Level 1 Flashcards
What Roman hero single-handedly (so to speak) proved the strength and bravery of the Romans when he thrust his right hand into a fire and let it burn?
Bonus: Whom did this hero succeed in impressing?
(MUCIUS) SCAEVOLA
LARS PORSENA
Who was sent to Colchis with the Argonauts to retrieve the golden fleece?
Bonus: What beautiful, young woman, the daughter of the king of Colchis, fell in love with this person and helped him obtain the fleece?
JASON
MEDEA
What athletic event is named after a battle between the Athenians and Persians in 490 BC?
Bonus: In what track and field event did Myron’s Discobolos participate?
MARATHON
DISCUS
A “clue” is any guide to the solution of a problem. The Middle English word clewe means a ball of yarn or thread. What hero got a clewe and solved the problem of finding his way out of the labyrinth?
Bonus: Who gave this hero a clewe?
THESEUS
ARIADNE
What western province did Rome gain after winning the second Punic war?
Bonus: The Carthaginian attack on what city in this province led to the second Punic war?
HISPANIA/SPAIN
SAGUNTUM
What is the difference in meaning between inter and intra?
Bonus: What about ibi and ubi?
INTER - “BETWEEN” and INTRA - “WITHIN”
IBI - “THERE” and UBI - “WHERE”
Identify the common bond: myrmillo, retiarius, Thracian.
Bonus: What fourth type of these people fought with a sword a, visored helmet, and oblong shield?
TYPES OF GLADIATORS
SAMNITE
Why was salt important for a Roman soldier?
USED AS CURRENCY or COULD PRESERVE MEAT or SEASONING, etc.
The “Pillars of Hercules” marks what geographical body of water?
Bonus: What mythological monsters makes the Straits of Messina between Italy and Sicily a dangerous place?
STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR
SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS
Complete the following analogy - Ulysses : Odysseus :: : Persephone.
Bonus: What did the Romans call Asclepius, the god of medicine?
PROSERPINA
AESCULAPIUS
What Latin term, originally restricted to meat, came to be used as a general term for a market containing shops and stalls?
Bonus: What emperor built a huge, semi-circular market place in Rome, along with his forum containing libraries and a column?
MACELLUM
TRAJAN
By what river did the gods swear oaths?
Bonus: How many times did this river flow around Hades?
STYX
NINE
What year was called the “year of the four emperors”?
Bonus: Who were the four emperors?
Bonus: What dynasties ruled directly before and after that tumultuous year?
AD 69
GALBA, OTHO, VITELLIUS, VESPASIAN
JULIO-CLAUDIAN and FLAVIAN
What geographical phrase applied to the Greek territory in Southern Italy and Sicily before the Romans became dominant in Italy?
Bonus: What other Mediterranean power shared possession of the island of Sicily?
MAGNA GRAECIA
CARTHAGINIAN or PHOENICIAN
Identify the common bond: Aphrodite, Hera, Athena on Mt. Ida?
Bonus: Identify: Eris, Ate, Discordia.
THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS
THE GODDESS OF DISCORD
Identify the common bond: Ptolemy XIII, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony.
Bonus: What was the name of Cleopatra’s son by Julius Caesar?
INVOLVED IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLEOPATRA
CAESARION
One who withstands all kinds of adversity and seemingly endless delays is said to have the patience of what female character from Homer’s Odyssey?
Bonus: For how long did this character have to wait for her husband to return home?
Bonus: After waiting for the return of her husband Odysseus for this long, her son, by what name, set out to find his father?
PENELOPE
TWENTY YEARS
TELEMACHUS
Who am I? I was very beautiful and suitors came from many cities to win my hand. Many paid for it with their life, for to win my hand they had to beat me in a foot race, and the penalty for losing was death. Finally I was beaten by a handsome young man, who tossed a golden apple to distract me.
Bonus 1: Who was the man who defeated her with the use of golden apples given to him by Venus?
Bonus 2: What happened when these two failed to show proper respect to a temple when they were on a hunt?
ATLANTA
HIPPOMENES
THEY WERE TURNED INTO LIONS
What is the meaning of the correlative construction et… et…?
Bonus: What about alii…alii…?
BOTH…AND…
SOME…OTHERS…
Spell the answer to the following question: What hero left his plow to save Rome from a military crisis?
Bonus: To what office was he appointed?
C-I-N-C-I-N-N-A-T-U-S
DICTATOR
Would a paycheck be an example of ex post facto, quid pro quo, ne plus ultra, or ex tempore?
Bonus: Would your applying sun-tan lotion after a blizzard be non sequitur, sine qua non, or ipso facto?
QUID PRO QUO
NON SEQUITUR
What river did Caesar cross in 49 BC, thus essentially declaring civil war on Rome?
Bonus: What river marking the boundary between Gaul and Germany was Caesar the first to cross?
RUBICON
RHINE
Identify the author of the following passage: “All Gaul is divided into three parts.”
Bonus: Identify this author: “Seize the day and trust as little as possible in tomorrow.”
JULIUS CAESAR
HORACE
The English phrase “to make an unexpected comeback” or “to rally after a defeat” refers to what mythological bird?
Bonus: Upon making the comeback of the century in your basketball championship, who would be the Greek goddess of victory to whom you would make your offerings of thanks?
