THE CERTAMEN QUESTIONS DATABASE http://www.speakeasy.org/~bwduncan/index.html THESE QUESTIONS WRITTEN BY: GAIUS STERN, 1999 EVENT: M. AURELIUS HELIOGABALUS CERTAMEN LOCATION: THE ACADEMY IN BERKELEY, CA LEVEL: I DIFFICULTY RATING: **** DATE: MAY 15, 1999 # OF QUESTIONS: 60+ NOTE: GAIUS STERN PREFACED THESE ROUNDS OF QUESTIONS BY NOTING: The Heliogabalus Certamen was hosted by the Academy in Berkeley, CA on 15 May 1999. This certamen was for level 1 teams only. Twelve teams played from Pinole Valley HS, Bellermine, Crosslands, The Bentley School, and the Academy. Each game was tracked and awards were given out to the top players at the tournament. All the questions were written by Gaius Stern. QUESTIONS WERE REFORMATTED (AND SOME MODIFIED) BY BRADFORD DUNCAN. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Welcome to the M. Aurelius Heliogabalus Certamen. Heliogabalus acquired the throne by pretending to be the illegitimate son of what recent, lousy emperor who was nevertheless beloved by the soldiers? M. Aurelius Antoninus CARACALLA B1. What short-lived emperor who had played a role in the assassination of Caracalla did Heliogabalus overthrow and replace? M. Opellius MACRINUS B2. Heliogabalus was such a bad emperor that he was slain by the soldiers after a short reign. Name any year in that reign. 218-222 2. If an adjective modified a noun, they must agree in what three ways? GENDER, NUMBER, CASE B1. In what way, or ways, must a subject and verb agree? NUMBER B2. Make "four men" agree in the accusative. QUATTUOR VIROS (homines) 3. This certamen is played on the Ides of May. Name any other two months where the Ides fall on the 15th. MARCH, JULY, or OCTOBER B1. What day of the month usually falls on the 5th but was the 7th in March, May, July, or October? NONES B2. What day was the Kalends of May? the FIRST of May 4. What sort of ablative would be used in translating the following sentence into Latin? "The soldiers fight with spears because they have no swords." INSTRUMENT (MEANS) B1. Give the Latin for the word that would be in the ablative case. TELIS or HASTIS B2. With what other ablative construction is cum always used? ACCOMPANIMENT 5. According to Vergil, this Greek hero ended up in Italy after the Trojan War, but he did not renew his fight with Aeneas. What hero, after having wounded Aphrodite, was driven from home by his unfaithful wife and settled in Arpi? DIOMEDES B1. What hero had to spend some time stranded in Egypt with his wife after the Trojan War? MENELAUS B2. Another Greek to relocate to Italy was what man who had inherited Heracles' bow and arrows? PHILOCTETES 6. Rome had seven kings. This does not count a co-king who was actually king of the Sabines in the earliest days of Rome. Who was this co-king? Titus TATIUS B1. With which king did Titus Tatius co-rule until his death? ROMULUS B2. After Titus Tatius, who was the next Sabine to rule in Rome? NUMA Pompilius 7. Sometimes a Latin sentence will have no noun as a subject. What other parts of speech can fill in and serve if they are nominative? PRONOUNS or ADJECTIVES B1. Using an adjective, say "The good men read books." LIBROS BONI LEGUNT B2. What is the adjective used as a subject called? SUBSTANTIVE 8. Greeks and Romans associated time with what mythological ruler who lost his throne in a revolution? SATURN B1. According to Romans, to what land did Saturn flee, ruling there with wisdom and creating a golden age? ITALY (Hesperia) B2. What item did Saturn usually carry, an item the Greeks say was used against him as a weapon? SCYTH or SICKLE 9. What sort of battle is not worth fighting if it costs the victor so much that it is difficult to press on after such considerable losses? PYRRHIC victory B1. What sort of field artillary did the Romans use to hurl giant arrows, though the name in English now refers to a machine to hurl stones? CATAPULTA B2. What sort of weapon did the Romans use to hurl stones, though we use this name to refer to a machine to hurl giant arrows? BALLISTA 10. The wedding