE / PHINEUS
4. What is the idiomatic meaning of the Latin phrase “bellum gerere”?
TO WAGE WAR
B1: What is the idiomatic meaning of the Latin phrase “pedem referre”?
TO RETREAT
B2: What is the idiomatic meaning of the Latin phrase “fābulam agere”?
TO ACT IN A PLAY
5. What Greek hero slew the Ethiopian prince Memnon near the end of the Trojan
War?
ACHILLES
B1: What Greek goddess of the dawn was the mother of Memnon?
EOS
B2: What Amazonian princess did Achilles slay but afterwards lament?
PENTHESILEA
6. Notāte bene, this question is looking for two answers. You are riding a four-horse
chariot through the streets of Rome, bedecked in a purple toga with gold trim,
wearing a crown of laurel wreathes. Who are you and what are you doing?
A ROMAN GENERAL CELEBRATING A TRIUMPH
B1: What is the name of this toga you are wearing?
TOGA PICTA
B2: Triumphal processions ended at whose temple on the Capitoline Hill, for
sacrifices and dedications?
JUPITER’S
7. Translate just the relative clause in the following sentence into Latin: We didn’t
mean to kill the man who sent us the letter.
QUĪ LITTERĀS/EPISTULAM NOBĪS MĪSIT
B1: Translate the following sentence into Latin: Who was attacking your country for
one month, friend?
QUIS, AMĪCE, PATRIAM (TUAM) UNAM MĒNSEM OPPUGNĀBAT?
B2: Translate the following sentence into Latin: Will you ever leave me, Victoria?
(RE)LINQUETNE / DISCEDETNE, VICTŌRIA, MĒ UMQUAM?
8. Give and translate the motto of South Carolina.
DUM SPĪRŌ SPĒRŌ; WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE
B1: Give and translate the motto of North Carolina.
ESSE QUAM VIDĒRĪ; TO BE RATHER THAN TO SEEM
B2: Give and translate the motto of Kansas.
AD ASRA PER ASPERA; TO THE STARS THROUGH DIFFICULTIES
9. “Honk! Honk!” were the noises heard from atop the Capitoline Hill when what
foreign peoples invaded Rome?
THE GAULS / SENONES
B1: Awakened by the sacred geese of Juno, what man led the counter attack to
defend the hill and thus earned the name Capitolinus?
MARCUS MANLIUS
B2: In what year did this invasion take place?
390 BC
10. Respondē Latīnē: Quot sunt octō et quīnque?
TREDECIM
B1: Respondē Latīnē: Quot sunt tredecim et decem?
VĪGINTĪ ET TRĒS
B2: Respondē Latīnē: Quot sunt diēs Ianuāriī?
TRIGINTA ET UNUS
11. Who, when the goddess discovered that she was pregnant, was punished by Diana
by being transformed into a bear?
CALLISTO
B1: What was the name of the son she eventually bore to Jupiter, who had
impregnated her against her will?
ARCAS
B2: Whose guise, according to Ovid, had Jupiter assumed to snare the otherwise
virginal Callisto in his embrace?
DIANA’S
12. Horace once said “nunc est bibendum” – now we must drink. The Romans did
love their wine! One particular favorite was called mulsum. It consisted of four
parts wine and one part what substance used to sweeten it? The Roman word for
this food was mel.
HONEY
B1: What method did the Romans employ to press the grapes?
THEY STOMPED ON THEM BAREFOOT
B2: Distinguish in meaning between mustum and vinum.
UNFERMENTED AND FERMENTED WINE, RESPECTIVELY
13. Whose fear of a one-sandaled man proved well founded when a young man fitting
the description arrived and laid claim to the throne of Iolcus?
PELIAS’
B1: Who had been the rightful king of Iolcus before Pelias usurped the throne?
AESON
B2: Who brought about Pelias’ death by tricking his daughters into cutting him into
pieces and throwing them into a boiling pot with the false expectation of his magical
rejuvenation?
MEDEA
14. From what Latin verb, with what meaning, does the English word “involuntary”
derive?
VOLŌ/VELLE, TO WANT/WISH
B1: Give the ultimate Latin root and its meaning from which we derive “pueblo” and
“publish”.
POPULUS, PEOPLE
B2: Give the ultimate Latin root from which we derive “janitor”.
IĀNUA, DOOR
15. Listen to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer in ENGLISH
the question that follows.
Ōlim erant felix fēlēs et iratus canis. Cotidiē, canis felem petivit et magnā vocē
latrāvit. Tamen, canis numquam felem cēpit tristis erat.
The question: What two things did the dog do every day?
CHASED THE CAT AND BARKED WITH A GREAT VOICE / LOUDLY
B2: How often did the dog catch the cat?
NEVER
B1: Respondē Anglicē: Qualis erat fēlēs?
LUCKY
16. Which deity was the first to be born from Rhea and the last to be regurgitated from
Cronus and therefore, according to the Homeric Hymns, the first and last to be
honored with the offering of wine at the banquets of men?
HESTIA
B1: Which god was sometimes said to have escaped Cronus’ maw when he was
switched out for a foal instead?
POSEIDON
B2: Who were the Roman equivalents of Cronus and Rhea?
SATURN & OPS
17. For the verb dīco, dīcere, give the second person singular, present, active,
imperative.
DĪC
B1: Keeping all else the same, change dīc to the indicative.
DĪCIS
B2: Keeping all else the same, change dīcis to the passive.
DĪCERIS
18. What use of the dative case is seen in the following sentence: Dominus servō
pecūniam dabit?
INDIRECT OBJECT
B1: What use of the dative case is seen in this sentence: Quid nōmen tibi est?
POSSESSION
B2: The dative case can be used to show agency – what other case can be used to
show agency?
ABLATIVE
19. Occasionally in Roman history, one date is significant in both B.C. and A.D. What
such mutual B.C./A.D. date do the following two events share: the Via Appia is
built by Appius Claudius and the Greek letters chi and rho are seen in the sky by
Constantine before he wins the Battle of Milvian Bridge against Maxentius.
312 (B.C. and A.D.)
B1: According to Lactantius, the chi and rho represented the first letters of the name
Christ (Christus). According to another historian, Eusebius, Constantine saw a
golden light in the sky with the Greek words "ἐν τούτῳ νίκα" (en two-toe nee-ka),
which is often rendered in Latin as in hōc signō vinces. What does this Latin phrase
mean?
IN THIS SIGN YOU WILL CONQUER
B2: What other famous structure was Appius Claudius responsible for building?
AQUA APPIA (THE FIRST ROMAN AQUEDUCT)
20. Translate the following sentence into English: Satis cibī mihi hīc nōn est.
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH (OF) FOOD HERE FOR ME /
I DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD HERE.
B1: Translate this sentence into English: Nihil melius est quam cēnā bonā.
THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN A GOOD DINNER
B2: Now translate this into English: Ancilla iēntāculum sorōrī meae coquere nōn
vult.
THE SLAVE GIRL DOES NOT WANT TO COOK BREAKFAST FOR MY SISTER
ROUND THREE EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. When recognized, perform the following commands: Nōlī surgere, sed iacē in terrā.
PLAYER MUST LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND (AND NOT STAND)
B1: When recognized, perform the following commands: Dīc Anglicē moderatōrī
nōmen civitatis tuae.
CAPTAIN MUST TELL THE MODERATOR
THE NAME OF THEIR HOME STATE or COUNTRY
B2: When recognized, perform the following commands: Dūc amīcum ad mēnsam
moderātōris et clāma nōmen illīus amicī.
CAPTAIN MUST LEAD FRIEND/TEAMMATE TO THE
MODERATOR’S TABLE AND SHOUT THE TEAMMATE’S NAME
2. Distinguish in meaning between the Latin nouns nēmō and nihil.
NO ONE AND NOTHING (RESPECTIVELY)
B1: Distinguish in meaning between the Latin preposition super and the Latin verb
superō.
ABOVE AND OVERCOME/CONQUER (RESPECTIVELY)
B2: Distinguish in meaning between the Latin verbs servō and serviō.
PROTECT/SAVE AND SERVE (RESPECTIVELY)
MYTHOLOGY
3. We all know the story about the golden apple thrown by Eris, but what mortal
youth famously threw golden apples in order to win a footrace and the hand of
Atalanta in marriage?
MELANION/HIPPOMENES
B1: What would have been his fate had Hippomenes lost the footrace?
DECAPITATION (prompt on “killed”)
B2: Name the father of Atalanta, who had established this contest.
IASUS / SCHOENEUS
ROMAN HISTORY & LIFE
4. As you may know, the history of the Severan dynasty was rife with Julias. Which
Julia was both the wife of the emperor Septimius Severus and the mother of Geta
and Caracalla?
JULIA DOMNA
B1: Which Julia was the niece of Domna and served as the de facto ruler of Rome
during her son Elagabalus’ depraved four-year reign?
JULIA SOAEMIAS
B2: Julia Soaemias and her mother Julia Maesa ensured the ascendency of Elegabulus
to the throne by plotting the overthrow of which man, the former praetorian guard
of Caracalla and the first Roman emperor not to hail from the senatorial class?
MACRINUS
5. What is the Latin term for the type of common law marriage practiced by plebeians?
ŪSUS
B1: What type of marriage ceremony began with a fictitious sale and occurred in the
presence of at least five witnesses?
COEMPTIŌ
B2: What term refers to the permanent marriage-like union between slaves that
became more prevalent later in the empire?
CONTUBERNIUM
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
NOVICE DIVISION
SEMI-FINALS
1. Translate the following sentence into Latin: “Tomorrow, we will leave Italy at
dawn.”
CRĀS AB ĪTALIĀ ABĪBIMUS / ĪTALIAM (RE)LINQUĒMUS PRĪMĀ LŪCE
B1: Translate this sentence into Latin: “The thief does not want to go to jail today.”
HODIĒ FŪR/LATRŌ AD CARCEREM ĪRE NŌN VULT
B2: Now translate this sentence into Latin: “Did you see the girl walking with the
horse yesterday?
VĪDISTĪ(S)NE PUELLAM AMBULANTEM CUM EQUŌ/EQUĀ HERĪ
2. Which character from Book III of Ovid’s Metamorphoses speaks the following lines?
“I love him and I cannot seem to find him!
To make it worse, no sea, no road, no mountain,
No city-wall, no gate, no barrier, parts us
But a thin film of water. He is eager
For me to hold him. When my lips go down
To kiss the pool, his rise, he reaches toward me. “
NARCISSUS
B1: Earlier in Ovid’s account, a young man rejected by Narcissus prays that the
beautiful youth would one day also be unable to win over the person whom he
loves. What goddess of vengeance heard this prayer?
NEMESIS
B2: When Narcissus’ mother Liriope asked Tiresias if her son would live to a ripe old
age, what was the seer’s cryptic reply?
“YES, IF HE NEVER KNOWS HIMSELF” (OR EQUIVALENT)
3. Who was the first man to hold, for more than six months at one time, the office of
dictator?
(L. CORNELIUS) SULLA (FELIX)
B1: While a consul was only accompanied by twelve attendants called lictors, how
many lictors was a dictator entitled to?
24
B2: These lictors carried the fascēs, which symbolized the dictator’s absolute power
of life or death. Describe the fascēs.
A BUNDLE OF RODS AND AN AXE (TWO HEADED) BOUND TOGETHER
(USUALLY BY A PIECE OF RED LEATHER)
4. What deity had granted Theseus three curses, of which one was used by the hero to
bring about the death of his son Hippolytus?
POSEIDON
B1: Which deities did Hippolytus scorn and cherish, respectively, according to a
tragedy written by Euripides?
APHRODITE & ARTEMIS
B2: Why did Theseus wish Hippolytus dead?
HE (MISTAKENLY) BELIEVED THAT HIPPOLYTUS HAD
ATTEMPTED TO RAPE PHAEDRA (prompt on “Theseus’ wife”)
5. What do the following Latin verbs have in common grammatically: parcō, placeō,
noceō, persuādeō?
THEY ALL TAKE THE DATIVE CASE (prompt on “intransitive”)
B1: Other than their part of speech or form, what do the following Latin words have
in common: cōpia, auxilium, impedīmentum, castrum?
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN SINGULAR AND PLURAL
B2: Which of the following words does not belong grammatically, and why: salūs,
carmen, spēs, arēna?
CARMEN – IT IS NEUTER (ALL OTHERS ARE FEMININE)
6. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer in
LATIN the question that follows.
Ōlim erat puer, nōmine Sextus, quī ad Forum ambulābat. Sextus canem emere
voluit, quod iam fēlēs eī fuit. Subitō senex mysticus Sextō, ambulantī, dīxit,
“Nōn debēs cupere animal commūne, sed animal ferissimum, quod insānius
est.” Et sīc Sextus tigrem ēmit. (repeat)
Question: Quid Sextus emere voluit?
CANEM
B1: Cur Sextus canem voluit?
(QUOD) IAM FELES EĪ FUIT / IAM FELEM HABUIT
B2: Qualem animal Sextus emere debēs?
INSANIUS
7. Who slept overnight at Athena’s altar upon the advice of the seer Polyeidus and
awoke the next morning to find a magical, golden bridle with which he could tame
the winged Pegasus?
BELLEROPHON
B1: Bellerophon rode Pegasus to defeat the fire-breathing Chimaera. Which three
constituent animals make up the Chimaera’s monstrous body?
GOAT, LION, SNAKE
B2: What kind of creature did Zeus send to disrupt Bellerophon’s ill-conceived
attempt to fly Pegasus up to Olympus?
GADFLY / BRIZE
8. What emperor abolished the pagan rituals of the Olympic Games, dissolved the
order of the Vestal Virgins, and was the last emperor to rule over both the eastern
and western halves of the Roman Empire?
THEODOSIUS (THE FIRST / THE GREAT)
B1: Who were his two sons who inherited the eastern and western halves of the
empire upon his death?
ARCADIUS AND HONORIUS
B2: What battle on August 9, 378 AD was the most disastrous battle for the Romans
since Cannae?
THE BATTLE OF ADRIANOPLE
9. Change the phrase “illa mēnsa maxima” to the dative case.
ILLĪ MĒNSAE MAXIMAE
B1: Change the phrase “ipsum iūs trīstis” to the accusative plural.
IPSA IŪRA TRĪSTIA
B2: Using only three words, translate the phrase “the same nineteen old men” into
Latin.
EĪDEM ŪNDĒVĪGINTĪ SENĒS
10. What king met his end at the hands of Autonoë, Agave, and the other raving women
of Thebes who believed that he was a wild animal?
PENTHEUS
B1: Who were the parents of Autonoë and Agave?
CADMUS & HARMONIA
B2: Name Autonoë’s son who also met his death by being torn to pieces, though not
by humans.
ACTAEON
11. The abbreviation P.M. can stand for two separate Latin phrases; give the Latin and
English of both.
POST MERĪDIEM - AFTER MIDDAY/NOON, POST MORTEM - AFTER DEATH
B1: The author Livy wrote a large collection of histories whose title can be
abbreviated to A.U.C.; give the Latin and English for this abbreviation.
AB URBE CONDITĀ (or ANNŌ URBIS CONDITAE)
- FROM THE FOUNDING OF THE CITY
B2: One day, your math teacher, wanting to impress you with his skills, decides to
show you the proof for the fabled Pythagorean Theorem. Once he finishes, you
notice he has written the abbreviation Q.E.D.; give the Latin and English for this
abbreviation.
QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM –
THAT WHICH HAD TOBE DEMONSTRATED
12. What patrician general won the spolia opīma for the second time in Rome’s history
after he defeated the king of Veii in 428 BC?
(AULUS CORNELIUS) COSSUS
B1: Who was this king of Veii?
(LARS) TOLUMNIUS
B2: According to Livy, Cossus donated the armor, shield, and sword of Tolumnius
to what temple on the Capitoline Hill?
JUPITER FERETRIUS
13. Translate the sentence: Numquam ā regīnā regar.
I WILL NEVER BE RULED BY A QUEEN
B1: Now translate the sentence: Clārior poēta melius scrībere potest.
THE MORE/RATHER FAMOUS POET CAN/IS ABLE TO WRITE BETTER
B2: Now translate this sentence: Nēmō umquam malā mē dīcit.
NO ONE EVER SAYS BAD THINGS ABOUT ME
14. Which hero in the Iliad manages to wound Aeneas, Aphrodite, and Ares all in the
same day of battle?