PHOENIX
NIKE
Which of the following items would an ancient Roman not have eaten: cabbage, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, or carrots?
Bonus: What was the favorite meat of the Romans?
TOMATOES
PORK
All Romans wore tunics. Who wore a tunic with a narrow crimson stripes running from each shoulder down to the botom of the garment?
Bonus: What was a tunica recta?
EQUITES or KNIGHTS
GARMENT FOR WEDDING CEREMONY
What is the second person singular, present active indicative of the verb “to bring, bear, or carry”?
Bonus: What is the third person plural, present active indicative of the verb “to go”?
FERS
EUNT
What cliff-top fortress was the site where Jewish rebels chose to commit suicide rather than surrender to the beseiging Romans?
Bonus: In what year did this siege end?
MASADA
AD 73
Name the three architectural orders of columns.
Bonus: Of what architectural order is the Parthenon in Athens?
DORIC, IONIC, and CORINTHIAN
DORIC
Identify the common bond: in, super, sub.
Bonus 1: What does sub taking the accusative case mean?
PREPOSITIONS WHICH CAN TAKE THE ACCUSATIVE OR ABLATIVE CASES
UNDER, UP TO, TO THE FOOT OF
In which direction would you travel from Rome to get to Egypt?
Bonus: In which direction would you travel to get from Egypt to Asia Minor?
SOUTHEAST
NORTH
In what tense is a word ending -iet?
Bonus: What tense is marked by -era + endings?
FUTURE
PLUPERFECT
Who was the greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan War and name his Trojan counterpart?
Bonus: With whom did this warrior quarrel in Homer’s Iliad, thus causing him to sulk in his tent?
ACHILLES and HECTOR
AGAMEMNON
What title was bestowed upon Octavian in 27BC and what does it mean?
Bonus: What was the period of peace and prosperity during Augustus’ reign called?
AUGUSTUS - “HALLOWED” or “VENERATED”
PAX ROMANA or PAX AUGUSTA
Who was the author of the work containing Arachne being changed into a spider, Narcissus being changed into a flower, and Julius Caesar being changed into a shooting star?
Bonus: Who was the author of an early history of Rome describing the rape of the Sabine women?
OVID
LIVY
Who was the god of trade, travelers, commerce, manual skill, oratory, eloquence, thieves, and of the wind, which he used to convey the messages of the gods?
Bonus: What other job did this god have after the death of mortals?
HERMES or MERCURY
LEADING THE SOUL TO THE UNDERWORLD
The Chimaera is made up of what three beasts and what parts do they represent?
Bonus: Who killed the Chimaera?
GOAT - BODY and LION - HEAD and DRAGON/SERPENT - TAIL
BELLEROPHON
What Roman hero single-handedly held off the advancing Etruscan army until the Romans could make it safely across the Tiber River?
Bonus: What bridge did they have to cross and destroy to thwart the Etruscans? This destruction by his comrades caused the hero to swim the river in full armor to return to Rome.
HORATIUS (COCLES)
PONS SUBLICIUS
What young lovers had to communicate through a crack in the wall because their parents forbade them to see each other?
Bonus: The bloody death of this couple is the reason for today’s red color of what previously white berry?
PYRAMUS AND THISBE
MULBERRY
Besides a conjunction, et can be an adverb. How is it translated as an adverb?
Bonus: What famous quote from Julius Caesar aptly illustrates this usage?
ALSO, EVEN or TOO
ET TU, BRUTE?
Identify the common bond: Campus Martius, Subura, Forum.
Bonus: In which section above was the Pantheon located?
SECTIONS OF THE CITY OF ROME
CAMPUS MARTIUS
Who were the first and last emperors of Rome in the West?
Bonus: In what year did the Western Roman empire fall?
AUGUSTUS and ROMULUS AUGUSTULUS
AD 76
For what unspeakable act did the primordial giants pile Mt. Ossa and Mt. Pelion on Mt. Olympus?
Bonus: These giants sprung from whose blood as it fell upon the earth?
IN ORDER TO REACH AND ATTACK THE GODS
CRONUS or SATURN
Give the principal parts of the root verb from which we derive the English noun “permission”.
Bonus: Give the principal parts of the root verb from which we derive “reaction”.
MITTO, MITTERE, MISI, MISSUM
AGO, AGERE, EGI, ACTUM
On what hill was Rome originally founded?
Bonus: Where did Remus, Romulus’ brother, want to found the city?
PALATINE
AVENTINE
First year students must often learn the special declension of the two nouns mare and animal. Give the ablative singular forms of these two words.
Bonus 1: What is the grammatical designation of these two words?
Bonus 2: Decline mare completely.
MARI, ANIMALI
THIRD DECLENSION, NEUTER, I-STEMS
MARE, MARIS, MARI, MARE, MARI, MARIA, MARIUM, MARIBUS, MARIA, MARIBUS
Who was the emperor when Christ was born and what were the dates of his rule?
Bonus: Of what dynasty was this emperor the founder?
(CAESAR) AUGUSTUS, 27 BC - AD 14
JULIO-CLAUDIAN
Augustus’ stepson Tiberius was the emperor when Christ was crucified. He probably didn’t even know about the event, however, as it occurred in what out of-the-way Roman province?
Bonus: Who was the Roman procurator of this province at the time?