of Peirithuous was broken up by the drunken misconduct of what wedding guests who tried to carry off most of the maids of honor? CENTAURS B1. In ancient art, this scene is often depicted as the battle between what people and the centaurs? LAPITHS (LAPITHAE) B2. What other wedding guest, hero, and best friend of Peirithuous helped drive off the centaurs? THESEUS 11. What is the second person singular imperfect active indicative of the verb timeo? TIMEBAS B1. Make timebas plural. TIMEBATIS B2. Now make timebatis future. TIMEBITIS 12. In what province of the Roman Empire were the cities Aquae Sulis, Eboracum, and Londinium? BRITTANIA B1. In what province of the Roman Empire was the city Lutetia? GAUL (specifically Lugdunensis) B2. In what province of the Roman Empire was Colonia Agrippina? GERMANIA Inferior 13. What witch plays a role in several Roman myths, but is most famous for turning men into swine in the Odyssey? CIRCE B1. In Roman legend, Circe once turned her lover Picus into a bird. Why did she do this? he was UNFAITHFUL B2. Heliogabalus must have liked Circe because she was the daughter of what Titan? HELIOS 14. What movie was released in Ancient Rome under the name Ambulatio in Luna? A WALK ON THE MOON B1. What film was called Perditus et Inventus? LOST AND FOUND B2. What film was called Vale Amator? GOODBYE, LOVER 15. This history question will end round 1. What battle fought in 202 B.C. ended the Second Punic War? ZAMA B1. Who was the Roman commander at that battle? P. Cornelius SCIPIO Africanus (not Aemilianus) B2. What Carthaginian commander was defeated by his own tactics at Zama? HANNIBAL Barca ROUND II 1. To begin round 2, what second form of government was begun when Lucius Brutus and Lucius Collatinus assumed the fasces? REPUBLIC B1. After how many Etruscan monarchs was the institution of monarchy brought to an end in Rome? THREE B2. The Etruscan king did not take his overthrow lying down. He called upon what king of Clusium to restore him? LARS Porsenna 2. If you see the word "spumae" in a sentence, excluding the Vocative, how many different cases could it be? THREE B1. If the only verb turns out to be est, what case can you rule out? NOMINATIVE plural B2. What two cases remain as possibilities? GENITIVE and DATIVE singular 3. Who in mythology might have won a contest for "most faithful spouse" given that she waited for 10 years after the Trojan War for her husband to return, despite the pressure of many suitors? PENELOPE B1. What son of Penelope chafed as he watched the suitors ravage the resources of the realm? TELEMACHUS B2. What island kingdom was this? ITHACA 4. What tense is used in Latin to express "Lucius kept on walking." IMPERFECT B1. Using ambulare say "Lucius kept on walking." LUCIUS AMBULABAT B2. Change that verb to indicate that Lucius walked. AMBULAVIT 5. What body of water did the Romans call Pontus Euxinus? BLACK SEA B1. What body of water was called Mare Nostrum? MEDITERRANEAN B2. What body of water was called Sinus Arabicus? RED SEA (not the Persian Gulf) 6. Cassius Dio is one of our best sources for the 3rd century A.D. In what language did Cassius Dio write, in order to prove his high level of education? GREEK B1. Claudius wrote a now lost history of Italy in what other language spoken by men of old such as Lars Porsenna and Mastarna? ETRUSCAN B2. By Heliogabalus' day Latin and Greek were the two main languages of the Empire. However, his "grandfather" Septimius Severus was born in Leptis Magna in Africa, and thus a native speaker of what language? PUNIC or CARTHAGINIAN 7. Machaera, ensis, ferrum, gladius are all words in Latin for what? SWORD B1. Para, avis, volucris, ales are all words for what? BIRD B2. Incendium, ignis, flamma are all words for what? FIRE 8. The certamen was named Heliogabalus from an improper "Greekified" corruption of the Latin. What was the real Latin for the name Heliogabalus used? ELAGABALUS B1. The young man Varius Elagabalus also took up the name of his maternal relations, claiming to be a member