DIOMEDES
B1: After Diomedes wounds Aphrodite’s hand with his spear in Book V of the Iliad,
she flies up to Olympus where she is healed by her mother, a goddess who is not
otherwise mentioned in the mythological tradition. Whom does Homer call the
mother of Aphrodite?
DIONE
B2: Who guided the spear Diomedes drove through the stomach of Ares?
ATHENA
15. What use of the accusative is found in the following sentence: Avēs magnā cum
celeritāte trēs hōrās volābant?
DURATION OF TIME
B1: What use of the genitive can be found in the sentence “Caesar ingentem partem
hostis necāvit.”
PARTITIVE GENITIVE
B2: What use of the ablative can be found in the sentence “Sex ē mīlitibus ad
Galliam fūgērunt.”
PARTITIVE (prompt on “object of preposition”)
16. Which of the following words comes from a Latin noun that means “head”: castle,
coda, canary, captain, corporal?
CAPTAIN
B1: Which of those words comes from a Latin noun that means “dog”?
CANARY
B2: Which of those words comes from a Latin noun that means “body”?
CORPORAL
17. The Romans enjoyed many games such as trigōn, talī, tesserae, and tabula. Which
one of these games was knucklebones?
TALĪ
B1: In knucklebones, the sides were carved with the numbers 1, 3, 4, and 6, and four
knucklebones were rolled. What was the name of the highest roll that consisted of
one of each number?
VENUS
B2: What animal was the name of the lowest roll, all four of the same numbers?
VULTURE(S) or DOG(S) (1,1,1,1 i.e. the lowest of the Vultures)
18. Using a preposition and only two words, translate “at my house” into Latin.
APUD / AD MĒ
B1: Using only three words, and being completely alliterative, translate the sentence
“We don’t want new clouds,” into Latin.
NUBĒS / NEBULĀS NOVĀS NOLUMUS
B2: In the sentence “Julius asked the emperor to trust his beautiful daughters,”
translate “beautiful daughters” into Latin.
PULCHRĪS FĪLIĀBUS
19. During what event in Roman history was the parable of “The Belly and the Limbs”
allegedly recounted?
FIRST SECESSION OF PLEBEIANS (IN 494 B.C.)
B1: Who was the plebeian consul who narrated the parable and summoned the
plebeians back to Rome?
MENENIUS AGRIPPA
B2: What set of laws was adopted in 449 B.C. as a result of the second succession of
the plebs?
THE TWELVE TABLES
20. When recognized, perform the following command: Stans, pōne manūs super caput
amīcī.
STUENT SHOULD STAND AND PLACE HANDS ABOVE PARTER’S/FRIEND’S
HEAD
B1: Now follow these commands: Surgite, et clamāte Anglicē, “Nōn potes tangere
hoc!”
STUDENTS SHOULD RISE AND SHOUT IN ENGLSH, “YOU CAN’T TOUCH
THIS” (OR SOME CLOSE VARIATION)
B2: Now follow these commands: Iacēte, duo comitēs, et rīdēte.
TWO (ONLY TWO) TEAMMATES SHOULD LIE DOWN AND LAUGH
SEMI-FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What do we call nouns like cucumis, turris, and sitis that have an “i” in the ending
for each case?
PURE I-STEM
B1: Which two declensions are predominantly comprised of masculine nouns, but
also have a variety of neuter nouns as well?
SECOND/FOURTH
B2: Give two examples of irregular positive-degree adverbs.
BENE/PARUM/MULTUM/MAGNOPERE
2. Which of the following is not derived from the same Latin root as the others: abstain,
pertinent, temporal, tenacious?
TEMPORAL
B1: From what Latin word, with what meaning, is “temporal” derived?
TEMPUS, TIME
B2: From what Latin word, with what meaning, are the others derived?
TENEŌ, (TO) HAVE/HOLD
MYTHOLOGY
3. Name the first wife of Aeneas, who died in the flight from Troy.
CREUSA
B1: Who was Aeneas’s Carthaginian lover?
DIDO
B2: Whom did Aeneas eventually marry in Italy and name a city after?
LAVINIA
ROMAN HISTORY & LIFE
4. What man, the quaestor of Marius at the time, persuaded the Mauritanian king
Bocchus to hand over Jugurtha to the Romans in exchange for a large portion of
Jugurtha’s dominion? This same man would later negotiate the treaty of Dardanus
with Mithradates VI before marching on Rome a second time and reviving the office
of dictator.
(LUCIUS CORNELIUS) SULLA (FELIX)
B1: At what battle in 82 BC did Sulla resist a Samnite onslaught under the command
of Pontius Telesinus?
COLLINE GATE
B2: What military commander in charge of the right wing at the battle of the Colline
Gate ensured Sulla’s victory when Sulla’s own wing was almost overpowered?
(MARCUS LICINIUS) CRASSUS
5. What in Rome was an argentārius?
BANKER/MONEY-CHANGER
B1: What job did a cinerārius perform?
SERVANT WHO HEATED IN GLOWING ASHES THE IRON USED FOR
CURLING HAIR
B2: What is the Latin term for the production manager of a play, who was usually
associated with a grex, or troop of actors?
DOMINUS GREGIS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
NOVICE DIVISION
FINALS
1. In what modern day country would you find the sites of ancient Eboracum, Aquae
Sulis, and Londinium?
UNITED KINGDOM / ENGLAND
B1: In what modern day country would you find the sites of ancient Alesia,
Bibracte, and Aquae Sextiae?
FRANCE
B2: In what modern day country would you find the sites of ancient Numantia,
Segovia, and Baecula?
SPAIN
2. Translate the following sentence into English: Mercātor, quī aurum nōn amat, nōn
sapiēns est.
A MERCHANT, WHO DOES NOT LOVE GOLD, IS NOT WISE/SMART
B1: Translate the following sentence into English: Dūcere difficilius est sine
exercitū.
IT IS HARDER / RATHER HARD TO LEAD WITHOUT AN ARMY
B2: Translate the following sentence into English: Et vir et mulier quam optimē
vīvere volunt.
BOTH MAN AND WOMAN (or WIFE) WANT TO LIVE AS WELL AS POSSIBLE
3. To accomplish which task did Heracles first have to use his club to get rid of a twoheaded dog named Orthus and his master Eurytion?
(BRING BACK, ETC.) CATTLE OF GERYON (prompt if student says “10th labor”)
B1: What did Heracles do that so impressed Helios that he was able to borrow the
god’s cup and sail from the Straight of Gibraltar to Erytheia, Geryon’s kingdom?
HE DREW HIS BOW AT HELIOS/THE SUN
WHEN HE WAS SICK OF THE HEAT
B2: What fire-breathing monster in Italy temporarily stole some of the cattle when
Heracles was driving them back across the European continent?
CACUS
4. Complete the following analogy: portō : portābās :: eō : ______?
ĪBĀS
B1: Complete the following analogy: amō : amāvit :: tollō : _____?
SUSTULIT
B2: Change the verb “faciō” to the first person singular, future perfect, passive,
indicative.
FACTUS/A ERŌ
5. At what battle did Vespasian’s Danubian legions defeat the more numerous forces
of Vitellius in a decisive victory that convinced the governors of the western
provinces to openly side with Vespasian?
(SECOND) BATTLE OF BEDRIACUM/CREMONA
B1: Who was the commander of Vespasian’s forces at this battle?
(MARCUS) ANTONIUS PRIMUS
B2: What general and kinsman of Vespasian was crucial in ensuring the surrender of
the Batavian chieftain Julius Civilis in 70 AD?
(QUINTUS PETILLIUS) CERIALIS
6. Which case in Latin is used with verbs like appellāre to rename a noun with a
predicate?
ACCUSATIVE
B1: Which case in Latin is used for place where constructions for cities, towns, small
islands, and a few other assorted nouns?
LOCATIVE
B2: Which case is lacking from Latin reflexive pronouns?
NOMINATIVE
7. Differentiate in meaning among the verbs cadō, caedō, and cēdō.
TO FALL, TO CUT/KILL, TO YIELD/WITHDRAW (RESPECTIVELY)
B1: Which of the following does not belong because of meaning: supercilium, ōs,
manus, ostium.
OSTIUM
B2: Of the words arbor, urbs, ager, and domus, which is being described by this
Latin sentence? Est locus in quō multī hominēs aedificiaque sunt.
URBS
8. Who helped Pelops win the hand of Hippodamia by sabotaging her father’s chariot,
replacing the lynchpins with wax?
MYRTILUS
B1: Who was Myrtilus’ deceived master?
OENOMAUS
B2: How had Pelops convinced Myrtilus to help him?
HE PROMISED MYRTILUS THE FIRST NIGHT WITH HIS BRIDE/HIPPODAMIA
9. You’re probably familiar with the term “ambidextrous,” but what, etymologically
speaking, would someone be saying of you if they called you “ambisinistrous”?
YOU HAVE TWO LEFT HANDS
B1: In the United States, why is Congress, the Legislative Branch, called “bicameral”?
THERE ARE TWO “ROOMS”/BRANCHES
B2: Etymologically speaking, if someone calls something “trivial,” what are they saying
about it?
IT HAS THREE ROADS
10. What future emperor and founder of a dynasty was born to a Phoenician family of
equestrian rank in the Roman province of Africa?
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
B1: The elder of his sons, Lucius Septimius Bassianus, was given the nickname
“Caracalla” as a result of what quirky childhood habit?
ALWAYS WEARING A HOODED CLOAK (EVEN WHILE HE SLEPT)
B2: Name the prefect of Septimius Severus’s Praetorian Guard who allegedly
ordered the emperor’s assassination.
MACRINUS
11. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer IN
LATIN the question that follows.
In urbe magnā erat puella, nōmine Aurelia, quae ludōs spectāre voluit. Dum
cum equō suō ad amphitheatrum ibat, puer stultus, nōmine Brutus, Aureliae
vocāvit, et dīxit, “Heus, pulchra! Cur nōn hīc mēcum manēs et mē amās?”
Brutus, autem, Aureliae nōn placuit, et sīc ā puellā necatus est. (repeat)
Question: Quid Aurelia facere voluit?
LUDŌS SPECTĀRE (VOLUIT)
B1: Quid dē Brutō Aurelia putāvit?
IS/BRUTUS AURELIAE/EAE NŌN PLACUIT
B2: Quid Aurelia dēmum fecit?
BRUTUM NECĀVIT/INTERFĒCIT/CAESIT
12. Give the Latin and English motto for Dartmouth.
VOX CLAMANTIS IN DĒSERTŌ
- THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS
B1: The Latin motto of Princeton University is “Deī sub numine viget.” Give the
English for this motto.
HE/SHE/IT FLOURISHES UNDER THE PROTECTION OF GOD
B2: Columbia’s motto is “In lūmine tuō vidēbimus lūmen.” Give the English for
this motto.
IN THY/YOUR LIGHT WE SHALL/WILL SEE LIGHT
13. Who, while washing clothes with her maidens near the shore, is the first person
Odysseus speaks to after he has washed ashore on the island of Scheria?
NAUSICAÄ
B1 & B2: For five points each, name her father and mother, the rulers of the
Phaeacian people.
ALCINOUS & ARETE
14. Some emperors left behind relics of their rule that can still be seen in Rome today.
Which emperor built sprawling living quarters which covered parts of the slopes of
the Palatine, Esquiline, and Caelian hills?
NERO
B1: Whose column, standing near the Quirinal Hill, north of the forum, depicts
Roman victories in the Dacian wars?
TRAJAN’S
B2: Whose arch, located on the Via Sacra at the edge of the Forum, depicts the spoils
of Jerusalem taken from the Great Temple?
TITUS’
15. What use of the dative can be found in the following sentence: Mārcus inimīcus
mihi semper mē ridet?
SPECIAL ADJECTIVES
B1: Translate the sentence from the tossup.
MARCUS, UNFRIENDLY TO ME, ALWAYS LAUGHS AT ME
B2: What two uses of the ablative can be found in this sentence: Tītus maior multō
mē est.
DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE and COMPARISON
16. Identify the mythological group whose members consisted of Thalia, Euphrosyne,
and Aglaia.
GRACES
B1: Now do the same for Enyo, Deion, and Pemphredo.
GRAEAE/GREY SISTERS
B2: Give the Greek names for the north, south, east, and west winds.
BOREAS (NORTH), NOTUS (SOUTH), EURUS (EAST), ZEPHYRUS (WEST)
17. Quid Anglicē significat “pōculum”?
CUP / GOBLET / BOWL
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “cēra”?
WAX
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “cunīculus”?
RABBIT
18. Who am I? Ruling as emperor from 361 to 363 AD, I was the final member of the
Constantinian dynasty and attempted to restore paganism as the state religion.
JULIAN (THE APOSTATE)
B1: Who succeeded Julian as emperor and reestablished Christianity as the state
religion?
JOVIAN
B2: Although Julian’s expedition against the Persian king Shapur II in 363 AD
initially met with success, he died from a fatal wound after failing to capture what
Persian capital?
CTESIPHON
19. What female warrior in the Aeneid fights on the side of Rutulians under Turnus’
leadership and is a Vergilian rendition of an Amazon?
CAMILLA
B1: Which deity sent a nymph to avenge Camilla’s death in Book X of the Aeneid?
DIANA
B2: Of what Italic tribe was Camilla the leader?
VOLSCI / (SHE WAS) VOLSCIAN
20. When recognized, perform the following commands: Salī in sitū et dīc nōmen
tuum.
STUDENT SHOULD JUMP IN PLACE AND SAY HIS/HER NAME
B1: Now perform these commands: Tenēte, omnēs sociī, manūs et cantāte carmen
nōmine Latinē “Relinque Id.”
ALL TEAMMATES SHOULD GRAB HANDS AND SING “LET IT GO”
B2: Now perform this command: Dīc mihi Anglicē “Discipulus Universitātis
Harvardī esse volō.”
CAPTAIN MUST TELL MODERATOR IN ENGLISH THAT HE/SHE WANTS TO
BE A HARVARD STUDENT (OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT)
FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. Give the second person singular, perfect, active, indicative of the verb soleō.
SOLITUS/A ES
B1: Keeping all else the same, change this form to the passive voice.
YOU CANNOT
B2: What kind of verb is soleō, whose perfect stem is translated as active but has
passive forms?
SEMI-DEPONENT
2. From what Latin word, with what meaning, do the words “courier,” “concur,”
“cursive,” and “current” all derive?
CURRŌ/CURRERE, (TO) RUN
B1: From what Latin word, with what meaning, do the words “lotion,” “dilute,” and
“launder” all derive?
LAVŌ/LAVĀRE, (TO) WASH
B2: From what Latin word, with what meaning, do the words “possess,”
“president,” and “reside” all derive?
SEDEŌ/SEDĒRE, (TO) SIT
MYTHOLOGY
3. Name the two Gorgons Perseus did not and could not kill.
STHENO, EURYALE
B1: To what mythological group do various authors attribute the names Occypite,
Aello, Podarge, and Celaeno?
HARPIES
B2: To what mythological group are attributed the names Alectra, Tisiphone, and
Megaera?
FURIES / EUMENIDES
ROMAN HISTORY & LIFE
4. The freedmen Callistus, Pallas, and Narcissus exercised great influence as the
secretaries of which emperor, the author of twenty books on Etruscan history and
eight on Carthaginian history?
CLAUDIUS
B1: Claudius had his third wife executed after discovering that she and her lover
Gaius Silius had been plotting to overthrow him. Name this woman, the mother of
Octavia and Britannicus.
(VALERIA) MESSALINA
B2: Who was Claudius’ fourth wife, the woman who allegedly killed him by serving
him poisoned mushrooms after Claudius began to favor Britannicus for the throne
rather than her own son Nero?
(JULIA) AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER
5. In the Roman baths, what was the lacōnicum?
SWEAT BATH/SWEAT ROOM/SAUNA
B1: What was the purpose of the unctōrium?
APPLYING (AND REMOVING) OIL
B2: What was the name for the slave who brought bathers oil, scrapers, and towels?
CAPSĀRIUS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
ROUND ONE
1. Which of the following Latin verbs, if any, does not belong because of meaning:
torreō, ardeō, incendō, diligō, urō?
DILIGŌ
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “diligō”?
(I/to) LOVE, CHERISH, ESTEEM, HONOR
B2: The remaining verbs all relate to fire. Give two Latin nouns meaning fire.