JUDEA
PONTIUS PILATE
Who am I? I was the king of Sparta, and after winning the hand of the most beautiful woman in the world, I had to suffer the indignity of having her taken away by the Trojan prince Paris. My brother Agamemnon and I had to fight for ten years to get her back.
Bonus: Who was the father of this king and Agamemnon?
MENELAUS
ATREUS
Who am I? I thought of the idea of how to get inside the walls of Troy, though I didn’t actually build the horse. I had ten long years of trying to get home to Ithaca before I was finally united with my wife Penelope.
Bonus: What goddess gave this man the idea of the Trojan horse?
ODYSSEUS
ATHENA
Looking at a new Pennsylvania quarter, I do indeed find the motto E pluribus unum on there. What abbreviation was stamped on Roman coins and what Latin words does it stand for?
Bonus 2: Now what does the abbreviation i.e. stand for in Latin in English?
SPQR, SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS
ID EST, THAT IS
What road was known as the Regina Viarum which happened to run the width of Italy?
Bonus: To what city did this road originally run?
VIA APPIA/THE APPIAN WAY
CAPUA
Who was the famous Thracian slave who led a rebellion in 73 B.C.?
Bonus 1: What happened in the end to the slaves who were captured when this slave was finally defeated by Crassus?
Bonus 2: From what city did this slave and his first followers escape?
SPARTACUS
THEY WERE CRUCIFIED
CAPUA
Who was the general who put down the slave revolt led by Spartacus before Pompey arrived from Spain?
Bonus: What other general mopped up remnants of Spartactus’ forces and tried to claim credit for the victory?
CRASSUS
POMPEY
What Greek hero killed Hector?
Bonus: Who killed Achilles and how?
ACHILLES
PARIS SHOT HIM IN THE HEEL WITH AN ARROW
Why was Achilles only vulnerable in his heel?
Bonus: Who was Achilles mother?
HIS MOTHER HAD DIPPED HIM IN THE RIVER STYX TO MAKE HIM IMMORTAL BUT THE WATER DIDN’T COVER THE HEEL WHERE SHE HELD ON TO HIM.
THETIS
Welcome to the Cinema Romanum. What classic movie would you be watching if you saw Mea Domina Pulchra?
Bonus: What story of an artist who falls in love with his own creation is this tale loosely based upon?
MY FAIR LADY
PYGMALION AND GALATEA
To which Greek goddess is the Parthenon dedicated?
Bonus: What gift did Athena give to Athens?
ATHENA
OLIVE TREE
Of the verb forms ero, eram, or fuero, which one happened earliest?
Bonus: So we’ve heard ero, eram, fuero. Keeping the same person and number, give the other three indicative forms of this verb.
ERAM
FUERAM, FUI, SUM
Rome’s first major highway, the Via Appia was constructed in 312 B.C. The same man supervised the construction of Rome’s first aqueduct. What was it called?
Bonus: Give the name of the blind man who was censor when these were built.
AQUA APPIA APPIUS CLAUDIUS (CAECUS)
What garment with what appearance was worn by senators?
Bonus 1: Who else wore the toga praetexta?
Bonus 2: What toga did a boy assume on manhood?
TOGA PRAETEXTA, WITH A PURPLE BORDER
BOYS
TOGA VIRILIS/PURA
The Greeks didn’t respect Ares too much because they thought of him as bloodthirsty. The Romans associated their mythological counterpart not only with war, however, but also with agriculture. They named what month after him?
Bonus: What was significant about March 1st in the early Roman calendar?
MARCH
IT WAS ORIGINALLY NEW YEAR’S DAY
Say in Latin, “Are you watching?”
Bonus: What is the grammatical term for -ne?
SPECTASNE, SPECTATISNE
ENCLITIC INTERROGATIVE PARTICIPLE
Apollo’s son, the god Aesculapius, was the god of medicine. His symbol was a staff with snakes twining around it. What other Roman god carried this staff?
Bonus: What was the name of this staff?
MERCURY
CADUCEUS
What name with what literal meaning did the Romans call the Mediterranean?
Bonus 1: What are the literal meanings of the Latin words medius and terra which give our name for that body of water?
Bonus 2: Why did they call it what they did?
MARE NOSTRUM, OUR SEA
MIDDLE, LAND/EARTH
BECAUSE THEY POSSESSED ALL OF THE LAND SURROUNDING THE SEA
In what year did Octavius become Octavian and why?
Bonus: When did he become Augustus, and what does that title mean?
44 BC, ADOPTED BY JULIUS CAESAR IN CAESAR’S WILL
27 BC, AUGUST/REVERED
If Caesar had been speaking about his men rather than himself at the Battle of Zela in 47 B.C., what would he have said?
Bonus: Whom did Caesar defeat at this battle?
VENERUNT, VIDERUNT, VICERUNT
PHARNACES
When Julius Caesar was appointed dictator in 46. B.C., he was given a term of ten years. How much longer was this than the usual maximum term?
Bonus: What famous dictator was in his fields plowing when he found that he had been appointed to save Rome from the enemy?
NINE AND A HALF YEARS
CINCINNATUS
Every dictator appointed an assistant called the magister equitum. What does that mean?
Bonus: What types of genitives are seen in these phrases?