of what dynasty founded in 193 A.D.? SEVERANS B2. Furthermore, like most of the emperors from 161 to 235, he assumed the name from what pius emperor who had deified Hadrian? ANTONINUS Pius 9. As a general rule, most first declension nouns are feminine. What do many masculine 1st declension words have in common, such as pirata, nauta, and poeta? PROFESSIONS (OCCUPATIONS) B1. Say in Latin "We are good sailors." SUMUS NAUTAE BONI B2. Now say in Latin "The pirates are evil." PIRATAE MALI SUNT 10. Unlike King Arthur, what hero of mythology found a sword under a stone? THESEUS B1. What else was under that stone besides the sword and belt? SANDALS B2. From what village did Theseus begin his journey to Athens? TROEZEN 11. What word in English meaning "a good-for-nothing hanger-on, a leech" is derived from a Latin word meaning "a bad guest, a toady." PARASITE (parasitus -i) B1. What word in English meaning "motionlessness" is derived directly from a Latin word meaning "idleness" or "lack of skill"? INERTIA B2. What word in English meaning "health, endurance" is spelled exactly the same as a Latin plural neuter word meaning "threads hanging from a distaff." STAMINA 12. Heliogabalus really turned public opinion against himself when he forced a priestess from what sacred sisterhood to marry him? VESTAL VIRGIN B1. When Heliogabalus' reign became unsteady he was forced to recognize as his heir what cousin who succeeded him? ALEXANDER SEVERUS B2. Alexander Severus was too young to rule. Name either of the women who administered the empire for him once Heliogabalus was dead? JULIA MAESA or JULIA MAMAEA 13. What widely read children's book was titled Leo, Vestifica atque Vestiarium? THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE B1. What book was called Societas Anuli? THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING B2. What book was titled Quidquid Malum Venit Huc? SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES 14. What two heroes broke into Troy and violated the temple of Athena by stealing the Palladium? ODYSSEUS AND DIOMEDES B1. Another time, these two heroes killed ambushed what Trojan ally, and instead of monkeying around, they also killed a dozen of his best men? RHESUS B2. What prophecy did the pair foil by killing Rhesus and taking his horses? TROY WOULD NOT FALL IF THE HORSES ATE TROJAN GRASS 15. Two of the most famous of these structures were erected by Pompey and Balbus. A third building of what sort was dedicated to Marcellus? THEATER B1. Before Pompey, theaters were temporary structures. What crochety old censor of 184 B.C. probably claimed theaters eroded Roman morals? M. Porcius CATO CENSORIUS (CATO the ELDER) B2. Pompey's theater may have seen many great shows, but it was perhaps best known for what dramatic political event? ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CAESAR ROUND III 1. Like Rome, what city in the Greek world experienced a revolution of sorts in 510 B.C. when the tyrant Hippias was overthrown? ATHENS B1. Rome replaced the monarchy of the Tarquins with a res publica. What type of government was installed in Athens, admittedly after a few years of political tinkering? DEMOCRACY B2. Rome had two consuls every year. Athens actually had how many archons who rotated in importance throughout the year? TEN 2. Over what city did the twins Eteocles and Polyneices battle for the throne, eventually killing each other in single combat? THEBES B1. What father of Eteocles and Polyneices had blinded himself when he renounced the throne of Thebes? OEDIPUS B2. When Eteocles and Polyneices killed each other, what sister of theirs violated Creon's orders and buried her brother? ANTIGONE 3. When a Greek died, how did his relations ensure his passage into the Underworld? PUT A COIN IN MOUTH of the deceased B1. What Greek city state ruled by two kings often had a thirty day amnesty period everytime a king died? SPARTA B2. What early Greek mainland civilization buried its kings in Beehive tombs ca. 1200 B.C. before the invasion