FLAMMA, IGNIS, INCENDIUM, ARDOR (accept FOCUS, etc.)
2. What king of Rome completed the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and the
Cloaca Maxima?
TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS
B1: What famous collection of oracles did Superbus purchase?
THE SIBYLLINE BOOKS
B2: How many Sibylline Books did he purchase?
THREE
3. What woman was bought for twenty oxen at a young age by the Ithacan King
Laertes and later served as nurse to his son Odysseus?
EURYCLEIA
B1: Laertes never lay with Eurycleia out of fear of angering what woman, his wife?
ANTICLEIA
B2: In Homer’s Odyssey, Eurycleia is one of the first people to recognize the
disguised Odysseus when he returns to Ithaca. What distinguishing feature of
Odysseus does Eurycleia notice?
SCAR ON HIS THIGH / FOOT (FROM A BOAR)
4. In the sentence, “Caesar in Galliā septem annōs pugnavit,” what is the case and use
of annōs?
ACCUSATIVE OF DURATION OF TIME
B1: If you were to use an accusative of extent of space to say, “Caesar forced his men
to march for seven miles,” how would you say in Latin, “for seven miles”?
SEPTEM MILIA PASSUUM
B2: If you were to say, “Caesar had subjugated the Gauls within seven years,” what
case-and-use construction would you use to say “within seven years.”
ABLATIVE OF TIME WITHIN WHICH
5. At what location, north of Rome, did Hannibal defeat Gaius Flaminius and the
Romans in 217 BC?
LAKE TRASIMENE
B1: Where did Hannibal once again famously defeat the Romans in 216 BC?
CANNAE
B2: What battle in 207 BC, in which the Romans defeated and killed Hannibal’s
brother Hasdrubal, helped turn the tide of the Second Punic War in Rome’s favor?
METAURUS RIVER
6. Using the Latin verb dēserō, translate the verb in the dependent clause of the
following sentence: “The merchant wonders why the slaves are leaving.”
DESERANT
B1: Translate the whole sentence into Latin, using a deponent verb in the main
clause.
MERCATOR MIRATUR CUR SERVĪ DESERANT
B2: What use of the Subjunctive can be found in that sentence?
INDIRECT QUESTION
7. According to Sophocles, what young woman attempted to secure a respectable
burial for her brother Polyneices?
ANTIGONE
B1: What ruler of Thebes had ordered that Polyneices’s body remain rotting on the
battlefield as punishment for treason?
CREON
B2: What son of Creon was betrothed to Antigone and followed her in suicide?
HAEMON
8. Which of the following nouns would not use the locative in a place-where
construction: domus, Roma, Athenae, Africa, Lutetia?
AFRICA
B1: Say in Latin, “to Carthage.”
CARTHAGINEM
B2: Say in Latin, “from the countryside.”
RURE
9. In ancient Rome, what was a pistor?
BAKER
B1: What was a praedo?
PIRATE / ROBBER / THIEF
B2: What was a histrio?
ACTOR
10. Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho are all members of what mythological group?
FATES / MOIRAI / PARCAE
B1: Echion, Udaeus, Chthonius, Hyperenor, and Pelorus are all members of what
mythological group?
SPARTOI / SOWN MEN
B2: Dike, Eunomia, and Eirene are all members of what mythological group
according to Hesiod?
HORAI / HOURS / SEASONS
11. What emperor of the 1st century AD died under mysterious circumstances, possibly
involving poisoned mushrooms?
CLAUDIUS
B1: Which of Claudius’ wives was suspected of having killed him?
AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER
B2: What son of Claudius and Messalina did Nero have killed when his mother
Agrippina the Younger threatened to support him as the rightful heir to the Empire?
BRITANNICUS
12. Which of the following words, if any, are not derived from the same Latin root as
the others: prosecute, intersect, second, consequence, execute?
INTERSECT
B1: What Latin deponent verb, with what meaning, is at the root of prosecute and
second?
SEQUOR – (to) FOLLOW
B2: What English noun, derived from sequor, is a claim or dispute filed in court?
SUIT/LAWSUIT
13. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer in
English the questions that follow:
Ōlim Romana villa erat, in quā duo puerī, Quintus et Marcus, et canis
Cerberus habitabat. Quintus, senior puer, Marcō imperabat ut Cerberō cibum
emeret. Dum Marcus aberat, Quintus villae murōs pingebat.
Question: Who is the younger brother?
MARCUS
B1: What did Quintus tell Marcus to do?
BUY FOOD FOR CERBERUS/THE DOG
B2: What did Quintus do while Marcus was gone?
PAINTED THE WALLS OF THE (FARM)HOUSE
14. What son of Aeolus tied cauldrons to the back of his chariot and threw torches into
the air to replicate thunder and lightning?
SALMONEUS
B1: What daughter of Salmoneus had two sons by Poseidon and exposed them on a
mountain to die?
TYRO
B2: Poseidon seduced Tyro in the form of what river god?
ENIPEUS
15. You are looking through your medicine cabinet, and you see the abbreviation b.i.d.
What does this mean you should do?
TAKE THIS MEDICINE TWICE A DAY
B1: Another bottle says p.r.n. How often should you take this medicine?
AS THE NEED ARISES/WHENEVER NECESSARY
B2: What is the difference in meaning between the abbreviations a.c. and p.c.?
A.C. – BEFORE FOOD/DINNER, P.C. – AFTER FOOD/DINNER
16. Where did a Roman fleet under the consuls Regulus and Vulso defeat a
Carthaginian fleet in 256 B.C?
CAPE ECNOMUS
B1: In the aftermath of the battle, Regulus and Vulso squandered their advantage
over the Carthaginians by refusing to march on the city. What Spartan mercenary
did the Carthaginians hire to reform their army in the interim?
XANTHIPPUS
B2: Where did the Carthaginians under Xanthippus defeat the Romans shortly
afterwards?
BAGRADAS VALLEY
17. Translate the following sentence into English: Nolīte credere virō ridentī!
DON’T TRUST/BELIEVE THE LAUGHING/SMILING MAN!
B1: … Rīdens vir mē rogāvit cur tam serius essem.
THE SMILING/LAUGHING MAN ASKED ME
WHY I WAS SO SERIOUS / MORE SERIOUS
B2: … Rīdens vir mihi vincendus erat.
I HAD TO CONQUER / DEFEAT THE LAUGHING / SMILING MAN
(literally, “the laughing man had to be defeated by me”)
18. For the verb ascendō, give the third person plural, imperfect active subjunctive.
ASCENDERENT
B1: Change ascenderent to the perfect tense.
ASCENDERINT
B2: Change ascenderint to the present passive.
ASCENDANTUR
19. Who am I? My father promised that I was going to marry Achilles in order to
convince my mother, Clytemnestra, to send me to Aulis. When I arrived, it became
clear that I had been deceived and I was set up as a sacrificial offering to Artemis.
IPHIGENEIA
B1: According to several accounts, Iphigeneia was actually not sacrificed but rather,
Artemis, taking pity on the maiden, replaced her with what animal just in time to
save her life?
DEER
B2: Iphigeneia was taken to the land of the Taurians where she was eventually
reunited with her brother. Name him.
ORESTES
20. What Latin word, with what meaning, is at the ultimate root of “muscular”?
MŪS – MOUSE
B1: … is at the ultimate root of “molecule”?
MŌLĒS – HEAP, PILE, MASS
B2: What Latin adjective, with what meaning, is at the root of “marvel”?
MĪRUS – WONDERFUL, STRANGE, EXOTIC
ROUND ONE EXTRA QUESTIONS
MYTHOLOGY:
1. The Quest for the Golden Fleece and the Calydonian Boar Hunt were among the
adventures of what twin brothers, sons of Leda, collectively known as the Dioscuri?
CASTOR & POLLUX / POLYDEUCES
B1: While on the Quest for the Golden Fleece, which of the two was known for his
skills in boxing?
POLLUX / POLYDEUCES
B2: Though Castor and Pollux shared the same mother, their fathers were different.
Who was the father of each of the twins?
CASTOR – TYNDAREUS; POLLUX – ZEUS
LANGUAGE:
1. Translate the following sentence into English: Marcus putat sē audacissimum esse.
MARCUS THINKS (that) HE IS VERY BRAVE (bold, daring, etc.) / THE BRAVEST
B1: … Julius dixit sē audaciorem Marcō esse.
JULIUS SAID (that) HE WAS BRAVER/BOLDER THAN MARCUS
B2: … Brutus scīvit neutrum puerum audacem esse.
BRUTUS KNEW (that) NEITHER BOY WAS BRAVE/BOLD
2. Differentiate in meaning between fleō and fluō.
FLEO – (I/to) WEEP, CRY; FLUO – (I/to) FLOW
B1: … between frēnum and furtum.
FRENUM – BIT, BRIDLE; FURTUM – THEFT, DECEIT
B2: … between the genitive singular forms funis and funeris.
FUNIS – OF A ROPE / CORD / LINE; FUNERIS – OF A FUNERAL / DEATH
HISTORY/ROMAN LIFE:
1. Where was the last battle between Caesar and Pompey in 48 BC?
PHARSALUS
B1: Where did Caesar defeat the sons of Pompey and his former lieutenant Labienus
in 45 BC?
MUNDA
B2: Which of the sons of Pompey survived until 36 BC, engaging in piracy until he
was killed at the Battle of Naulochus?
SEXTUS POMPEY
2. Which king of Rome was the son of Demaratus of Corinth and the first Etruscan to
rule over Rome?
TARQUINIUS PRISCUS
B1: What wife of Priscus had predicted he would become king?
TANAQUIL
B2: By what other name was Priscus known?
LUCOMO
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
ROUND TWO
1. What law of 445 BC allowed intermarriage between patricians and plebeians?
LEX CANULEIA
B1: What law of 367 BC opened the consulship to plebeians?
LEX LICINIA SEXTIA / LICINIAN-SEXTIAN ROGATIONS
B2: What famous law of 287 BC resolved the 5th and final Secession of Plebeians?
LEX HORTENSIA
2. Translate the following sentence into English: Quintus ad forum īvit ut togam
emeret.
QUINTUS WENT/HAS GONE TO THE FORUM TO BUY A TOGA
B1: … Quintus mercatorem rogavit sī toga sibi esset.
QUINTUS ASKED THE MERCHANT IF HE HAD A TOGA
(literally, “if there was a toga to him”)
B2: … Mercator Quintō togam vendidit septem sestertibus.
THE MERCHANT SOLD THE TOGA TO QUINTUS FOR SEVEN SESTERCES
3. What Hesiodic culture-hero, because of his solitary and tragic efforts to improve
human existence by bringing fire to mankind, served as inspiration for Mary
Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein?
PROMETHEUS
B1: How was Prometheus punished for bearing fire from Olympus to mankind?
HE WAS CHAINED TO A MOUNTAINSIDE (THE CAUCASUS)
AND A BIRD (EAGLE) ATE HIS LIVER EACH DAY
B2: What Greek hero rescued Prometheus from his imprisonment?
HERACLES
4. Translate the relative clause of the following sentence into Latin: The girl, who had
just arrived, was very beautiful.
QUAE MODŌ / NUPER ADVENERAT
B1: Now translate the whole sentence into Latin.
PUELLA, QUAE MODŌ/NUPER ADVENERAT, PULCHERRIMA ERAT
B2: Now translate the relative clause of this sentence into Latin: The girl, who had
lived in Athens, did not seek love.
QUAE ATHENĪS HABITAVERAT
5. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer in
Latin the question that follows:
Iulius Caesar perītus pugnandī erat. In unō proeliō, hostēs Pharnacis celeriter
Romanīs oppugnaverunt. Sed militēs Romanī sē defendere poterant, et,
Pharnacē victō, Caesar clamavit “Vēnī, vīdī, vīcī!”
Question: Qualis Caesar erat?
PERITUS (PUGNANDĪ)
B1: Quō modō hostēs oppugnaverunt?
CELERITER
B2: Responde Anglicē: Quod proelium in quaestionē describabat?
(the battle of) ZELA
6. What Argive princess, the daughter of Inachus, was told by Zeus in a dream to
travel to the meadows of Lerna? As a result of this affair with Zeus, she was
ultimately tormented by Hera and turned into a cow.
IO
B1: After wandering the world in fear, where did Io eventually settle down?
EGYPT / CANOBUS / MEMPHIS
B2: Name her son, who was born along the Nile River.
EPAPHUS
7. What Spanish city did Scipio Aemilianus sack in 133 BC, 13 years after his defeat of
Carthage?
NUMANTIA
B1: What Numidian future enemy of Rome fought for Scipio at Numantia?
JUGURTHA
B2: What famous Roman general who would become consul for the first time in 107
BC, also fought for Scipio at Numantia?
MARIUS
8. What 20th century novel might the Romans have called “Sol Quoque Oritur”?
THE SUN ALSO RISES
B1: What other Hemingway classic might a Roman have called “Senex et Aequor”?
THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA
B1: What novel, which predates Hemingway, might a Latin speaker have termed
“Ars Bellī”?
THE ART OF WAR
9. Substance use and abuse played an important part in Homer’s Odyssey. What plant
caused two of Odysseus’s men to forget the purpose of their homeward journey?
LOTUS
B1: What drug protected Odysseus against Circe’s magic?
MOLY
B2: What priest of Apollo gave Odysseus the sweet wine he used to intoxicate
Polyphemus?
MARON
10. Translate the following sentence into Latin: The bird was so fast that I was not able
to see it.
AVIS/ALĒS/VOLUCRIS TAM CELER/VELOX
ERAT UT EAM VĪDERE NON POSSEM
B1: Using the verb laedō, translate the following sentence into Latin: The bird flew
so quickly that it hurt my ears.
AVIS/ALĒS/VOLUCRIS TAM CELERITER/VELOCITER
VOLAVIT/VOLABAT UT MEĀS AURĒS LAEDERET
B2: Now translate the same sentence with the verb noceō.
AVIS/ALĒS TAM CELERITER/VELOCITER
VOLAVIT/VOLABAT UT MEĪS AURIBUS NOCERET
11. From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive the English noun oval?
OVUM – EGG
B1: From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive the English noun
manure?
OPUS – WORK/LABOR or MANUS – HAND/BAND
B2: From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive the English noun
usher?
ŌS – MOUTH
12. What emperor ruled during the 1000th year anniversary of Rome's founding?
PHILIP THE ARAB
B1: What office did Philip hold for the previous emperor before assassinating him?
PRAETORIAN PREFECT
B2: What Roman emperor rebelled against and ultimately overthrew Philip the
Arab in 249 A.D?
DECIUS
13. At what battle of 82 B.C did Marcus Licinius Crassus save the day by launching a
decisive flank attack, thus securing the victory for Sulla?
BATTLE OF COLLINE GATE
B1: What Italic tribe fought alongside the Marian forces against Sulla at the Colline
Gate?
THE SAMNITES
B2: Sulla's victory at the Colline Gate effectively ended the Roman civil war, but it
came at the cost of another twenty years of war against the Pontic King Mithridates
VI. What treaty had Sulla signed with Mithridates VI in 85 B.C so that he could focus
on fighting the civil war?
THE TREATY OF DARDANUS
14. What king only had one heir left after his nieces killed the other 49 sons?
AEGYPTUS
B1: Who was this remaining son who escaped death?
LYNCEUS
B2: Why did his new wife, Hypermnestra, refuse to kill him?
HE HAD HONORED HER WISH TO REMAIN A VIRGIN
15. Give the accusative plural form of the Latin phrase aliud sedīle.
ALIA SEDĪLIA
B1: Change alia sedīlia to the genitive singular.
ALIUS SEDĪLIS
B2: Change alius sedīlis to the ablative plural.
ALIĪS SEDĪLIBUS
16. Everyone knows that Harvard’s motto is Veritas. What school has as its motto
Veritas vōs liberabit?
JOHNS HOPKINS
B1: What other school, always looking to one-up Harvard, has as its motto Lux et
Veritas?
YALE
B2: Berklee College of Music shares its motto with the state of North Carolina, Esse
quam viderī. Translate this motto.
TO BE RATHER THAN TO SEEM
17. What modern city would the Romans have called Arausio?
ORANGE
B1: … Lugdunum?
LYONS
B2: … Carthago Nova?
CARTAGENA
18. Differentiate in meaning between imber and iter.
IMBER – RAIN/RAINSTORM; ITER – JOURNEY, ROAD, ROUTE, TREK
B1: … between lītus and līmen.