CAVALRY/MASTER OF THE HORSE
GENITIVE OF OBJECTIVE
Plutarch tells us that Marc Antony sometimes wore a large, coarse mantle, perhaps resembling a lion skin, because he fancied himself to be a descendant of what ancient hero?
Bonus: How did Hercules kill the Nemean lion?
HERCULES
HE CLUBBED IT TO DEATH
I once heard a story about a woman who whispered “Alea iacta est” after she said “I do” in her wedding ceremony. Why was it strangely appropriate under the circumstances?
Bonus: What was the date of the original famous event?
THE PHRASE MARKED AN EVENT THAT COULD NOT BE UNDONE
JANUARY 10, 49 BC
Horses, dolphins, and the trident are associated with which god?
Bonus: What gift that was refused did Neptune offer to Athens?
NEPTUNE/POSEIDON
A SALTWATER SPRING
Give four other nouns of the same declension and gender (1st masculine) as poeta.
PIRATA, AGRICOLA, PROPHETA, INCOLA, NAUTA, SCRIBA, AURIGA, ATHLETA, ETC.
Explain the distinction in meaning between hostis and inimicus.
Bonus: Say in Latin: “Our men do not fear the enemy.”
HOSTIS- PUBLIC ENEMY, INIMICUS- PERSONAL ENEMY
NOSTRI VIROS HOSTES NON TIMENT
Tiberius Gracchus, a leader of the populares because of his work in agrarian reform, was not able to obtain a second tribuneship for 132 B.C. Why not?
Bonus: How did Gaius Gracchus die in 121 B.C?
HE WAS MURDERED BY SENATORS
HE HAD A SLAVE STAB HIM SO THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ARRESTED
On what finger did a Roman woman wear her wedding ring?
Bonus 1: What color was a bridal veil?
Bonus 2: What was the favorite month for Roman weddings?
RING FINGER OF THE LEFT HAND
SAFFRON
JUNE
What famous wedding was interrupted when Eris threw the Apple of Discord?
Bonus 1: What did this apple say, to whom was it awarded, and by whom?
Bonus 2: Who was the most famous son of Peleus and Thetis?
THE WEDDING OF PELEUS AND THETIS
FOR THE FAIREST, VENUS, PARIS
ACHILLES
The word fuerint can be third person plural perfect subjunctive. What other mood can it be?
Bonus 1: Change this form to the present indicative and the future.
Bonus 2: In what tense and voice does sunt appear as a helping verb?
FUTURE PERFECT INDICATIVE
SUNT and ERUNT
PERFECT PASSIVE
What political coaltion, though unofficial, began by the cooperation of Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar?
Bonus: Why did the triumvirate dissolve in 53 B.C.?
THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE
CRASSUS WAS KILLED IN BATTLE AGAINST THE PARTHIANS
Who was the last king of Troy?
Bonus: What son of Achilles killed him?
Bonus 2: What daughter-in-law of Priam, widow of Hector, did Pyrrhus take as a concubine?
PRIAM
PYRRHUS/NEOPTOLEMUS
ANDROMACHE
Quis sum? Exspecto dominum viginti annos. Fidelis canis Ulixis sum.
Bonus: What kind of construction is viginti annos.
ARGUS
ACCUSATIVE DURATION OF TIME
What Trojan refugee while on his way to Italy undutifully delayed with the Dido, the queen of Carthage?
Bonus 1: What was Dido’s other name?
Bonus 2: What messenger finally succeeded in causing Aeneas to renew his journey?
AENEAS
ELISSA
MERCURY
During the year that Cicero was consul, he succeeded in saving Rome from Cataline’s threat. What year was this?
Bonus 1: 63 B.C. is also famous for being the year in which what future emperor was born?
Bonus 2: During that same year, Augustus’ great uncle held the office of chief priest at Rome. Who was this relative, and what office did he hold?
63 BC
AUGUSTUS
JULIUS CAESAR, PONTIFEX MAXIMUS
Who in Rome wore the toga picta?
Bonus 1: What color was this toga?
Bonus 2: What toga was shining white, having been rubbed with chalk?
VICTORIOUS GENERALS
PURPLE
TOGA CANDIDA
What city did Aeneas found in Italy?
Bonus: After whom was this city named?
LAVINIUM
LAVINIA, AENEAS’ ITALIAN WIFE
What king is credited with establishing the religious customs of ancient Rome?
Bonus 1: One of Numa’s projects was the construction of a temple that would signify the alternations of war and peace. To what god was this temple dedicated?
Bonus 2: The doors of this temple were closed to signify that Rome was at peace with all her enemies. After what event in the late republic were the doors of the temple closed?
NUMA POMPILIUS
JANUS
THE BATTLE OF ACTIUM
Lucius Junius Brutus and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus were the first two consuls of Rome. What is the Roman term for the name that they have in common?
Bonus 1: What were their gens or clan names?
Bonus 2: What is the term for the names by which we usually refer to them, Brutus and Collatinus.
PRAENOMEN
JUNIUS and TARQUINIUS
COGNOMEN
A very famous mosaic discovered in the House of the Faun in Pompeii shows a dog and a Latin inscription. What is the Latin inscription and its English meaning?
Bonus 1: The House of the Faun is so called because of a statue of a Faun in the courtyard. What is a faun?