of the Dorians? MYCENAEAN 4. The most famous playwright of Old Comedy is what Athenian author of The Birds, The Clouds, The Wasps, and other plays? ARISTOPHANES B1. Aristophanes' most famous play tells how women end a great war by refusing to have sex with their husbands. What is this play called? LYSISTRATA B2. What major war did Aristophanes satirize in plays such as Lysistrata and The Acharnians? PELOPONNESIAN WAR 5. In Greece what center of civic life served the function of the Roman Forum? AGORA B1. What most famous temple in Athens was dedicated to Athena? PARTHENON B2. The highest hill in Athens and other Greek cities as well bore what name meaning "high town"? ACROPOLIS 6. What Phoenician woman and mother of several kings was abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull, and ultimately gave her name to a continent? EUROPA B1. What brother of Minos was sent to find her and told not to return if he failed? As a result he founded Thebes and stayed in Greece. CADMUS B2. Cadmus had to fight a dragon. What did he do with its teeth? SOW THEM IN THE FIELD and armed men rose up 7. What great king, or Shah, launched an invasion of Greece in 490 B.C. to punish those Greeks who had helped a rebellion against him? DARIUS the Great the First B1. At what crucial battle did the Athenains and Plataeans turn back the Persian invasion in 490? MARATHON B2. What son of Darius launched a bigger invasion ten years later? XERXES 8. Using your knowledge of Greek roots, give an English word for an event or effect, sometimes unusual. PHENOMENON B1. What word in English meaning "fear" comes directly from Greek? PHOBIA B2. What type of generous act done for the love of manking is dervied from Greek words for "love" and "man"? PHILANTHROPY 9. Render into Latin the accusative plural of "two small animals." DUO ANIMALIA PARVA B1. Now make duo singular. UNUM B2. What is the genitive and dative singular of unum? UNIUS, UNI 10. Across what river did Cloelia swim to escape the king of Clusium who was holding her hostage? TIBER(IS) B1. Cloelia could not take what bridge across the Tiber, because it had just been cut down by three brave Romans who held off Lars Porsenna's army? Pons SUBLICIUS B2. Name any of the three Romans who held off Lars Porsenna's army at the Pons Sublicius. P. HORATIUS Cocles, Titus HERMINIUS, Sp. LARTIUS 11. How did Zeus punish the wickedness of mankind after he grew disgusted with the evils of inhospitality and selfishness? FLOOD B1. What kindly old couple in Phrygia did he spare because he was touched by their good manners? BAUCHIS AND PHILEMON B2. What son of Prometheus also survived a flood sent by Zeus because he had been warned to build a boat? DEUCALION 12. How many finite moods does a Latin verb have? THREE see n1. B1. What mood is used to express concrete facts of reality? INDICATIVE B2. What mood is used to express commands? IMPERATIVE 13. At a Roman banquet, where did the guest of honor sit in relation to the host? Immediately to host's LEFT on top seat of middle couch B1. What was the nickname for the seat of the guest of honor? LOCUS CONSULARIS B2. In terms of honor, which couch did the host occupy? LOWEST COUCH (Lectus imus) 14. What biological term, derived from a Latin word meaning "whip," refers to a structure used by some protozoans for locomotion? FLAGELLUM B1. What bone of the human leg is named "flute" in Latin? TIBIA B2. What is the meaning of "Homo sapiens?" THINKING MAN 15. What author wrote a famous commentary that began "Omnis Gallia tres partes divisa est" and summarized the Roman conquest of France? Gaius JULIUS CAESAR B1. Caesar also wrote a book called "De Bello Civile." How should we translate this title? ON THE CIVIL WAR B2. What uncle of Caesar could also have written a book titled "De Bello Civile," as he also fought a civil war, but against Sulla's faction? Gaius MARIUS ROUND IV 1. What voice of verb shows that the subject receives the action of the verb? PASSIVE B1. What type of ablative is often used with an passive verb