LĪTUS – SHORE, SHORELINE; LĪMEN – THRESHOLD, ENTRANCE
B2: … between harundo and harēna.
HARUNDO – REED,ARROW,CANE; HARĒNA – SAND, BEACH
19. What son of Priam married Andromache and founded the city of Buthrotum?
HELENUS
B1: What daughter of Priam was sacrificed on the grave of Achilles?
POLYXENA
B2: What daughter of Priam was considered the most beautiful?
LAODICE
20. What two uses of the dative case are illustrated by the sentence, “Imperator multās
copiās detrimentō hostibus misit.”
DATIVE OF PURPOSE, DATIVE OF REFERENCE
B1: What use of the dative case is illustrated in the sentence, “Canibus sunt crura
quattuor.”
DATIVE OF POSSESSION
B2: What use of the dative case is illustrated by the sentence, “Hunc mihi terrorem
eripē!”
DATIVE OF SEPARATION
ROUND TWO EXTRA QUESTIONS
MYTHOLOGY:
1. A golden crown, an infallible hound, and a javelin that never missed its mark were
all gifts bestowed upon what Athenian princess by various suitors?
PROCRIS
B1: Laelaps, of course, was this infallible hound. What Cretan king gave Laelaps as a
gift to Procris?
MINOS
B2: From whom had Minos received Laelaps?
EUROPA (prompt on “mother”)
LANGUAGE:
1. Quid Anglicē significat “reor”?
(I/to) THINK, RECKON, REGARD, SUPPOSE
B1: … “mīror”?
(I/to) WONDER (AT), BE SURPRISED, ADMIRE, REVERE
B2: … “conor”?
(I/to) TRY, ATTEMPT, ENDEAVOR, MAKE AN EFFORT
2. Give the comparative and superlative forms of the Latin adjective malus.
PEIOR; PESSIMUS
B1: … of the Latin adjective acer.
ACRIOR; ACERRIMUS
B2: … of the Latin preposition in.
INTERIOR; INTIMUS
HISTORY/ROMAN LIFE:
1. What emperor defeated his rival Maxentius in battle at the Milvian Bridge in 312
AD?
CONSTANTINE (I or the GREAT)
B1: On the site of what city did Constantine establish the new capital of the Roman
Empire under the name Constantinople in 330 AD?
BYZANTIUM
B2: At what northern Italian city had Constantine issued an edict recognizing
Christianity in 313 AD?
MILAN
2. At a Roman comissatiō, what was the term for the toast master?
REX BIBENDĪ
B1: How did they choose who would be the rex bibendī?
THROWING DICE
B2: What did the Romans call the box in which the dice were thrown?
FRITILLUS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
ROUND THREE
1. What daughter of Nereus and devotee of Artemis was chased by the river-god
Alpheus all the way to Sicily?
ARETHUSA
B1: What daughter of Nereus rejected the advances of the cyclops Polyphemus?
GALATEA
B2: What Nereid became the wife of Poseidon?
AMPHITRITE
2. What state has the Latin motto Audemus iura nostra defendere?
ALABAMA
MISSISSIPPI
B1: … Virtute et armis?
B2: Translate the motto of New Mexico, Crescit eundo.
IT GROWS AS IT GOES
3. The entirety of a Roman chariot race consisted of how many laps?
SEVEN
B1: What was the Latin term for one lap?
CURRICULUM / SPATIUM
B2: What was the Latin term for all seven laps of the race?
MISSUS
4. Complete the following analogy: amō : amāns :: sequor : _______.
SEQUĒNS
B1+B2: As the tossup showed, deponent verbs do retain some regular active forms,
one being the present participle. The two other active forms that are also retained
are the future active participle and infinitive. For five points each, give these forms
for sequor.
FUTURE ACTIVE PARTICIPLE – SECUTURUS/-A/-UM
FUTURE ACTIVE INFINITIVE – SECUTURUS/-A/-UM ESSE
5. Using the verb sinō, translate the following sentence into Latin: Let us allow Quintus
to drink the wine.
QUINTUM VĪNUM BIBERE SINĀMUS
B1: Now, translate the same sentence using the verb patior.
QUINTUM VĪNUM BIBERE PATIĀMUR
B2: Now, using an impersonal verb, translate into Latin: Let it be permitted for
Quintus to drink the wine.
QUINTŌ VĪNUM BIBERE LICEĀT
6. What musician was flayed alive for losing a contest to Apollo?
MARSYAS
B1: What mythological group served as judges for this contest?
THE MUSES
B2: Apollo also competed in a music contest against Pan. How did Apollo punish
the Phrygian king Midas for judging Pan to be the winner?
APOLLO GAVE MIDAS DONKEY EARS
7. Define the Caesarian idiom referre pedem.
TO RETREAT
B1: … certior fieri.
TO BE INFORMED
B2: … inter sē dare.
TO EXCHANGE
8. What derivative of the Latin noun caput is an economic system based around
private ownership and individual advancement?
CAPITALISM
B1: What other derivative of caput is a vegetable with green or purple leaves?
CABBAGE
B2: The English word kerchief is derived from caput and what other Latin word?
OPERIO (or CUM)
9. What second-century AD Roman emperor called himself Hercules Romanus and
fought in gladiatorial games?
COMMODUS
B1: How was Commodus killed?
STRANGLED (IN A BATHTUB)
B2: What did Commodus rename Rome?
COLONIA COMMODIANA
10. What titan fathered the husband of Pandora, the father of the Hesperides, and the
creator of man?
IAPETUS
B1: Who was the father of the Hesperides?
ATLAS
B2: Cronus was tricked by Rhea into thinking that a stone wrapped in swaddling
was his son. What was the name of this stone?
OMPHALOS
11. What recent movie might a Latin speaker refer to as “Lupus Viae Muralis”?
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
B1: What 2013 movie might the Romans have called Inardescens?
CATCHING FIRE
B2: Switching from the screen to the stage, what play might the Romans have called
“Mors Cauponis”?
DEATH OF A SALESMAN
12. What tribune of 58 BC became a sworn enemy of Cicero after his involvement in the
Bona Dea scandal?
CLODIUS (PULCHER)
B1: What man led the mob that killed Clodius in 52 BC?
(T. ANNIUS) MILO
B2: What leader of the optimates and descendant of a famous early Roman orator
did Clodius have removed from the Roman political scene by making him governor
of Cyprus?
CATO THE YOUNGER
13. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer in
English the question that follows:
Ōlim puer ligneolus erat, nominē Pinnochiō. Pinnochiō ratus est sē verum
puerum esse, sed sua bracchia et crura lineīs fixa sunt. Quandocumque
Pinnochiō mentitus est, suus nasus crevit.
Question: What did Pinnochio think?
THAT HE WAS A REAL/TRUE BOY
B1: What was special about Pinnochio’s limbs?
HIS ARMS AND LEGS WERE ATTACHED TO STRINGS
B2: When did Pinnochio’s nose grow?
WHENEVER HE LIED
14. Sometimes called the “Hounds of Zeus,” what mythological group, offspring of
Thaumus and Electra, usually functions as the avengers and punishes of mortal
crimes?
HARPIES
B1: According to Vergil, who was the Queen of the Harpies when Aeneas
encountered them on the Strophades Islands?
CELAENO
B2: Who, the mother of Xanthus and Balius, is the only Harpy mentioned by name
by Homer?
PODARGE
15. Where were two battles fought on the same spot in 69 A.D., both of which resulted
in the overthrow of an emperor?
BEDRIACUM or CREMONA
B1: Which of the four emperors of 69 A.D. had been governor of Lusitania before he
became emperor?
OTHO
B2: Which of the four emperors of 69 A.D. was known for his gluttony and his
mismanagement of the imperial treasury?
VITELLIUS
16. Translate the following sentence into English: Sermonē datō, Cicerō in suā sellā
sēdit.
WITH THE SPEECH HAVING BEEN GIVEN, CICERO SAT IN HIS CHAIR
B1: … Caesarē ducē, militēs quam celerrimē Gallōs vicerunt.
WITH CAESAR AS LEADER, THE SOLDIERS
CONQUERED THE GAULS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE
B2: … Verbīs disciturīs, hae quaestionēs sunt facilēs rectē responsū.
WITH THE WORDS HAVING BEEN LEARNED, THESE
QUESTIONS ARE EASY TO ANSWER CORRECTLY
17. According to Roman tradition, what Roman general of the fifth century B.C was
exiled for manipulating the grain supply and then later led a Volscian army against
Rome?
(GAIUS MARCUS) CORIOLANUS
B1: Although it is generally accepted that the practice of awarding a victorious
general a cognomen did not emerge until the third century BC, Roman tradition
states that Gaius Marcus earned his cognomen through conquest. What Italian city
did Gaius Marcus conquer to earn his cognomen?
CORIOLI
B2: In what year did Coriolanus lead a Volscian army against Rome?
491 B.C
18. In the sentence, “Amor pecuniae est radix omnium malorum,” what is the case and
use of pecuniae?
OBJECTIVE GENITIVE
B1: What use of the genitive is illustrated by Sallust's description of Catiline, “satis
eloquentiae, sapientiae parum”?
PARTITIVE GENITIVE
B2: What use of the genitive is illustrated by the sentence, “Omnēs putant
Hannibalem ducem magnī ingeniī fuisse”?
GENITIVE OF DESCRIPTION
19. What god revealed to Demeter the whereabouts of her daughter Persephone after he
himself witnessed her abduction by Hades?
HELIOS
B1: Name the parents of Helios.
HYPERION & THEIA / EURYPHAESSA
B2: What did the Greeks believe Helios did during the night?
RODE ALONG THE RIVER OCEAN (BACK TO THE EAST IN A GOLDEN CUP)
20. Quid Anglicē significat “oportet”?
IT IS FITTING/PROPER, IT BECOMES, IT OUGHT, etc.
B1: Oportet is an example of a Latin impersonal verb. What other impersonal verb
means “it rains”?
PLUIT
B2: What other impersonal verb means “it hails”?
GRANDINAT
ROUND THREE EXTRA QUESTIONS
MYTHOLOGY:
1. What Corinthian hero defeated the Solymi tribe, the Amazons, and most famously
the Chimera?
BELLEROPHON
B1: What Lycian king sent Bellerophon on a mission to kill the Chimera?
IOBATES
B2: Bellerophon was aided on his quest by Pegasus, a winged horse that sprung
from the severed neck of Medusa. What lesser known monster was also born of
Medusa’s neck?
CHRYSAOR
LANGUAGE:
1. Which of the following words, if any, is not derived from the same Latin root as the
others: infant, facet, fate, fame, fable?
FACET
B1: What Latin verb, with what meaning, is at the root of infant and fable?
FOR – (I/to) SPEAK, SAY, TALK
B2: What other derivative of for is the introductory part of a speech or book?
PREFACE
2. Translate the dependent clause of the following sentence into English: Sonitus tam
magnus erat ut nemō clamantēs infantēs audire posset.
THAT NOBODY COULD/WAS ABLE TO
HEAR THE SHOUTING BABIES/INFANTS
B1: … Discipulī magistrum rogaverunt nē ob magnum sonitum eōs punirent.
TO NOT PUNISH THEM DUE TO/ON ACCOUNT OF
THE LOUD/GREAT NOISE
B2: … Fortē, aurēs matris infantium tam bonās sunt ut clamantēs infantēs periculō
eripuerit.
THAT SHE SNATCHED/STOLE/SAVED
THE SHOUTING BABIES FROM DANGER
HISTORY/ROMAN LIFE:
1. At what battle in the 5th century BC were Castor and Pollux said to have helped the
Romans defeat the Latin League?
LAKE REGILLUS
B1: Name the victorious Roman commander at this battle.
(A. POSTUMIUS) ALBINUS
B2: The Latins were led at this battle by Tarquinius Superbus and his son-in-law.
Name his son-in-law.
(OCTAVIUS) MAMILIUS
2. When Diocletian formed the Tetrarchy out of the Roman Empire, he took another
man to be his co-Augustus. Name this man.
MAXIMIAN
B1: Who was Diocletian’s Caesar in the East?
GALERIUS
B2: What city became Diocletian’s new capital?
NICOMEDIA
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
SEMI-FINALS
1. Translate the following sentence into English: Nemō putat Gallōs septem mensēs
pugnaturōs esse.
NOBODY/NO ONE THINKS THE GAULS WILL FIGHT FOR SEVEN MONTHS
B1: … Sciō cur miles gladiō utī nequeat.
I KNOW WHY THE SOLDIER IS NOT ABLE TO/CAN’T USE THE SWORD
B2: … Num mē imperabis ut humī serpam?
SURELY YOU WILL NOT ORDER/COMMAND
ME TO CRAWL ON THE GROUND?
2. What man, the father of a famous tribune, suppressed a slave rebellion in Corsica in
177 BC and served as a governor of Spain?
(TIBERIUS) SEMPRONIUS GRACCHUS
B1: What woman was the wife of Sempronius Gracchus, by whom he had his sons
Tiberius and Gaius?
CORNELIA
B2: What famous Roman general was Cornelia’s father?
SCIPIO AFRICANUS
3. Which of the following mythological figures was NOT transformed into a kind of
bird: Philomela, Cycnus, Nisus, Harmonia, Perdix, Procne?
HARMONIA (SHE WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A SNAKE)
B1: Cycnus was transformed into what kind of bird?
SWAN
B2: What kind of bird did Perdix become?
PARTRIDGE
4. What Germanic chieftain was defeated by Julius Caesar at the battle of Vesontio in
58 B.C?
ARIOVISTUS
B1: Of what tribe was Ariovistus the chieftain?
SUEBI
B2: Where had Caesar defeated the Helvetii earlier in 58 B.C?
BIBRACTE
5. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer in
Latin the question that follows:
Multī Romanī in flumine Tiberō natant. Una ex Romanīs, Tullia, discedit et in
silvam currit. Ceterī, timentēs fera animalia, Tulliae rogant ut in aqua maneat.
Tullia tamen currit;; ceterī verentur nē amissa sit.
Question: Quō Tullia currit?
IN/AD SILVAM
B1: Quid ceterī ā Tulliā petunt?
UT IN AQUĀ MANEAT
B2: Responde Anglicē: Quī duo metūs ceteribus sunt?
(fear of) WILD ANIMALS and THAT TULLIA IS LOST
6. What is the case and use of officiīs in the sentence, “Cincinnatus officiīs dictatoris
optimē functus est”?
ABLATIVE W/DEPONENT or SPECIAL VERBS (or similar answers)
B1: In the sentence, “Ciceronē consulē, Catilina interfectus est,” what is the case
and use of consule?
ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE
B2: In the sentence, “Cornelius multō celerius quam Sextus currere potest,” what
ablative usage occurs?
ABLATIVE OF DEGREE OF DIFFERENCE
7. What vengeful king traveled city to city in search of the escaped craftsman
Daedalus?
MINOS
B1: In the court of what Sicilian king had Daedalus taken refuge?
COCALUS
B2: How did Minos meet his ultimate demise in the court of Cocalus?
THE DAUGHTERS OF COCALUS BOILED HIM IN HIS BATHWATER
8. What do all of the following nouns have in common in terms of meaning: ilex, pirus,
prunus, morus, ficus, acer?
(types of) TREES
B1: What type of tree is an acer?
MAPLE TREE
B2: What kind of tree is a pirus?
PEAR TREE
9. During the reign of Augustus, there was much uncertainty as to who would be his
heir as Emperor. Who was Augustus’s first choice as heir, who died in 23 B.C.?
MARCELLUS
B1: Who was Augustus’s second choice as heir, whom he adopted as son-in-law
after Marcellus’s death, although ultimately dying at Campania in 12 B.C.?
(MARCUS VIPSANIUS) AGRIPPA
B2: After Agrippa’s death, Augustus attempted to establish two of Agrippa’s sons as
possible heirs. Name these two sons
GAIUS CAESAR and LUCIUS CAESAR
10. Translate the following sentence into Latin: Rome is easy to conquer.
ROMA FACILIS EST VICTŪ
B1: Again using the supine, say in Latin: We came to Rome to conquer.
ROMAM VICTUM VĒNIMUS
B2: Now, using a purpose clause, say in Latin: We came to Rome to not be found.