CAVE CANEM, BEWARE THE DOG
HALF MAN, HALF GOAT
Between 264 and 146 B.C. Rome waged what series of wars against another major power in the Mediterranean?
Bonus 1: What was the prize Rome won in the 1st Punic War?
Bonus 2: What did Rome gain at the end of the 2nd Punic War?
PUNIC WARS
SICILY
SPAIN
What Titan brought fire to mankind?
Bonus 1: How was Prometheus punished for this crime?
Bonus 2: What brother of Prometheus was given a wife by the gods?
PROMETHEUS
HE WAS CHAINED TO A CLIFF, AND HIS LIVER WAS EATEN DAILY BY AN EAGLE
EPIMETHEUS
There’s an old abbreviation that used to be used on invitations and other such things. It was D.V. and was used to indicate that the plan would come to pass only if circumstances beyond the planners control allowed. Give the Latin words and English meaning of this abbreviation.
Bonus 1: What part of speech is volente? Be specific.
Bonus 2: What kind of construction is Deo volente?
DEO VOLENTE- GOD WILLING
PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE
ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE
Who was the Roman general who defeated Hannibal at Zama?
Bonus 1: What year did this occur?
Bonus 2: Who was his grandson who finally destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C.?
(PUBLIUS CORNELIUS) SCIPIO AFRICANUS (MAIOR)
202 BC
PUBLIUS CORNELIUS SCIPIO AEMILIANUS AFRICANUS MINOR
What wily king of Corinth once handcuffed Hades and was therefore punished by Tartarus in the underworld by forever trying to roll a boulder up a hill?
Bonus 1: What wily king of Ithaca is sometimes said to be Sisyphus’ son?
Bonus 2: Who is more commonly said to be the father of this king?
SISYPHUS
ODYSSEUS/ULYSSES
LAERTES
Dic mihi nomina novem animalium.
EQUUS, CANIS, FELES, ASINUS, BOVIS, PORCUS, AVIS, OVIS, PISCIS, GALLINA
Valentine’s Day was just a short time ago, and our culture typically associates that day with love. What does the Latin phrase “Amor omnia vincit” mean?
Bonus: Sometimes lovers must learn to forgive and it’s good to remember “errare humanum est” What does that phrase mean?
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
TO ERR IS HUMAN
Venus, the Roman goddess of love, was jealous of what mortal whose beauty might have surpassed even her own?
Bonus: What does the name Psyche mean?
PSYCHE
SOUL
Venus’ husband was Vulcan. Who was her lover?
Bonus: Mars and Vulcan were brothers. Who was their mother?
MARS
JUNO
What emperor’s name meant “little boot”?
Bonus 1: How did he get this nickname?
Bonus 2: What Roman emperor regaled his guests on the Isle of Capri and then flung them off of his mountain into the Bay of Naples?
CALIGULA
HE GREW UP IN MILITARY CAMPS AND WAS DRESSED IN MINIATURE SOLDIER’S UNIFORM
TIBERIUS
We get our word candidate from the Latin word candidus, -a, -um meaning bright white. How did it come to mean a person running for a position or office?
Bonus: In an election, how many people could be elected for the position of consul?
IN ANCIENT ROME, PEOPLE WHO WERE RUNNING FOR OFFICE WOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THEIR BRIGHT WHITE TOGAS (TOGA CANDIDA)
TWO
Deucalion and Pyrrha, the sole survivors of the flood in Greek mythology, were instructed to “throw the bones of their mother over their shoulders.” What did they do to carry out these directions?
Bonus: What happened when they threw the stones over their shoulders?
THEY THREW STONES (THE BONES OF MOTHER EARTH) OVER THEIR SHOULDERS
MEN AND WOMEN SPRANG UP
One emperor of Rome is famous for supposedly fiddling while Rome burned in 64 AD. Who was he?
Bonus: He was the last emperor of what dynasty, or family?
NERO
JULIO CLAUDIAN EMPERORS
What emperor named his horse a senator?
Bonus: What was the horse’s name?
CALIGULA
INCITATUS
Who were the plebeians in Rome?
Bonus: Who were the Equites?
COMMON PEOPLE/LOWER CLASSES
KNIGHTS/RICH PLEBEIANS
Every Roman knew of the temple in which a fire must always be burning. To what goddess was this temple dedicated?
Bonus: What did the Romans think would happen if the fire went out?
VESTA
ROME WOULD FALL
What happened on August 24, 79 A.D.?
Bonus: Name the three towns destroyed in that catastrophe.
ERUPTION OF MT. VESUVIUS
POMPEII, HERCULANEUM, STABIAE
Who caused the Sphinx to destroy herself by correctly answering the riddle she posed to passers-by?
Bonus: And what was that riddle and its answer?
OEDIPUS
WHAT CREATURE WALKS ON FOUR LEGS IN THE MORNING, TWO AT NOON, AND THREE IN THE EVENING? MAN
Distinguish in meaning between moneo and maneo.
Bonus: Now distinguish in meaning between dico and disco.
I WARN and I STAY
I SAY and I LEARN
Responde Latine: Take the number of consuls each year, add the number of the kings of Rome, and multiply by the number of Julio-Claudian Emperors.
Bonus: Speaking of Julio-Claudian emperors, which one was the nephew of Tiberius and the uncle of Caligula?