ROMAM VĒNIMUS NĒ INVENIREMUR/REPERIREMUR
11. What man followed up his tenure as governor of Upper Germany by becoming the
first Roman emperor of provincial origin?
TRAJAN
B1: In what Spanish province was Trajan born?
BAETICA
B2: What later emperor was the first of African origin?
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
12. What does the Latin abbreviation n.l. mean?
IT IS NOT PERMITTED
B1: … s.t.t.l.?
MAY THE EARTH BE LIGHT FOR YOU/REST LIGHTLY ON YOU
B2: … ss?
ONE HALF
13. What king hired the cunning sons of Erginus to build him a treasure chamber?
HYRIEUS
B1: Using a secret entrance, the brothers started stealing the king’s fortune.
Suspecting theft, Hyrieus set a snare in the chamber and caught which of the
brothers in it?
AGAMEDES
B2: What did Trophonius do before leaving the chamber?
CUT OFF AGAMEDES’S HEAD
14. Deimus, Phobus, and Harmonia are all the offspring of what celestial couple in
Greek mythology?
ARES & APHRODITE
B1: With which god did Aphrodite bear a child after an eagle snatched away one of
her sandals?
HERMES
B2: What Argonaut was the father of Aphrodite’s son Eryx, a legendary king of
Sicily?
BUTES
15. Muster, monstrosity, monument, and admonish all derive from what Latin verb?
MONĒO
B1: What English noun, also derived from monēo, means a forceful complaint or
protest about something?
REMONSTRANCE
B2: What English noun, also derived from monēo, is a place where money is
manufactured?
MINT
16. In the Roman Colosseum, with what weapons did a retiarius fight?
NET AND TRIDENT (and dagger)
B1: What was special about an essedarius?
HE FOUGHT FROM A CHARIOT
B2: What type of gladiator was developed to fight the retiarius, wearing a helmet
which covered the entire face but for two small eye-holes to protect from the trident?
SECUTOR
17. Quid Anglicē significat “ter”?
THREE TIMES/THRICE
B1: Words like ter are known as “numeral adverbs.” What is the Latin numeral
adverb associated with duo?
BIS
B2: What Latin interrogative meaning “how often” expects a numeral adverb as its
answer?
QUOTIES or QUOTIENS
18. The Latin noun form turrī could be one of two possibilities, in terms of case and
number. Name these two possibilities.
DATIVE SINGULAR or ABLATIVE SINGULAR
B1: Using the same noun as the tossup, say in Latin, “I want to buy two towers.”
VOLŌ EMERE/SUMERE DUĀS TURRĪS
B2: Now, using a different pure i-stem, say in Latin, “He gave me a cough”.
MIHI TUSSIM DEDIT
19. Complete the following mythological analogy: Cadmus : Thebes :: Ilus : ______.
TROY
B1: ... Arachne : Athena :: Lycaon : _______.
ZEUS
B2: ... Bellerophon : Iobates :: Jason : _______.
AEETES
20. Translate the protasis of the following sentence into Latin: If I should cry, Tullia
would help me.
SĪ LACRIMEM
B1: Now, translate the apodosis of this sentence: If Caesar were here, he would be
very afraid.
TIMIDISSIMUS ESSET
B2: Finally, translate the entire sentence into Latin: If a tree should fall in the forest, it
would make a sound.
SI ARBOR IN SILVĀ CADAT, SONITUM FACIĀT
SEMI-FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
MYTHOLOGY:
1. Bellerophon once visited Troezen to ask King Pittheus for the hand of his daughter
in marriage. Name this woman who went on to become the mother of Theseus.
AETHRA
B1: What mortal king eventually won over the hand of Aethra?
AEGEUS
B2: On what island is Aethra said to have slept with Aegeus and Poseidon on the
same night?
SPHAERIA
LANGUAGE:
1. Differentiate in meaning between the verb forms lusī and laesī.
LUSĪ – I PLAYED/HAVE PLAYED; LAESĪ – I HURT (past tense)/HAVE HURT
B1+B2: For five points each, give both possible meanings for the verb form crēvī.
1) I INCREASED/GREW/HAVE INCREASED/HAVE GROWN
2) I DECREED/DISCERNED/SAW/DECIDED
/SEPARATED/RESOLVED/HAVE …
2. What independent use of the subjunctive can be found in the following sentence:
Quid hōc hominē faciās?
DELIBERATIVE
B1: …: Utinam Clodius viveret!
OPTATIVE
B2: …: Forsitan quaerātis quī iste terror sit.
POTENTIAL
HISTORY/ROMAN LIFE:
1. What king of the Dacians led his army against Rome in 88 A.D. and 101 A.D.?
DECEBALUS
B1: Where in 101 AD did the Roman Emperor Trajan defeat the Dacians in the same
location at which Domitian had fought an inconclusive battle in 88 A.D?
TAPAE
B2: What capital of Dacia did Trajan capture in 102 A.D?
SARMIZEGETHUSA
2. What Roman praenomen was abbreviated S.?
SPURIUS
B1: … was abbreviated Ap.?
APPIUS
B2: … was abbreviated K.?
KAESO
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
FINALS
1. What war began with the assassination of the tribune Marcus Livius Drusus in 91
BC?
THE SOCIAL/MARSIC WAR
B1: What law did Julius Caesar’s uncle propose in 90 BC to grant the franchise to
Italians who had remained loyal and those who lay down their weapons?
LEX IULIA
B2: What famous general took command of Lucius Caesar’s forces in the south and
won a victory over the Samnites in Campania?
SULLA
2. Quid Anglicē significat “sulcus”?
FURROW, GROOVE, FISSURE
B1: … “segnis”?
SLOW, SLUGGISH, LAZY
B2: … “secus”?
OTHERWISE
3. What king of Crete returned from Troy to find that his throne had been usurped and
his wife and daughter had been killed?
IDOMENEUS
B1: What man had taken the throne from Idomeneus?
LEUCUS
B2: Who was Idomeneus’s wife who had been seduced and then killed by Leucus?
MEDA
4. For the verb parcō, give the perfect active infinitive form.
PEPERCISSE/ PARSISSE
B1: Give the same form for the verb ūrō.
USSISSE
B2: Give the same form for the verb loquor.
LOCUTUM ESSE
5. What son of Theiodamas served as the arms bearer of Heracles?
HYLAS
B1: What nymph fell in love with Hylas and kidnapped him?
DRYOPE
B2: What member of the Argonauts helped Heracles to search for the boy?
POLYPHEMUS
6. Translate the following sentence into English: Magister scholam discedit quō
celerius edat.
THE TEACHER LEAVES/DEPARTS THE SCHOOL TO EAT MORE QUICKLY
B1: … Puerī discesserunt Romā quō militēs propius sequerentur.
THE BOYS LEFT (FROM) ROME TO FOLLOW
THE SOLDIERS MORE CLOSELY
B2: … Militēs exploratoribus imperaverunt ut amissa signa invenirent.
THE SOLDIERS ORDERED THE SCOUTS TO FIND THE LOST STANDARDS
7. Roman travelers were fond of wearing a specific type of hat, which resembled a
modern sombrero. Name this hat.
PETASUS
B1: What type of hat was granted to a libertus?
PILLEUS
B2: What did it signify when a pilleus was placed on the head of a slave at an
auction?
THE BUYER ASSUMED ALL RISKS INVOLVED
8. When recognized, perform the following command: Stā et fac sonitum anatis.
PLAYER SHOULD STAND AND QUACK
B1: How about this one: Dic miserrimā vocē et Anglicē, “Acta est fabula. Plaudite!”
CAPTAIN SHOULD STAND AND SAY SADLY IN ENGLISH,
“THE PLAY/STORY IS OVER/DONE. APPLAUD!”
(or similar acceptable translations.)
B2: Now try this one: Ponite in capitibus sinistrās manūs et salite in pedibus
dextrīs.
MULTIPLE PLAYERS SHOULD PUT THEIR LEFT HANDS
ON THEIR HEADS AND JUMP ON THEIR RIGHT FEET
9. For killing Acro in single combat, which Roman king was the first recipient of the
spōlia opima?
ROMULUS
B1: Who won the spōlia opima in 222 B.C. at Clastidium?
(MARCUS) CLAUDIUS MARCELLUS
B2: Whom did Marcellus kill in single combat to receive this prize?
VIRIDOMARUS
10. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, then answer in
English the question that follows:
Ōlim erat altissimus puer, cuius dicitur eum caelum ipsum tangere posse. Unā
diē, certamen saltandō erat, et quisque cogitabat sē victum iri.
Question: What type of competition was being held?
A JUMPING CONTEST
B1: The passage continues:
Unus parvus puer certamen intravit contra altissimum puer. Ceterī riserunt,
sed parvus puer scivit quo modo certamen vinceret.
What did the small boy know?
HOW TO WIN THE CONTEST
B2: The passage finishes:
Parvus puer altissimum puerum ascensit et, culminē perventō, in umerīs stetit.
Tum, puer saltavit, et ceterī dixerunt altiorem deīs volare.
According to the others, how high did the small boy fly?
HIGHER THAN THE GODS
11. The epithet Dindymene was bestowed upon what mother-goddess for her
residential mountain in Asia Minor?
CYBELE / MAGNA MATER
B1: What maiden, the future consort and advisor to Paris, was taught the art of
prophecy at an early age by Cybele?
OENONE
B2: What male attendants of Cybele clashed their shields and spears during
sacrificial rites and partook in frenzied ceremonies similar to satyrs?
CORYBANTES
12. What man, a son of Aeolus, was driven mad by Hera and slew his son Learchus?
ATHAMAS
B1: What Corinthian brother of Athamas was so sly and deceitful that he tricked and
captured Thanatos, the Greek personification of death?
SISYPHUS
B2: What brother of both Athamas and Sisyphus was the father of Aeson and the
grandfather of the hero Jason?
CRETHEUS
13. Translate the following sentence into Latin, using only defective verbs: He says that
she will begin the journey within three days.
INQUIT/AIT EAM ITER TRIBUS DIEBUS COEPTURUM ESSE
B1: … The man remembers that he hates Caesar.
VIR/HOMŌ MEMINIT CAESAREM ODISSE
B2: … Men, strike the foes, and do not be sad!
VIRĪ/HOMINĒS, FERĪTE HOSTĒS, ET NOLĪTE MAERĒRE!
14. Where did the emperor Septimius Severus die in 211 A.D?
EBORACUM
B1: For five points each, name the locations at which Septimius Severus defeated his
two imperial challengers, Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus.
1) PESCENNIUS NIGER – ISSUS
2) CLODIUS ALBINUS - LUGDUNUM
15. Using the adjective vetus, translate the following sentence into Latin: Let us think
that we are older than the Romans.
PUTĒMUS/REAMUR/COGITĒMUS NŌS VETUSTIORĒS
ROMANĪS/QUAM ROMANŌS ESSE
B1: Now, using the adjective idoneus, translate the following sentence into Latin: A
Roman dagger was the most suitable for fighting against the Britons.
ROMANUS PUGIO/ROMANA SICA ERAT MAXIMĒ IDONEUS/-A
PUGNANDŌ CONTRĀ BRITANNŌS
B2: Now, using a form associated with iuvenis, say in Latin: Would that I was the
youngest messenger in the Roman camp!
UTINAM MINIMUS (NATŪ) MILĒS IN ROMANĪS CASTRĪS ESSEM!
16. Spawn and pace both derive from what Latin verb?
PANDŌ
B1: Dispatch and propaganda both derive from what Latin verb?
PANGŌ
B2: What English noun, derived from a 3rd conjugation synonym of pangō, is a
preoccupation or obsession with one subject?
FIXATION
17. With the 2014 Academy Awards in recent memory, what king could have been
considered “The Wolf of Arcadia” after Zeus transformed him as a punishment for
serving the god human flesh at a dinner?
LYCAON
B1: What mother spent nine days in labor to birth two Olympians and shares a
name with an Oscar winner?
LETO
B2: Under what Lydian queen did Heracles spend one year a slave?
OMPHALE
18. Which of the following abbreviations would you most likely not see in a book? V.I.,
Ibid., D.S.P., V.S.
D.S.P.
B1: Give the Latin and English for the abbreviation D.S.P.
DECESSIT SINE PROLĒ – DIED WITHOUT ISSUE/OFFSPRING
B2: In what section of a book or paper would you most likely see the abbreviation
Ibid.?
CITATIONS/BIBLIOGRAPHY
19. What case in Latin is most commonly used for the objects of verbs of remembering
or forgetting?
GENITIVE
B1: What case in Latin is most commonly used for exclamations?
ACCUSATIVE
B2: What case in Latin is used to indicate the specific price of something?
ABLATIVE
20. What man, born in 9 AD at Reate, became the first emperor of equestrian birth in
69AD?
VESPASIAN
B1: What governor of Syria encouraged Vespasian to declare himself emperor?
LUCIUS MUCIANUS
B2: To what province, which his predecessors had failed to fully conquer, did
Vespasian send Frontinus, Cerialis, and Tacitus as governors?
BRITAIN/BRITANNIA
FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
MYTHOLOGY:
1. The promise of Achilles’ horses and chariot was enough to convince what Trojan to
spy on the Greek camp every night until he was ultimately found out?
DOLON
B1: What two Greeks found, interrogated, and killed Dolon?
ODYSSEUS & DIOMEDES
B2: The whereabouts of what Thracian ally of Troy did Dolon reveal to Odysseus
and Diomedes?
RHESUS
LANGUAGE:
1. What Latin verb, with what meaning, is at the root of obtuse?
TUNDO – (to) BEAT
B1: What Latin verb, with what meaning, is at the root of abstruse and intruder?
TRUDO – (to) THRUST
B2: What Latin verb, with what meaning, is at the root of detriment and trite?
TERO – (to) RUB
2. What do all of the following verbs have in common grammatically: plaudō,
gratulor, temperō, ignoscō, parcō?
THEY TAKE THE DATIVE CASE
B1: What do all of the following adjectives have in common grammatically: facilis,
gracilis, difficilis, similis?
THEIR SUPERLATIVE FORM ENDS IN -illimus
B2: What do all of the following nouns have in common grammatically: pecus,
iugerum, domus, colus?
HETEROCLITES, or THEY VARY IN DECLENSION
HISTORY/ROMAN LIFE:
1. What Roman emperor committed the Massacre of Thessalonica in 390 AD and was
forced to repent publically?
THEODOSIUS I
B1: Which Bishop of Milan forced Theodosius into this public penance?
AMBROSE
B2: Name the two sons of Theodosius, who split the Roman Empire after
Theodosius’s death.
ARCADIUS and HONORIUS
2. What Roman ceremony would include a conclamatiō, the cēna novendiālis, and the
laudatiō funebris?
FUNERAL
B1: What was a laudatiō?
FUNERAL ORATION / EULOGY
B2: The designator also had a role in a Roman funeral. What was a designator?
UNDERTAKER
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
ADVANCED DIVISION
ROUND ONE
1. Coronus, Caeneus, and Perithous were all leaders of what mythical tribe of
northern Thessaly, most famous for their battle with the Centaurs?
LAPITHS
B1: From what man, the father of Perithous, do the Lapiths claims to be
descended?
IXION
B2: The Lapiths sent 40 ships to Troy under the leadership of two men. Name one
of them.
POLYPOETES OR LEONTEUS
2. Other than direct object, what use of the Accusative case can be found in the
following sentence: Herī dīligēns fīlius matrī multās hōrās agrōs arāvit.
DURATION OF TIME
B1: What use of the Dative case can be found in that same sentence?
REFERENCE
B2: Translate the sentence: Herī dīligēns fīlius matrī multās hōrās agrōs arāvit.
YESTERDAY, THE DILIGENT SON PLOUGHED THE FIELDS
FOR MANY HOURS FOR HIS MOTHER
3. Today at the 2014 Harvard Certamen, let’s imagine some of our favorite authors
as college students. What author from the Augustan age, at first considered a
philosophy concentrator, switched to history and began writing his 142-book
“thesis” on Rome’s history?
TITUS LIVIUS/LIVY
B1: With what mythological event does the Ab Urbe Condita begin?
AENEAS’ FLIGHT FROM TROY
B2: While taking advanced History courses, Livy also managed to become a
Teaching Fellow and peer tutor of some freshmen. What future Roman emperor
became Livy’s pupil?
CLAUDIUS
4. Name two of the sons of Constantine the Great.
CONSTANTINE II, CONSTANTIUS II, CONSTANS, CRISPUS
B1: Name another son.
SEE ABOVE
B2: Name one of the wives of Constantine the Great.
MINERVINA, FAUSTA
5. Translate the following sentence into English: Hūc vēnimus ut hōc certāmine
fruamur.
WE HAVE COME HERE TO ENJOY THIS COMPETITION / CERTAMEN
B1: Now translate: Sī huius certāminis vīctōrēs fuerimus, multās diēs canēmus.
IF WE ARE THE WINNERS/ VICTORS OF THIS CERTAMEN /
COMPETITION, WE WILL SING FOR MANY DAYS
B2: Change the sentence in the first bonus to a future less vivid.
SĪ HUIUS CERTĀMINIS VĪCTŌRĒS SĪMUS, MULTĀS DIĒS CANAMUS
6. King Biorix and King Teutobod were responsible for which disastrous Roman
defeat in 105 BC?
ARAUSIO
B1: What novus homo and consul of 105 BC was defeated at Arausio.
(CN.) MALLIUS MAXIMUS
B2: The other Roman general at Arausio was Q. Servilius Caepio. From what
town had Caepio stolen gold on the way Arausio?
TOLOSA
7. Which of the Trojans killed the Volscian warrior Camilla during the war between
Aeneas and Turnus?
ARUNS
B1: Which of the attendants of Diana attacked and killed Arruns with her bow
and arrow and the request of Diana?
OPIS / UPIS
B2: Who had launched baby Camilla across the river Amasenus in an effort to
save her life?
(HER FATHER) METABUS
8. Differentiate in meaning between the verbs micō and minuō.
MICO - TO TWINKLE/BEAT/TREMBLE/FLASH/SPARKLE;
MINUO - TO LESSEN
B1: Differentiate in meaning between the nouns raeda and taeda.
RAEDA - (4-WHEELED) WAGON/CART; TAEDA - TORCH
B2: Differentiate in meaning between the nouns germen and germana.
GERMEN - SPROUT/SHOOT/BUD; GERMANA – SISTER
9. What prolific Latin author of humble beginnings wrote two fabulae praetextae,
entitled Rape of the Sabines and Ambracia, in addition to several comic plays and
his magnum opus, the Annales?
(QUINTUS) ENNIUS
B1: Under whose patronage was Ennius brought to Rome in 198 B.C.?
CATO THE ELDER’S
B2: What later Latin author, referring to Ennius’ proficiency in Greek, Oscan, and
Latin, famously penned that the author had “three hearts?”
AULUS GELLIUS
10. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer IN
ENGLISH the question that follows.
Unō diē, paucī discipulī convenērunt ut consilium dē certāmine caperent.
Constituērunt certāmen agere mense Martis. Pridie diem constitutam,
discipulī iterum convenērunt sed nullī iocī dictī sunt. Strenuē laboravērunt
et mane fessī sed studiosī experrectī sunt.
Question: Why did the students originally assemble, according to the passage?
TO FORM A PLAN CONCERNING THE CERTAMEN / COMPETITION
B1: According to the passage, when did the students plan to run the Certamen?
IN MARCH / MONTH OF MARS
B2: Describe the students on the morning of the Certamen.
TIRED BUT EAGER / FULL OF ZEAL
11. “On the eighth of April, when the emperor had set out from Edessa for Carrhae
and had dismounted from his horse to ease himself, Martialis approached as
though desiring to say something to him and struck him with a small dagger.”
This is how Cassius Dio describes the murder of which emperor who met his
death in 217AD?
CARACALLA
B1: Who succeeded Caracalla as emperor?
MACRINUS
B2: Name Macrinus’ son who was elevated to the rank of Augustus by his father.
DIADUMENIANUS
12. Which of the Danaids was searching for water on the Argolid when a satyr,
whom Poseidon fended off, attacked her?
AMYMONE
B1: What tricksy sailor, the son of Poseidon and Amymone, famously caused the
wives of the Greeks to commit adultery?
NAUPLIUS
B2: Besides a child, what other gift did Poseidon give to Amymone in exchange
for their intimacy?
A SPRING (NAMED AMYMONE)
13. Translate the following sentence into Latin: We came here as quickly as possible.
VĒNIMUS / Ī(V)IMUS HŪC QUAM CELERRIME
B1: Translate this sentence into Latin: If only we had arrived more quickly!
UTINAM CELERIUS PERVĒNISSEMUS / ADVĒNISSEMUS
B2: Translate into Latin: Although we were slow, nevertheless mother gave us
dinner.
CUM TARDI ESSEMUS, TAMEN MATER NOBIS CENAM DEDIT
14. For the phrase nais pulchra give the Genitive singular.
NAIDOS PULCHRAE
B1: Change the phrase naidos pulchrae to the Accusative.
NAIDA PULCHRAM
B2: Give the corresponding form for the phrase tigris ferox.
TIGRIN/TIGRIDA FEROCEM
15. “Phoebe silvarumque potens Diana” is the first line of what poem, sung by a
chorus of 27 boys and 27 girls during the reign of Augustus?
CARMEN SAECULARE
B1: Who was the author of this work?
(QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS) HORACE
B2: Who was Horace’s tutor and schoolmaster, whom Horace described as
Plagosus for his harsh teaching practices?
ORBILIUS
16. What woman in early Roman history is reported by Livy to have spoken the
following lines? "Servius, if you are a man, the kingdom belongs to you, not to
those, who, by the hands of others, have perpetrated a most shameful deed.
Rouse yourself, and follow the guidance of the gods, who portended that this
head of yours would be illustrious by formerly shedding a divine blaze around
it.”
TANAQUIL
B1: To what act is Tanaquil referring when she says “a most shameful deed.”
MURDER OF TARQUINIUS PRISCUS
B2: Whose sons had murdered Priscus?
ANCUS MARCIUS’
17. Dēscrībāmus nunc proprietātēs dictīōnum in hāc sententiā: Oderint dum
metuant. Cuius modī est “oderint”?
SUBIUNCTIVI
B1: Quae pars orationis est “dum”?
ADVERBIUM
B2: Cuius temporis est “oderint”?
PRAESENTIS
18. What author’s collection of lost prose works includes a text concerning the death
of his daughter Tulia?
(MARCUS TULLIUS) CICERO
B1: Give the title of this work.
CONSOLATIO
B2: What other prose work of Cicero, later cited by St. Augustine, is an
exhortation of the study of philosophy?
HORTENSIUS
19. From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive “obfuscate” and
“fuscous”?
FUSCUS - DARK
B1: From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive “carfax” and
“bifurcate”?
FURCA - FORK
B2: From what Latin word with what meaning do we derive “fusty” and
“fustigate”?
FUSTIS - CLUB
20. After murdering their brother Chrysippus, what two men were banished by their
father Pelops and eventually made their way to Mycenae where they quarreled
over its kingdom?
ATREUS & THYESTES
B1: The dispute between Atreus and Thyestes over the kingdom of Mycenae came
only after what Mycenaean King died and left the throne to them?
EURYSTHEUS / STHENELUS
B2: How did Thyestes originally suggest that the dispute over the throne be
decided?
(IT SHOULD BE) GIVEN TO WHOEVER CAN PRODUCE A GOLDEN FLEECE
ROUND ONE EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What use of the Accusative is found in expressions such as “meam vicem” and
“id temporis”?
ADVERBIAL
B1: What use of the Accusative is found in expressions such as “herbam mella
sapiunt” and “vinum redolens”?
COGNATE
B2: What is of the Accusative is found in expressions such as “femur trāgulā
ictus” and “nūda genū”?
RESPECT
2. Quid Anglicē significat “aditus”?
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “accumbō”?
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “adsiduus”?
ENTRANCE/APPROACH
LAY DOWN/RECLINE
CONSTANT/CONTINUAL
MYTHOLOGY
3. Who in Greek mythology was the mother of Rhesus, Linus, and Orpheus?
CALLIOPE
B1: According to most accounts, who was the father of Linus and Orpheus?
APOLLO
B2: According to other versions, what Thracian King was their father?
OEAGRUS
ROMAN HISTORY
4. In ancient Rome, what was an armilla?
B1: What type of jewelry was a torques?
B2: Finally, what was a capillamentum?
BRACELET
NECKLACE
WIG
LATIN LITERATURE
5. Into what special literary genre, formally called fabulae riciniatae by the
Romans, would political satire, risqué jokes, and other miscellaneous acts on
stage fit?
MIME
B1: Mime performers were often referred to by what name because of the fact
that they performed barefoot on stage?
PLANIPEDES (TRANSLATED AS FLATFOOTED)
B2: Which prominent writer of mimes faced the ultimate penalty of having to
perform in his own works for offending Julius Caesar in his mimes?
(DECIMUS) LABERIUS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
ADVANCED DIVISION
ROUND TWO
1. Following the death of his half-brother Gratian in 383 AD, what youth became
sole emperor in the West?
VALENTINIAN II
B1: What Roman general had defeated and executed Gratian?
MAGNUS MAXIMUS
B2: Name the ruler of the eastern empire who allowed Maximus to rule in the
west under the condition that he not attack Valentinian II, who was ruling as
emperor in Italy.
THEODOSIUS I (THE GREAT)
2. Quid Anglicē significat “margarīta”?
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “cachinnō”?
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “eburnus”?
PEARL
LAUGH, CACKLE
(MADE OF) IVORY
3. Complete the following mythological analogy: Perseus : Cepheus :: Hector :
.
EETION
B1: ... Eetion : Hector :: Pittheus :
.
AEGEUS
B2: .. Aegeus : Pandion :: Laomedon :
.
ILUS
4. What quaestor and augur of the silver age wrote a 10 book poem in hexameter on
the civil war between Caesar and Pompey?
(MARCUS ANNAEUS) LUCAN(US)
B1: This work, of course, was the Bellum Civile. What emperor, the same who
had appointed him quaestor and augur, did Lucan praise in the beginning of this
work?
NERO
B2: Lucan also wrote another work praising Nero entitled Laudes Neronis in
honor of what event of 60 AD?
NERONIA
5. Translate the following sentence from English into Latin using a present
subjunctive: “Aulus, do not fear the dogs”!
CAVE TIMEAS/VEREARIS/METUAS CANES, AULE!
B1: Translate into Latin using a perfect subjunctive: Don't move, Aulus, for the
dogs are trying to find you.
NĒ MOVERIS, AULE, NAM / QUOD CANĒS TĒ
CONANTUR/TEMPTANT INVENĪRE/REPERĪRE
B2: Translate into Latin: Quickly, Aulus, climb that tree lest the dogs catch you!
ASCENDE, AULE, CELERITER ILLAM / EAM ARBOREM
NĒ CANĒS TĒ CAPIANT / RAPIUNT
6. What Latin satirist, famous for such dicta as “Mens sana in corpore sano” and
“Quis custodet ipsos custodes?”, was banished from Rome by the emperor
Domitian but eventually recalled?
(DECIMUS IUNIUS) JUVENALIS/JUVENAL
B1: What Latin phrase describes Juvenal’s self-described righteous anger against
the targets of his satire?
SAEVA INDIGNATIO
B2: Juvenal’s satire, which harshly targets not only vices but also specific people
by name, stands in stark contrast to the satires of which of his influences, who
sought to expose the vice while sparing the person?
(QUINTUS) HORATIUS/HORACE (FLACCUS)
7. Translate the apodosis of the following conditional sentence into English:
Coquere cēnam cōnātus essem, sī meam domum incendere voluissem.
I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO COOK DINNER
B1: Translate the protasis of that same sentence.
IF I HAD WANTED TO BURN / SET FIRE TO MY HOUSE / HOME
B2: Now translate into English: Tibi librī de coquendō legendī sunt.
YOU MUST READ BOOKS ABOUT COOKING
(literally, “books about cooking must be read by you”)
8. What man had been running for aedileship when the Roman people elected him
consul in 147 BC?
(P. CORNELIUS) SCIPIO AEMILIANUS
B1: Aemilianus successfully defeated a bill allowing for the re-election of tribunes
that was proposed by what tribune of 131 BC?
(C.) PAPIRIUS CARBO
B2: Carbo is suspected to have been involved in a conspiracy that resulted in
Aemilianus’s death in what year?
129 BC
9. What goddess unsuccessfully hid among the mares of Oncius from the advances
of Poseidon?
DEMETER
B1: Eventually, Poseidon mated with her in horse form, and she bore what two
mythological personages?
ARION AND DESPOINA
B2: Which of the members of the expedition against Thebes rode Arion as he fled
the city?
ADRASTUS
10. Complete this grammatical analogy : Globus : Globulus :: Homo : _________.
HOMUNCULUS / HOMUNCIO
B1: … Homo : Homunculus :: Miser :: ________.
MISELLUS
B2: … Miser : Misellus :: Māla :: _________.
MĀXILLA
11. What type of food did the Romans call “caepa”?
ONION
B1: ... “lactūca”?
LETTUCE
B2: ... “brassica”?
CABBAGE
12. What author, born at Reate, wrote a 25-book treatise entitled De Lingua Latina?
(MARCUS TERENTIUS) VARRO (REATINUS)
B1: To who are the surviving books of the De Lingua Latina dedicated?
CICERO
B2: What famous Greek Sotic philosopher and monotheist of Rhodes was said to
have been an influential teacher to Varro?
POSIDONIUS
13. What use of the subjunctive can be found in the following sentence: Semper
mīrātus sum cūr plērīque loquī Latinē non possint.
INDIRECT QUESTION
B1: Translate that sentence.
I (HAVE) ALWAYS WONDERED WHY VERY MANY / MOST
(PEOPLE) CAN’T / ARE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK IN LATIN
B2: What use of the subjunctive can be found in the sentence: Quis est quī magis
Anglicē quam Latinē loquī vellit.
RELATIVE CLAUSE OF CHARACTERISTIC
14. Which of the winds, often represented with snake tails in place of feet, courted a
princess of Athens and was the father of Zetes and Calais?
BOREAS
B1: Name this Athenian princess.
OREITHYIA
B2: Name the parents of Boreas and the rest of the winds.
ASTRAEUS & EOS
15. Which of the following, if any, is not derived from the same Latin root as the
others: “exhort”, “cohort”, “hortatory”, “dehortation”?
COHORT
B1: Which of the following, if any, is not derived from the same Latin root as the
others: “admit”, “committee”, “emissary”, “imitate”?
IMITATE
B2: Which of the following, if any, is not derived from the same Latin root as the
others: “noon”, “novenary”, “nundine”, “nonagenarian”?
THEY ARE ALL FROM THE SAME ROOT (NOVEM)
16. What collective name was given to the sons of Theia and Oceanus, Passalus and
Acmon?
CERCOPES
B1: Their mother told them to beware Melampyges, or the ‘black-bottomed man,’
who captured them and turned out to be what hero?
HERACLES
B2: After Heracles freed the Cercopes because they made him laugh, Zeus
changed Passalus and Acmon into monkeys, and later into islands, which were
given what collective name?
PITHECUSAE
17. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer IN
ENGLISH the question that follows.
Quidam vir erat, quī Latinē dīcere discere voluit. Tamen, ullum magistrum
loquendī Latinē numquam invenīre potuit. Ideō, unā aestate, vir constituit
īre Romam quō linguam Latinam facilius disceret. Perventus Romae, vir
mīratus est quot spectacula et monumenta ubique essent.
Question: What could the man in the passage never find?
(ANY) TEACHER FOR/OF SPEAKING (IN) LATIN
B1: What was the man’s solution?
(DECIDED TO) GO TO ROME (TO MORE EASILY LEARN LATIN)
B2: At the end of the passage, what does the man discover while in Rome?
(THERE ARE) SO MANY SPECTACLES/THEATHERS
AND MONUMENTS EVERYWHERE
18. What literary circle of the second century B.C. included such famous public
figures as Gaius Laelius and Terence?
THE SCIPIONIC CIRCLE
B1: Which member of the Scipionic Circle, born at Suessa Aurunca to a rich
family, wrote 30 books of Sermones that focused on conveying ruthless,
outspoken criticism of authors and men in public life?
GAIUS LUCILIUS
B2: Which member of the Scipionic Circle, a Stoic philosopher from Rhodes,
wrote a De Oficiis, on which Cicero later modeled his work of the same title?
PANAETIUS
19. The annexation of Thrace and Mauretania occurred during the reign of which
Julio-Claudian emperor?