45
CLAUDIUS
What were the two ways of disposing of a dead body in ancient Rome?
Bonus: You might have a tomb along the Appian Way if you were important enough, but no matter who you were where could you never be buried?
BURIAL and CREMATION
WITHIN THE CITY
With what great power of the Western Mediterranean did Rome fight three wars?
Bonus: Who was the Roman general who finally defeated Hannibal and in which of the three wars did this occur?
CARTHAGE
SCIPIO AFRICANUUS and THE 2ND
Give me the numbers 10 and 50 in Roman numerals.
Bonus: Give the sum of the numbers represented by the word “civil”.
X and L
157
In ancient Rome the officials had different functions. What was the primary function of the quaestor?
Bonus: The quaestors were normally young men just starting their career. To which higher officials of the state were they attached?
TREASURER
THE CONSULS
What Roman emperor founded a new capital for the Empire in the East in 330 A.D., now know as Istanbul?
Bonus: The new capital was, of course, named Constantinople, but it was really an older city renamed and rebuilt. What was the original city?
CONSTANTINE
BYZANTIUM
What is missing from this sequence? fabula, fabulae, fabulae, fabulam, fabulae, fabularum, fabulis, fabulas, fabulis?
Bonus: What is missing from this sequence? mons, montis, monti, montem, monte, montes, montibus, montes, montibus.
FABULA
MONTIUM
Nero got a little carried away with just about everything. He thought the old palace was too small, so he built himself a Domus aurea. What is the meaning of that phrase Domus aurea?
Bonus: They say that Nero fiddled while Rome burned, but the instrument was probably this gift of Hermes to Apollo?
GOLDEN HOUSE
THE LYRE
What famous Greek, born in 356 B.C., invaded and conquered the Persian Empire?
Bonus: What was the name of his kingdom in Greece?
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
MACEDONIA
Who was the daughter of King Aeetes, skilled in magical arts, who aided Jason in his quest for the golden fleece?
Bonus: Sisterly devotion was not this daughter’s strong suit. What did she do to her little brother to escape from her pursuing father?
MEDEA
CUT HIM UP AND DROPPED THE PIECES INTO THE SEA
As you progress in Latin, you will surely read the works of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Which of these names is a nomen.
Bonus: What is the term for Marcus?
TULLIUS
PRAENOMEN
What famous first emperor of Rome claimed to have restored the Republic in 27 B.C. but really inaugurated one man rule?
Bonus: By what name was Augustus know when he was fighting the civil wars?
AUGUSTUS
OCTAVIAN
What wily Greek won a footrace to earn Penelope’s hand in marriage?
Bonus: Whom had Odysseus wanted to marry but lost out to Menelaus?
ODYSSEUS
HELEN
Give the part of speech and meaning for the Latin word diu.
Bonus: Give the adverbs meaning “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.”
ADVERB and FOR A LONG TIME
HERI, HODIE, CRAS
We all know that one cannot tell the declension of a noun by its nominative singular. What three declensions could have nominatives ending in -us?
Bonus: What gender are most third declension nouns ending in -us?
2ND, 3RD, 4TH
NEUTER
Who am I? I traveled from Troezen to Athens to claim my birthright as the prince, and along the way I killed some famous bandits. One of these was
Procrustes, who used to stretch or slice people to fit his bed. I later traveled to Crete to kill the Minotaur.
Bonus: Who helped Theseus kill the Minotaur and how?
THESEUS
ARIADNE and SHE GAVE HIM A BALL OF THREAD SO THAT HE COULD FIND HIS WAY OUT OF THE LABYRINTH
What is the traditional birthday of Rome?
Bonus 1: What year did the Western Roman empire fall?
Bonus 2: On what exact date was Julius Caesar killed?
APRIL 21ST, 753 BC
476 AD
MARCH 15, 44 BC
What was the title of the highest elected position during the Roman republic?
Bonus: What office in ancient Rome could be held only by plebeians?
CONSUL
PLEBEIAN AEDILE
Differentiate in meaning between eramus and fueramus.
Bonus: Now say in Latin “they will be” and “they will have been.”
WE WERE and WE HAD BEEN; CONTINUING ACTION IN THE PAST and COMPLETED ACTION IN THE PAST
ERUNT and FUERINT
Who built the first permanent theater in Rome in 55 B.C.? Eleven years later it was the sight of Julius Caesar’s assassination?
Bonus: What is the difference in seating structure between a theater and an amphitheater?
POMPEY THE GREAT
A THEATER HAS SEATS IN A SEMI-CIRCLE FACING THE STAGE WHEREAS AN AMPHITHEATER FORMS A FULL CIRCLE
What is the term for two vowels which together form one sound and how is it spelled?
Bonus: We all know the word et. Now give two other ways to say “and” in Latin.
DIPHTHONG
ATQUE/AC
What self-centered young man fell in love with his own reflection?
Bonus: What rejected nymph prayed that Narcissus would suffer from the pain of unfulfilled love?
NARCISSUS
ECHO
What case in Latin is used to show the object of the action implied in a noun such as “fear of fire”?
Bonus: What is the name of this construction?
GENITIVE
OBJECTIVE GENITIVE
At what sea battle off the coast of Greece did Octavian strike the decisive blow against his enemies?
Bonus: Who were these enemies, and in what year did this occur?
ACTIUM
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, 31 BC
After Cincinnatus rescued the Roman army, he forced the enemy to surrender and made them undergo what humiliating Italic custom?
Bonus: How long was Cincinnatus dictator before he returned to his farm?
SUBJUGATION/WALKING UNDER THE YOKE
16 DAYS
When Julius Caesar was given a perpetual dictatorship in February of 44 B.C. he probably expected that he would hold this office for years to come. How long did he actually hold it?
Bonus 1: When Julius Caesar had functioned as dictator in 48 and 47 B.C., he sent his magister equitum to calm things down in Italy. This man is the one we usually think of as Caesar’s right hand and was the Lupercus who offered Caesar the diadem in 44 B.C. Who was he?
Bonus 2: A different man became a magister equitum in 44 B.C., while Antony was appointed flamen. The two men were later mortal enemies. Who was this magister equitum?
ABOUT ONE MONTH
MARCUS ANTONIUS/MARC ANTONY
OCTAVIAN
How did Hercules kill the Nemean lion?
Bonus: For what king did Hercules perform his famous labors?
HE STRANGLED IT
EURYSTHEUS
What type of ablative is used in the following sentence: Milites magna audacia pugnant?
Bonus: What type of ablative is used in that sentence: Soldiers fight with swords?
ABLATIVE OF MANNER
MEANS
“Alea iacta est” has come into use as an expression that signifies a choice that cannot be undone. From what historical event does this phrase come?
Bonus 1: What did Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon signify?
Bonus 2: What was the date of that famous event?
JULIUS CAESAR SAID IT WHEN HE CROSSED THE RUBICON
THAT HE WAS DECLARING WAR
JANUARY 10, 49 BC
The Germans used to call their leader kaiser, the Russians tsar. From what famous Roman did these titles derive?
Bonus 1: What two men lead the conspiracy against Caesar?
Bonus 2: According to Shakespeare, Caesar’s last words were Et tu, Brute, but according to Roman historians, they were actually in Greek. What were his words and their meaning?
JULIUS CAESAR
BRUTUS AND CASSIUS
KAI SU, TEKNON and AND YOU, CHILD
What river runs through Rome?
Bonus 1: On what hill was the seat of government?
Bonus 2: What mountain range runs though Italy?
TIBER
CAPITOLINE
APPENNINES
Where did the Romans watch gladiator fights?
Bonus 1: Where were chariot races held?
Bonus 2: What was the center of civic activity?
COLOSSEUM
CIRCUS MAXIMUS
FORUM
What Roman Olympian gods were fraternal twins?
Bonus 1: What were Diana and Apollo’s Greek names?
Bonus 2: Who was their mother?
DIANA and APOLLO
ARTEMIS and APOLLO
LATONA (LETO)
What mood is used to give a command in Latin?
Bonus: What case is used when talking to someone?
IMPERATIVE
VOCATIVE
What island is at the tip of Italy’s boot?
Bonus 1: What volcano can be found on Sicily?
Bonus 2: What volcano erupted in 79 AD?
SICILY
MT. ETNA
MT. VESUVIUS
Translate the antonyms “semper” and “numquam.”
Bonus 1: Give the Latin antonyms for “good and bad.”
Bonus 2: How about “big and small?”
ALWAYS AND NEVER
BONUS AND MALUS
MAGNUS AND PARVUS
Give the principal parts and translation of the Latin verb that gives us the English word “habitual.”
Bonus 1: Give the principal parts of the Latin verb, often confused with “habeo,” that means “to inhabit.”
Bonus 2: Give the principal parts of the Latin verb that means “to hold or keep.”
HABEO, HABERE, HABUI, HABITUS- HAVE, HOLD
HABITO, HABITARE, HABITAVI, HABITATUS
TENEO, TENERE, TENUI, TENTUS
If you are standing in the “cubiculum” of a Roman house, where would you be?
Bonus 1: In what Roman room would you do the cooking?
Bonus 2: In what Roman room would you eat your dinner?
BEDROOM
CULINA
TRICLINIUM
What famous seaside city was covered in ash as a result of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius?
Bonus: In Pompeii a famous mosaic was preserved with the warning “Cave canem.” Translate this warning.
POMPEII
BEWARE THE DOG
Give the singular imperative for the verb ‘to give’?
Bonus: What would the vocative singular be for the names ‘Flaccus’ and ‘Flavius’?
DA/DONA
FLACCE and FLAVI
Besides the Tiber, name another river in Italy.
Bonus 1: Name the port city located at the mouth of the Tiber River.
Bonus 2: Who started a civil war when he crossed the Rubicon River?
PO, ARNO, or RUBICON
OSTIA
JULIUS CAESAR
Give the Roman and Greek name of the god from whom the Romans traced their descent.
Bonus: Give the name of the Trojan hero from whom the Romans traced their descent.
MARS, ARES
AENEAS
What type of prepositional phrase is used for “with an unhappy farmer”?
Bonus: Name a type of prepositional phrase that never uses a Latin preposition.
ABLATIVE OF ACCOMPANIMENT
ABLATIVE OF MEANS
Quis est filius Veneris?
Bonus: Of what two substances were Cupid’s arrows made?