CLAUDIUS
B1: The death of which Judean king in 44 AD prompted the subsequent
annexation of Judea?
HEROD AGRIPPA (I)
B2: Name the first governor of Britain who succeeded in annexing the colony
under the reign of Claudius and later completed the conquest of Britain.
AULUS PLAUTIUS
20. Perform the following command: Surgē et, manibus extensīs, movē velut
volucris?
STAND UP, WITH HANDS STRECTHED OUT, MOVE LIKE A BIRD
B1: Iungite manūs et saltate quam altissimē?
JOIN HANDS AND JUMP AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE
B2: ... Gaudetē et plaudite violenter?
REJOICE AND CLAP VIGOROUSLY / VIOLENTLY
ROUND TWO EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What use of the subjunctive is found in the following sentence: Forsan currāmus
ad Forum hodiē.
POTENTIAL
B1: Translate that sentence.
PERHAPS WE MAY / WILL RUN TO THE FORUM TODAY
B2: What use of the subjunctive is found with the words accidit and contingit.
SUBSTANTIVE CLAUSE OF RESULT
2. What is the meaning of the Latin noun “procella”?
STORM / GALE / COMMOTION
B1: ... “cladēs”?
DISASTER/DESTRUCTION/SLAUGHTER/RUIN
B2: ... “vates”?
POET/PROPHET/BARD
MYTHOLOGY
3. What son of Polydorus and Nycteis ruled briefly as king of Thebes before being
killed in a war against Athens and leaving the throne to his son Laius?
LABDACUS
B1: Laius, however, was too young to rule and so the throne went to what man
who twice served as regent of Thebes?
LYCUS
B2: According to some versions, Labdacus died after being torn apart by women
and thereby suffering a similar fate to what other Theban king?
PENTHEUS
ROMAN HISTORY
4. Who was crowned as King of Armenia during the reign of the emperor Nero?
TIRIDATES
B1: In what year did this take place?
66 AD
B2: In what year had Cn. Domitius Corbulo marched against the Armenian
capital of Artaxata?
58 AD
LATIN LITERATURE
5. Give the full name of the Venusian author who wrote works such as Epistulae
Ad Pisones, Epodes, and Odes.
QUINTUS HORATIUS FLACCUS
B1: Which of the following works mentioned in the tossup, his longest poem,
includes the following quote about poetry: “omne tulit punctum qui miscuit
utile dulci”?
EPISTULAE AD PISONES (Ars Poetica is acceptable)
B2: Horace’s Epodes had an alternate title, his Iambi- this title was taken from the
iambic rhythm found in the work. From what Greek author does Horace claim to
have first brought the iambs to Latium?
ARCHILOCHUS
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
ADVANCED DIVISION
ROUND THREE
1. What work of Latin literature, a loose translation of Epicurus’ Peri Physeos, is a
six-book didactic poem of observations and explanations of natural phenomena?
DE RERUM NATURA
B1: Although the work was never technically finished, to whom does Lucretius
address the De Rerum Natura?
GAIUS MEMMIUS
B2: Which book of the De Rerum Natura gives an account of the plague at Athens
based largely on the account of Thucydides?
BOOK 6
2. “A man of Thessaly with a reputation for great wisdom,” is how Plutarch
describes which ambassador of Pyrrhus who was sent by the Epirote king to
negotiate peace with the Romans after the battle of Heraclea?
CINEAS
B1: Name the Roman ambassador who met with Cineas.
(C.) FABRICIUS
B2: The peace negotiations seemed successful until what Roman statesman spoke
to the Senate and convinced it to carry on with the war.
APPIUS CLAUDIUS CAECUS
3. Which Olympian had the epithets “Lycius”, “Smintheus”, and “Phoebus”?
APOLLO
B1: What deity was known as “Zeus Katachthonios”?
HADES
B2: Hades is said to be an abbreviated form of what name, meaning “the unseen
one”?
AIDONEUS
4. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, and answer IN
LATIN the question that follows.
Duo artificēs Orchomeni, quorum nomina erant Trophonius et Agamedes,
erant fratrēs. Hī fratrēs ā Hyreiō invocātī sunt ut eī opulentam regiam
aedificārent. Ōb furtum et insidiās, improbī artifices dēmum interfectī sunt.
Question: Cuius urbis Trophonius et Agamedes erant?
ORCHOMENĪ
B1: Qualēs erant Trophonius et Agamedes?
ARITIFICĒS / FRATRĒS / IMPROBĪ
B2: Respondē Anglicē: Cūr fratrēs ā Hyreiō invocātī sunt.
TO BUILD A (WEALTHY / RICH) PALACE FOR HIM / HYREIUS
5. Where did the Second Triumvirate meet in 38 B.C. to renew the Lex Titia for
another 5 years?
TARENTUM
B1: Where had the Second Triumvirate met in 40 B.C. to divide up the Roman
world following the Perusine conflict?
BENEVENTUM
B2: The Second Triumvirate met at Misenum in 39 B.C. to make peace with Sextus
Pompey so that he would not block the grain supply from reaching Rome. Name
two of the three locations for which Sextus Pompey was given proconsular
command?
SICILY, SARDINIA, PELOPONNESUS
6. What Silver Age Latin author’s works include an unnamed epic on Domitian’s
wars in Germany, a pantomime entitled Agave, a five-book collection of 32
poems, and a twelve-book epic concerning the Theban cycle and the assault of
the Seven against Thebes?
(PUBLIUS PAPINUS) STATIUS
B1: What Silver Age Latin author wrote an eight-book epic entitled Argonautica?
(GAIUS) VALERIUS FLACCUS
B2: What Silver Age Latin author wrote a seventeen-book epic poem on the
Second Punic War?
(TIBERIUS CATIUS ASCONIUS) SILIUS ITALICUS
7. Quid Anglicē significat “epulae”?
FEAST
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “salēs”?
WITTICISMS
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “rastrī”?
RAKES
8. In Book 6 of Homer’s Iliad, which two warriors exchanged armor because their
ancestors had once exchanged gifts?
DIOMEDES AND GLAUCUS
B1: Diomedes played a major role in the Trojan War, especially in Book 5, when
what goddess bestowed him with superior fighting ability?
ATHENA
B2: As Diomedes was about to deliver a fatal blow to Aeneas, what god swept the
Trojan back inside the city walls in a mist?
POSEIDON
9. The death of Maximinus Thrax, the rebellion of Gordian III, and the rule of four
other emperors all occurred during what year in Roman history?
238AD
B1: Which two men were proclaimed joint emperors in Rome in that year?
PUPIENUS, BALBINUS
B2: How was Gordian III related to Gordian I?
GRANDSON
10. What use of the subjunctive can be found in the following sentence: Infēlix est
quī per diem laboret sine otiō.
RELATIVE CLAUSE OF CHARACTERISTIC
B1: What use of the subjunctive can be found in this sentence: Caesar militēs
mīsit quō hostēs celerius vincerent.
RELATIVE CLAUSE OF PURPOSE
B2: Why is the clause in the previous question introduced by quō rather than
quī?
COMPARATIVE IN THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE
11. From what Latin noun with what meaning are “gin”, “engine”, “benign” and
“gender” ultimately derived?
GENUS - KIND
B1: From what Latin noun with what meaning are “gin” (the drink) and “geneva”
derived?
JŪNIPERUS - JUNIPER TREE
B2: From what Latin verb do we derive “augend”?
AUGEŌ
12. After the flop at the funeral games of Aemilius Paulus and the seemingly more
entertaining tightrope performers, which play of Terence finally yielded positive
results after its third production?
HECYRA
B1: Which play of Terence, also performed at the funeral games of Aemilius
Paulus in 160 BC, was met with the opposite fate and was regarded as his
masterpiece?
ADELPH(O)I
B2: Which play of Terence centers around a parasite of a young man who aids his
two cousins in getting the girls the love?
PHORMIO
13. The verbs arguō, memini, and absolvō all govern what case in Latin?
GENITIVE
B1: Give a deponent synonym of memini which also governs the Genitive case.
REMINISCŌR
B2: Give a deponent synonym of both memini and reminiscōr which takes the
Accusative rather than Genitive case.
RECORDŌR
14. Moros, Thanatos, Hypnos, and Nemesis were all offspring of what goddess, the
personification of Night?
NYX
B1: Of what was Hypnos the personification?
SLEEP
B2: Of what was Moros the personification?
DOOM
15. Give the dative plural of the phrase “decimum iugerum.”
DECIMĪS IUGERIBUS
B1: Change decimīs iugeribus to the ablative singular.
DECIMŌ IUGERŌ/IUGERE
B2: Change decimō iugerō to the accusative plural.
DECIMA IUGERA
16. What author from Gallia Narbonensis composed a historical poem on Caesar’s
campaign against Ariovistus in 58 BC?
VARRO ATACINUS/(PUBLIUS TERENTIUS) VARRO OF ATAX
B1: Give the Latin title of this work.
BELLUM SEQUANICUM
B2: Varro also wrote erotic Latin poetry to his beloved. What was the name of this
woman?
LEUCADIA
17. What color did the Romans call “croceus”?
YELLOW / SAFRON
B1: ... “russeus”?
RED
B2: ... “prasinus”?
(LEEK) GREEN
18. A Thracian nymph, a Spartan princess, a Trojan mother of Laomedon, and a
Theban wife of Creon all share what name in Greek mythology?
EURYDICE
B1: Who was the father of the Spartan Eurydice?
LACEDAEMON
B2: Who was the husband of the Trojan Eurydice?
ILUS
19. Lusius Quietus and Cornelius Palma were two of the four leading generals who
were executed in the early reign of which of the Five Good Emperors?
HADRIAN
B1: Name the Praetorian Prefect who ordered the execution of these generals,
unbeknownst to Hadrian.
(CAELIUS) ATTIANUS
B2: Lusius Quietus had been instrumental in Trajan’s campaign against which
Parthian king?
CHOSROES
20. Translate the following sentence from English to Latin: There is no doubt that we
will win this Certamen.
NŌN DUBIUM EST QUĪN (NŌS) HOC CERTĀMEN
VINCĀMUS / VICTŪRĪ SIMUS
B1: Now translate: We did not doubt that this question was easy.
NŌN DUBITĀVIMUS QUĪN HAEC QUAESTIO FACILIS ESSET
B2: Now translate: Will anything stop us from answering this question?
NŌSNE IMPEDIET / PROHIBEBIT ALIQUID/ULLUM
QUŌMINUS QUAESTIONEM HANC RESPONDEAMUS
ROUND THREE EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What use of the Genitive is illustrated in the phrases quid novī, paulum
frūmentī, and plūs dolōris?
PARTITIVE
B1: What use of the Genitive is illustrated in the phrases fuga malōrum, opiniō
virtūtis, and vacātiō mūneris?
OBJECTIVE
B2: What use of the Genitive is illustrated in the phrases fessī rērum, pauper
aquae, and nōtus animī?
SPECIFICATION
2. From what Latin verb with what meaning do we ultimately derive “vow”,
“devout”, and “vote”?
VOVEŌ: VOW, PROMISE
B1: From what Latin noun with what meaning do we derive “avow”, “disavow”,
and “vowel”?
VŌX: VOICE
B2: What derivative of vōx means “to assert or confirm that something is true
through one’s own experience”?
VOUCH
MYTHOLOGY
3. What man, a son of a Danaid and a god, became a famous navigator and
merchant captain who dealt in slaves?
NAUPLIUS
B1: Who were Nauplius’ parents?
AMYMONE AND POSEIDON
B2: What king of Tegea asked Nauplius to get rid of his own daughter by
drowning or selling her into slavery after Heracles had seduced her?
ALEUS
ROMAN HISTORY
4. What governor of Germania Superior successfully quelled the rebellion of
Vindex?
VERGINIUS RUFUS
B1: At what battle site did this occur?
VESONTIO
B2: In what year did this battle take place?
68 AD
LATIN LITERATURE
5. Stichus, Mercator, Aulularia, and Miles Gloriosus were all works by what Latin
playwright?
(TITUS MACCIUS) PLAUTUS
B1: How many plays of Plautus are fully extant?
20
B2: What work by Plautus is his only play on a mythological subject?
AMPHITRYON
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
ADVANCED DIVISION
SEMI-FINALS
5. What tribune, working under Gaius Gracchus, passed a law establishing a colony
on the former site of Carthage?
RUBRIUS
B1: What was the supposed name of this colony?
JUNONIA
B2: This law never came to pass likely due to the untimely death of Gaius
Gracchus at the hands of what consul?
LUCIUS OPIMIUS
2. Translate the following sentence into English: Bellō extinctō, discordia tempus
angustum mansit.
WITH THE WAR QUENCHED / AFTER THE WAR WAS QUENCHED,
DISCORD REMAINED FOR A SHORT/NARROW TIME
B1: Now translate: Utinam nē Crassus Carrhās suō sanguine maculāvisset.
IF ONLY/WOULD THAT CRASSUS HADN’T STAINED
CARRHAE WITH HIS BLOOD
B2: Change the verb in the previous sentence to the passive voice.
MACULATUS ESSET
3. What late Latin author wrote a 31-book history that effectively served as a
continuation of Tacitus’ histories, covering from the reign of Nerva down to the
death of Valens?
AMMIANUS MARCELLINUS
B1: What other late Latin historian wrote an abstract of Roman history, known as
the Brevium ab Urbe Condita, at the request of the emperor Valens?
EUTROPIUS
B2: What is more precise name for the late historical work known as the Vita
diversorum principum et tyrannorum a divo Hadriano usque ad Numerianum a
diversis compositae, which is attributed to six different authors?
HISTORIA AUGUSTA
4. From what Latin noun with what meaning is “tergiversate” derived?
TERGUM: BACK
B1: From what Latin word with what meaning is “detergent” derived?
TERG(E)Ō: WIPE, CLEAN
B2: From what Latin verb with what meaning is “turgid” derived?
TURGEŌ: SWELL
5. Complete the following mythological analogy: Amphitryon : Alcmene :: Acrisius
:
.
EURYDICE / AGANIPPE
B1: ... Tydeus : Diomedes :: Capaneus :
.
STHENELUS
B2: ... Alcmaeon : Amphilochus :: Toxeus :
.
PLEXIPPUS
6. What Neoplatonist, recognized as a “vir clarissimus et illustris” wrote a work
consisting of various dialogues between Latin and Greek authors?
(AMBROSIUS THRODOSIUS) MACROBIUS
B1: What was the Latin title of this work?
SATURNALIA
B2: What lesser known commentator was featured in the Saturnalia?
SERVIUS
7. What use of the Ablative can be found in the phrases satus Iapetō and mortalī
semine crētus?
SOURCE / ORIGIN
B1: What use of the Ablative can be found in the following sentence: Iuppiter
ingentēs animō īrās concipit.
PLACE WHERE
B2: ... Rogant quae forma terrae orbae mortalibus futura sit.
SPECIAL ADJECTIVES / SEPARATION
8. In what specific direction would a Roman travel if he were going from Messana
to Constantinople?
NORTHEAST
B1: In what specific direction would a Roman travel if he were going from
Constantinople to Camulodunum?
NORTHWEST
B2: And finally, in what specific direction would a Roman travel if he were going
from the Circus Maximus to Tiber Island?
NORTHWEST
9. In Book III of the Odyssey, who recounts to Telemachus the story of
Agamemnon’s death before sending his son Pisistratus to accompany
Telemachus to Sparta?
NESTOR
B1&2: When he arrives at Sparta, Telemachus is welcomed by Menelaus and
Helen who are celebrating the marriage of their daughter. For five points each,
name both their daughter and her husband.
HERMIONE & NEOPTOLEMUS
10. Listen carefully to the following excerpt for Book IV of the Aeneid, which I will
read twice as prose, and answer IN LATIN the question that follows.
Speluncam Dido dux et Troianus eandem
deveniunt. Prima et Tellus et pronuba Iuno
dant signum; fulsere ignes et conscius aether
conubiis summoque ulularunt vertice Nymphae.
Question: In quō locō Dido et Aeneas convenērunt?
IN EĀDEM SPELUNCĀ
B1: Quae numina conubiīs nutant?
(PRIMA) TELLUS ET (PRONUBA) IUNO
B2: Give the full form of the verb “ululārunt” in the last line.
ULULAVĒRUNT
11. Differentiate in meaning between careō and caneō.
CAREŌ - LACK; CANEŌ - BE GRAY/WHITE
B1: ... claudō and claudeō.
CLAUDŌ – CLOSE; CLAUDEŌ - LIMP
B2: ... caro and cardo.
CARO - FLESH/MEAT; CARDO - HINGE/PIVOT
12. What author’s work, in 12 books, includes a famous literary-historical digression
on Greek and Latin writers, as well as a comprehensive program of cultural and
moral training of an orator?
(MARCUS FABIUS) QUINTILLIAN(US)
B1: Give the Latin title of this work.
INSTITUTIO ORATORIA
B2: To what admired orator did Quintillian dedicate this work?
(VICTORIUS) MARCELLUS
13. Of the words papilio, falx, caballus, soccus, and gemma, which is being
described here: Est fulgens saxum quod magnō pretiō vendi posse.
GEMMA
B1 ... Est instrumentum quō agricolae utentur ut frumentum secent.
FALX
B2: ... Est parvum volans animal coloratīs alīs.
PAPILIO
14. Put the following battles in order from earliest to latest: Dertosa, Thermopylae,
Cape Telamon, Myonessus.
CAPE TELAMON, DERTOSA, THERMOPYLAE, MYONESSUS.
B1: Put the following battles in order from earliest to latest: Zela, Cabira,
Tigranocerta, Cyzicus.
CYZICUS, CABIRA, TIGRANOCERTA, ZELA
B2: Finally, try these battles: Locus Castorum, Mantrap Wood, Mount
Gindarus, Forum Galorum.
MANTRAP WOOD, MOUNT FORUM GALORUM,
MT. GINDARUS, LOCUS CASTORUM
15. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, what rude Eleusinian child laughed at Ceres as she
greedily drank some κυκεών (kykeon)?
ASCALABUS
B1: Into what speckled animal did Ceres change Ascalabus after she poured her
barley water on him?
LIZARD
B2: What similarly named man, the gardener of Pluto’s garden, tattled on
Properpina and was consequently changed into a screech owl?
ASCALAPHUS
16. The capture of the Cercopes, the murder of Syleus, and the killing of a monstrous
Lydian snake were all tasks accomplished by Heracles while he was in the
service of what Lydian Queen?
OMPHALE
B1: Name the husband of Omphale who had died and left the throne to her.
TMOLUS
B2: Name the son whom Heracles fathered by Omphale after serving her for
three years.
LAMUS
17. What law of 300 B.C. raised the number of pontifices from 5 to 9 and opened up
the priesthood to plebeians?
LEX OGULNIA
B1: What law, also of 300 B.C., confirmed the right of appeal or provocatio, and
shared the name of laws passed in 509 and 449 B.C.?
LEX
VALERIA
B2: Who was the first plebeian pontifex maximus, elected in 254 B.C.?
(TIBERIUS) CORUNCANIUS
18. What 2nd Century A.D. Latin author wrote an 11-book novel on the
transformation and journey of a donkey named Lucius?
APULEIUS
B1: What work of Apuleius was a compilation of 23 speeches and lectures?
FLORIDA
B2: In what work did Apuleius give a self-defense against the charge of
witchcraft?
APOLOGIA/APOLOGY
19. Translate the following sentence from English to Latin: We hope that this will be
the correct answer.
SPERĀMUS HŌC FŌRE (FUTURUM ESSE) RECTUM RESPONSUM
B1: Translate into Latin using bonus, bonī to mean “bonus”: Let us rejoice until
the second bonus is read.
GAUDEAMUS DUM / QUOAD BONUS SECUNDUS LEGATUR
B2: Translate into Latin, using a passive periphrastic: With the question read, we
must now correctly answer it.
QUAESTIONE LECTĀ, NŌBĪS NUNC RECTE EA RESPONDENDA EST
20. From what Latin noun is “inveigle” derived?
OCULUS
B1: From what Latin verb is “inveigh” derived?
VEHŌ
B2: What Latin verb, perhaps originally an old frequentative of vehō, means “to
annoy or disturb”?
VEXŌ
SEMI-FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What do the following adjectives have in common grammatically: capax,
appetens, insons, avidus.
TAKE THE GENITIVE
B1: What do the following verbs have in common grammatically: glorior,
delector, maneo, laetor.
TAKE THE ABLATIVE
B2: What use of the dative case is found in the idiom “receptui canere,” meaning
“ to sound a retreat”
PURPOSE
2. Give the dictionary entry for the 3rd declension Latin noun meaning ‘fever.’
FEBRIS, FEBRIS, F
B1: Give the dictionary entry for the 3rd declension noun meaning ‘force’ or
‘power.’
VIS, VIS, F
B2: Give the dictionary entry for the 3rd declension noun meaning ‘ax.’
SECURIS, SECURIS, F
MYTHOLOGY
3. On his way to Athens, with what old woman did Theseus stay for one night?
HECALE
B1: Which of the brigands he encountered was the son of Hephaestus and
Anticleia and was sometimes called Corynetes?
PERIPHETES
B2: What king of Eleusis did Theseus wrestle and kill on the road from Troezen?
CERCYON
ROMAN HISTORY
4. What kind of profession in ancient Rome was a “mango”?
SLAVE-SELLER/DEALER
B1: ... “leno”?
PIMP
B2: ... “chirugus”?
SURGEON
LATIN LITERATURE
5. Eight hundred and twenty-nine hexameters constitute what ten-book didactic
work of Virgil?
THE ECLOGUES
B1: Which of Virgil’s Eclogues is called the Messianic eclogue because it refers to a
boy who will reign in a new golden age?
THE FOURTH
B2: Which of Virgil’s Eclogues tells of the contest between the shepherds
Meliboeus and Tityrus?
THE SEVENTH
2014 HARVARD CERTAMEN
ADVANCED DIVISION
FINALS
1. Give the accusative singular of the phrase ille dives heros.
ILLUM DIVITEM HEROA
B1: Change illem divitem heroa to the genitive.
ILLIUS DIVITIS HEROIS
B2: Change illius divitis herois to the ablative.
ILLO DIVITI HEROE
2. At what battle did the Romans, in the same year as Bagradas Valley, defeat a
Punic fleet on their way to recuse the captured soldiers in Africa?
CAPE HERMAEUM
B1: While the Roman fleet was successful in rescuing the captured army, they
unfortunately did not make it back to Italy in full force. Why was this?
STORM/STORM OFF COAST OF SICILY
B2: What Punic stronghold in Sicily did the Romans capture in 254 B.C.?
PANORMUS
3. “Behold with what companions I walked the streets of Babylon, in whose filth I
was rolled as if in cinnamon and precious ointments-“ this is a partial reflection
on what author’s life before his conversion to Christianity with his son
Adeodatus?
(ST. AURELIUS) AUGUSTINE
B1: From which work of St. Augustine, in which he reflects on his early days and
his search for God, can we find this excerpt?
CONFESSIONS/CONFESSIONES
B2: Before his conversion to Christianity and his post as bishop of Hippo,
Augustine was a member of other religions. Name two of his previous religions.
PAGANISM, MANICHAEISM, OR NEOPLATONISM
4. Thyia, Amphictyon, Hellen, and Pandora were all offspring of what early
mythological couple?
DEUCALION AND PYRRHA
B1: Deuclaion and Pyrrha, of course, are famous for surviving the Great Flood.
According to some accounts, however, they were not the only survivors. What
son of Zeus swam towards the cries of cranes and survived atop a mountain on
the Isthmus of Corinth?
MEGARUS
B2: What youth was saved when a group of nymphs transformed him into a
beetle?
CERAMBUS
5. Listen carefully to the following passage, which I will read twice, about a current
event in the world of college basketball, and answer IN ENGLISH the question
that follows.
Primus inimicus Harvardī erat Cincinnatī, quōrum nomen respicit
egregium dictatorem Romanum. Cincinnatī tam magnī erant ut novem
decimae ex spectatoribus putarent Harvardum victum irī. Sed accidit ut
Cincinnatī nōn Harvardum impedīre possent quōminus vinceret. Euge!
Question: According to the passage, what was Cincinnati not able to do?
STOP/HINDER HARVARD FROM WINNING
B1: What part of the fans thought that Harvard would lose?
NINE THENTHS
B2: We think it should have been only one tenth of the fans who thought Harvard
would lose. How would you say “one tenth” in Latin?
PARS DECIMA
6. “In nova fert animus mutatās dicere formās corpora” is the opening line of what
1st century AD work of Latin Literature, written in 15 books of dactylic
hexameter?
METAMORPHOSES
B1&2: For five points each, name two figures of speech, excluding all forms of
alliteration, which can be found in the following lines from Book I of the
Metamorphoses: Nam caelō terrās et terrīs abscidit undās et liquidum spissō
secrevit ab aere caelum.
CHIASMUS, ANASTROPHE, OR POLYSYNDETON (any two of these)
7. Quid Anglicē significat “trīticum”?
WHEAT
B1: Quid Anglicē significat “pignus”?
PLEDGE
B2: Quid Anglicē significat “stragēs”?
DESTRUCTION / RUIN / SLAUGHTER
8. What king of Olenus entertained Heracles as he returned home from cleaning the
Augeian stables?
DEXAMENUS
B1: Name the daughter of Dexamenus whom Hercales saved by killing the
centaur Eurytion who was attempting to kidnap her.
MNESIMACHE
B2: Dexamenus also had two other daughters whom he married off to the
Moliones. Name one of them.
THERONICE OR THERAEPHONE
9. Translate into Latin: Orpheus, don’t fear the women.
NOLĪ TIMĒRE / METUERE / VERĒRĪ FEMINĀS, ORPHEU
(ALSO NĒ TIMUERIS... / CAVE TEMEAS...)
B1: Translate into Latin: Orpheus feared that the women were crazy.
ORPHEUS TIMUIT/METUIT/VERITUS EST NĒ FEMINAE INSANAE ESSENT
B2: Translate into Latin: If only Orpheus hadn’t been torn apart so ferociously.
UTINAM NĒ / NŌN ORPHEUS TAM FEROCITER DIVULSUS ESSET
10. What commander effectively ended the Third Samnite War in 290 B.C. but is
perhaps more famous for fighting Pyrrhus at Beneventum in 275 B.C.?
CURIUS DENTATUS
B1: What battle of 293 B.C. was the last major engagement between the Romans
& Samnites?
AQUILONIA
B2: Who commanded the Romans at Aquilonia?
PAPIRIUS CURSOR
11. Nero Caesar, Drusus Caesar, Agrippina the Younger, and Caligula were all
children of what two famous members of the Julio-Claudian family?
GERMANICUS & AGRIPINA THE ELDER
B1: Using your knowledge of the Julio-Claudian family tree, name one of the
maternal grandmothers of Agrippina the Elder on her mother’s side.
ATIA or SENTIA
B2: Again using your knowledge of the Julio-Claudian family tree, name one of
the paternal great-grandfathers of Brittanicus?
MARK ANTHONY OR TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS NERO
12. For the verb frigō, frigere, give the 1st person plural, pluperfect active
subjunctive.
FRIXISSEMUS
B1: Change frixissemus to the perfect passive.
FRICTI/-AE/-A SIMUS
nd
B2: Change fricti simus to the 2 person plural, future active imperative.
FRIGITOTE
13. Who swam to the bottom of the Alcyonian Lake in an attempt to bring his mother
Semele back from the dead?
DIONYSUS
B1: Who guided Dionysus through the Underworld only asking in return that
Dionysus sleep with him?
PROSYMNUS / PROSYMUS / POLYMNUS
B2: After Dionysus brought back and deified Semele, what name did she
assume?
THYONE
14. Differentiate in meaning between facundus and fecundus.
FACUNDUS – ELOQUENT; FECUNDUS – FERTILE, FECUND, RICH
B1: ... ebur and uber.
EBUR – IVORY; UBER – FERTILE/TEAT
B2: ... perpes and praepes.
PERPES – LASTING; PRAEPES – SWIFT / WINGED
15. Name the author and speech which, in 197 AD, seeks to secure protection from
the populace for a set of provincial Christians and is addressed to the Roman
governors of those provinces?
TERTULLIAN & APOLOGETICUS/APOLOGETICUM
B1: Tertullian’s Apologeticus shares similarities with what other Latin apologist’s
dialogue on Christianity entitled Octavius?
(MARCUS) MINUCIUS FELIX
B2: In addition to Christianity, to what religion did Tertullian convert later on in
his life?
MONTANISM
16. From what Latin noun with what meaning do we ultimately derive “maul” and
“malleable”?
MALLEUS: HAMMER, MALLET
B1: From what Latin noun with what meaning do we ultimately derive
“maloplasty” and “maxillofacial”?
MĀLA (or MĀXILLA): CHEEK, JAW
B2: From what Latin noun do we derive “mauve” and “marshmallow”?
MALVA
17. Complete the following grammatical analogy: fūnus : fūnestus :: favor :
.
FAUSTUS
B1: ... favor : faustus :: cornū :
.
CORNUTUS
B2: ... fluctus : fluctuōsus :: pestis :
.
PESTILENTUS / PESTILĒNS
18. What late western emperor ruled in Dalmatia until 480 A.D. even though
Romulus Augustulus, who generally considered the last emperor, had been
deposed in 476?
JULIUS NEPOS
B1: What late emperor preceded Nepos and ruled briefly from 473-474 A.D.?
GLYCERIUS
B2: What magister militum, prince of the Bergundians, and a nephew of Ricimer,
continued in his uncle’s footsteps of being the so-called emperor maker, elevating
Glycerius to the throne?
GUNDOBAD
19. What 10-book work completed in the first century A.D. was comprised of several
recipes and served as a Roman cookbook?
DE COQUENDO / DE RE COQUINARIA
B1: Give the full name of the author of De Re Coquinaria?
MARCUS GAVIUS APICIUS
B2: What other author, who also worked during the first century A.D., wrote a
two book history covering the period from the Trojan War to the Death of Livia,
dedicated to Marcus Vincius?
(VELLIUS) PATERCULUS
20. What woman in mythology, the daughter of Aegisthus and Clytemnestra,
allegedly brought her half-brother Orestes to trial for matricide?
ERIGONE
B1: According to other accounts, Erigone married Orestes and bore him a son.
Name this son.
TISAMENUS / PENTHILUS
B2: All accounts agree that what brother of Erigone was killed by Orestes?
ALETES
FINALS EXTRA QUESTIONS
LANGUAGE
1. What do the following words have in common: sapphirus, ficus, and humus?
FEMININE SECOND DECLENSION NOUNS
B1: What do these adjectives have in common: serus, teres, surdus, and ingens?
THEY ALL LACK A SUPERLATIVE
B2: To what noun classification of nouns does dicionis belong? TETRAPTOTES
2. Which of the following, if any, is not derived from the same Latin root as the
others: “parity”, “peer”, “impair”, “apparel”?
IMPAIR
B1: From what Latin adjective with what meaning is “impair” derived?
PEIOR: WORSE (or MALUS: BAD)
B2: You probably already know that the rest of the words in the toss-up are
derived from pār ‘equal’. Which of the following words is/are also derived from
pār: “pardon”, “disparage”, “repair”, “compare”, “multiparity”?
DISPARAGE and COMPARE
MYTHOLOGY
3. On what island did Demodocus’ tales of the Trojan bring Odysseus to tears?
SCHERIE / PHAEACIA / DREPANE
B1: While he was staying amongst the Phaeakians, what athlete rudely taunted
Odysseus for not participating in the celebratory games?
EURYALUS / SEA-REACH / BROADSEA
B2: From what island had Odysseus drifted immediately prior to landing on the
island of the Phaeacians?
OGYGIA
ROMAN HISTORY
4. What late Roman emperor, like Drusus the Elder centuries prior, died as a result
of a horse riding accident in 450 A.D.?`
THEODOSIUS II
B1: Name the two women, his mother and sister, who heavily influenced
Theodosius II’s reign.
PULCHERIA and AELIA EUDOXIA
B2: Name the two emperors, not including any usurpers, who ruled in the west
during the lengthy reign of Theodosius II? HONORIUS and VALINTENIAN III
LATIN LITERATURE
5. What Late Latin author from Carthage opens his didactic work with a recusatio
and goes on to write on the techniques of hunting?
(MARCUS AURELIUS OLYMPIUS) NEMESIANUS
B1: Give the Latin title of this work on hunting techniques.
CYNEGETICA
B2: To what two authors did Nemesianus dedicate this work?
NUMARIAN AND CARINUS