CUPID/EROS, AENEAS
LEAD AND GOLD
Minerva’s shield was used by Perseus to kill whom?
Bonus: Zeus was the father of Perseus. Who was his mother?
MEDUSA
DANAE
Most of us know that the valedictorian of your school class has the highest average of all the students in the class, but what exactly does "valedictorian" mean?
Bonus 1: A benefactor is a generous person, but what does "benefactor" literally mean?
Bonus 2: When one abstains from alcohol or drugs, you just don't do it, but what does "abstain" literally mean?GOOD-BYE-SAYER
GOOD-DOER
KEEP/ HOLD AWAY
Where did rain water usually accumulate in the Roman house?
Bonus 1: In which room was the impluvium located?
Bonus 2: Which part of the Roman house was even more open to the rain than the atrium?
IMPLUVIUM
ATRIUM
PERISTYLIUM
What Trojan prince was welcomed to Carthage?
Bonus 1: On what continent is Carthage?
Bonus 2: Who is Aeneas’ divine mother?
AENEAS
AFRICA
VENUS
The Minotaur is sometimes thought to be represented by what sign of the Zodiac?
Bonus 1: Who killed the Minotaur?
Bonus 2: Who built the maze where the Minotaur lived?
TAURUS
THESEUS
DAEDALUS/ MINOS
The power of what Roman legal body was symbolized by the abbreviation SPQR?
Bonus 1: In Latin, what does SPQR stand for and what does it mean?
Bonus 2: Which members of the Roman government could veto discussions of the senate?
SENATE
SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS- THE SENATE AND THE PEOPLE OF ROME
TRIBUNES
Which planet in our solar system is so named because its color is that of blood?
Bonus 1: Which planet’s speed around the sun gave it its name?
Bonus 2: Which planet’s greenish blue color of the sea gave it its name?
MARS
MERCURY
NEPTUNE
Who rises when her twin brother has stabled his horses which pull the chariot of the sun?
Bonus 1: What lover, a constellation in the winter sky, is Diana said to have killed?
DIANA/ARTEMIS
ORION
Say “thank you” in Latin.
Bonus 1: Say “hello” to me in Latin.
Bonus 2: What does SALVE mean literally?
GRATIAS (+ AGO)
SALVE
BE/ STAY WELL/HEALTHY
Through what sea did a Roman sail to reach Egypt?
Bonus 1: Romans sailing to Egypt probably landed in what capital city of the Ptolemies?
Bonus 2: The Romans called the the sea Mare Nostrum. Give a derivative from mare.
MEDITERRANEAN
ALEXANDRIA
MARITIME
What was the Graeco-Latin word for the slave who accompanied a Roman boy to school?
PAEDAGOGUS/PEDAGOGUE
Shakespeare’s Hamlet begins his soliloquy “To be or not to be.” How would one say “to be” in Latin?
Bonus 1: What derivative of that verb means “being” or “existence”?
Bonus 2: What is the Latin word for “tomorrow,” the root of our English word “procrastinate”?
ESSE
ESSENCE
CRAS
Who was the last king of Rome?
Bonus 1: Who was Rome’s first king?
Bonus 2: In what year did the monarchy end?
TARQUIN THE PROUD/TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS
ROMULUS
509 BC
What do we call the staff which Neptune carries?
Bonus: What do we call the staff which Pluto carries?
TRIDENT
BIDENT
What title was accorded to the two men who headed the Roman government during the republic?
Bonus 1: What title was given to the Roman Emperor?
Bonus 2: Who was the first Roman Emperor?
CONSULS
CAESAR/IMPERATOR
AUGUSTUS
What Roman goddess protected the city of Rome?
Bonus 1: What is her Greek name?
Bonus 2: What group of 18 women maintained the eternal flame?
VESTA
HESTIA
VESTAL VIRGINS
Give the full Latin and its English meaning for the abbreviation p.m.
Bonus 1: What is the antonym of post?
Bonus 2: With ONE English word translate media nocte.
POST MERIDIEM, AFTER NOON
ANTE
MIDNIGHT
Portae, or Ianuae, was the name of Jim Morrison’s eternally famous band. Name it.
Bonus 1: What band might the Romans have called “Tu Duo”?
Bonus 2: What other Golden Oldie musical group was Mortui Grati?
THE DOORS
U-2
THE GRATEFUL DEAD
Which one of the following does not belong and why? amor, cupidus, Venus, voluptas.
Bonus: There are many verbs connected with love, and one the base of Cupid’s name. What is the verb for “to desire”?
CUPIDUS, SECOND DECLENSION
CUPIRE
Who am I? I attempted to ensnare three powerful Romans, and was successful with two. I had a son by the first, before he was foully murdered. The second was defeated at Actium despite the assistance of my navy. Alas, I was unable to woo his conqueror, who wanted to lead me—a queen of Eygpt!—in his triumph.
Bonus: Who was that third Roman with whom Cleopatra was unsuccessful?
CLEOPATARA
OCTAVIAN/AUGUSTUS
I was the son of Cephisus and the nymph Liriope. I was stooping down to drink from a stream, when I fell in love with my own reflection.
Bonus: Echo, of course, pined away for me. But who took away from her the ability to speak, leaving only an ability to repeat the words of others?
NARCISSUS
JUNO/HERA