to show "by whom" the action of the verb was done? ABLATIVE OF AGENT B2. Translate into Latin the ablative of agent from following sentence, "The Germans were defeated by Marius at Vercellae." A(B) MARIO 2. Educated Romans all learned Greek. Derived from Greek for "boy", what was the name for a slave who would accompany a Roman schoolboy to and from class, and perhaps drill him in Greek? PAEDAGOGUS B1. Derived from Greek words meaning "ship" and "to fight," what was the term for a mock naval battle, often staged in an amphitheater? NAUMACHIA B2. What city in southern Italy, founded by Greeks circa 730 B.C. was named "new city" in Greek and retained this name in Latin for some time? NEAPOLIS (Naples) 3. What precocious god was a cattle rustler from day one, when he stole some cows from his brother's herd and then denied the accusation? HERMES (MERCURY) B1. How did Hermes get the cows into his mother's cave without leaving tracks to give him away? HE DRAGGED THEM BACKWARDS by their tails B2. What monstrous son of Vulcan tried the same trick when he stole cattle from Hercules, but paid for it with his life? CACUS 4. In the sentence "Sulla marched to Rome" translate into Latin "to Rome." ROMAM B1. How does Latin express "from Rome"? ROMA (no preposition) B2. What special case does Latin use to say "in Rome" LOCATIVE 5. What dirty, mythological creatures were women from the chest up, but were winged and birdlike below the chest and defiled all they touched? HARPIES B1. Homer and a famous vase painting differ on whether what other monsters who lured sailors to their deaths with their singing were winged? SIRENS B2. What third monster, part woman part lion, with or without wings, used to riddle passersby and eat those who could not solve her questions? SPHINX 6. Translate and change the verb es into the plural. ESTIS = YOU (pl) ARE B1. Now make estis imperfect. ERATIS B2. Now make eratis perfect. FUISTIS 7. An eagle came down from the sky and stole, then returned the cap of what Etruscan man migrating to Rome, thus prognosticating that this man would become the fifth king of Rome? L. TARQUINius Priscus (TARQUIN the ELDER, TARQUIN I) B1. His wife Tanaquil interpreted this omen for him. What training did she possess in order to read omens related to birds? AUGURY B2. Later Tanaquil also predicted the accession of what sixth king when she saw flames circle his head withut harming him? SERVIUS TULLUS 8. For a brief time Augustus snubbed Marcus Agrippa to promote what promising young man, Augustus' own nephew and son-in-law? C. Claudius MARCELLUS B1. Before Marcellus' death, he and Agrippa were actually related as adfines. What was their exact relationship? BROTHERS-IN-LAW (Agrippa had wed Marcella) B2. When Marcellus died, Agrippa divorced his own wife to marry what widow of Marcellus? JULIA the Elder 9. In which plural case do I-stem nouns exhibit a difference from standard nouns? GENITIVE B1. In some words, especially adjectives, an -I also replaces the standard suffix in what singular case? ABLATIVE B2. To what declension do I-stem nouns and adjectives belong? THIRD 10. What goddess was born from the foam that hit the ocean immediately following a violent coup d'etat in the heavens? APHRODITE B1. In the Iliad, Dione is said to be Aphrodite's mother. Who is her father? ZEUS B2. If we follow the ocean foam story, what pre-Olympian should be credited as Aphrodite's father? OURANOS (URANUS) 11. What modern day country is roughly the Roman province Dacia and is alone in Eastern Europe to preserve a Romance language? ROMANIA B1. What neighbor south of Romania did Romans call Moesia? BULGARIA B2. The modern countries of Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan were in part within what ancient Roman province, birthplace of Heliogabalus? SYRIA 12. How in Latin do you say "across the river"? TRANS FLUMEN B1. Why isn't it "trans flumenem"? FLUMEN IS NEUTER see n2. B2. Now say "through the forest." PER SILVAM 13. To what mythological trio did Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis belong? FATES (PARCAE) B1. Romans called fate "fata," but what was their name for the Fates? PARCAE B2. What hero's fate was attached to a burning log by Atropos? MELEAGER 14. What book was published in Ancient Rome under the title "Omnis in Fine Occidente Tranquillis?" ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT B1. What Thomas Mann novel was published as "Mors apud Venetii"? DEATH IN VENICE B2. What book entitled "Certamen Meum" was banned in Ancient Rome because its author claimed Germans were genetically superior to Romans? MEIN KAMF 15. His most famous line was "Carthago delenda est," but this Roman politician, lawyer, and writer also had a lot to say about turnips and the good old days. Who also prosecuted Scipio Africanus and served as censor in 184 B.C.? M. Porcius CATO CENSORIUS (CATO the ELDER) B1. Cato first quarreled with Scipio in 204 B.C. while serving as what junior elected official, virtually an accountant? QUAESTOR B2. Cato's success in politics owes to his friend Valerius Flaccus. This is because Cato was a "novus homo." What did it mean to be a "novus homo"? FIRST MEMBER IN THE FAMILY TO ENTER POLITICS 16. What word in Latin which really means "haughty" is often translated into English as "Proud" especially when used as a sobriquet with one of the kings? SUPERBUS B1. What is the primary meaning of the English word "superb?" EXCELLENT B2. What Latin word means "pride" or "haughtiness?" SUPERBIA 17. Which emperor delighted in annoying the Senate, such as when he enrolled his horse among their ranks? GAIUS Julius Caesar or CALIGULA B1. Caligula decided he was which god, sawing the head off numerous statues to replace his own, including a famous statue at Olympia? ZEUS (such was the fate of Praxtiteles' statue of ZEUS at Olympia) B2. What nation planned to revolt in A.D. 41 over Caligula's plan to put a statue of himself in their holiest temple but Caligula was assassinated first? JEWS 18. In English, reporters need to know the 4 Ws and the H. In Latin this is the 4 Qs and the U. What word in Latin beginning with U means "where"? see n3. UBI B1. What interrogative pronoun beginning with Q means "who?" QUIS B2. What Q word in Latin means "when?" QUANDO 19. Most of Heracles' labours involved fighting monsters, not people, but once he was ordered to bring back a magic girdle belonging to a queen of what race of warrior women? AMAZONS B1. Who was the queen? HIPPOLYTA (HIPPOLYTE) B2. What other hero and king of Athens also fought Hippolyta in a different myth? THESEUS 20. What Roman poet published a collection of myths in poetic meter involving transformations of mythological characters from Greek and Roman myth? P. OVIDius Naso B1. What was the title of this book? METAMORPHOSES B2. Another of Ovid's books was a scandalous book which gave lovers advice how to woo and get rid of potential partners. What was it called? ARS AMATORIA EXTRA QUESTIONS (IN CASE OF ERROR) Culture: 1. What art form using tiny beads or pebbles did Romans perfect? MOSAIC 2. If a cypress branch was placed over the door of a Roman house, what did it mean? SOMEONE IN THE HOME HAD DIED Grammar: 1. What type of verb never takes a direct object? INTRANSITIVE or LINKING verb 2. What first declension noun forms an irregular dative plural? FILIA (filiabus) or DEA (deabus) History: 1. Caractacus led resistance against the Roman conquest circa A.D. 44 by what emperor? CLAUDIUS 2. Quirinus was the name given to what king of Rome after he was turned into a god? ROMULUS Literature: 1. Tacitus wrote a short pamphlet to warn his countrymen about what barbarians to the north? GERMANS 2. We still have much of a correspondence between what famous Roman and his best friend, Atticus? M. Tullius CICERO Mythology: 1. What last king of his nation had over 50 sons and 12 daughters but saw many of them slain by Achilles or the other Greeks? PRIAM 2. With what object was Bellerophon able to tame the winged horse Pegasus? a golden BRIDLE GIVEN TO HIM BY ATHENA Greece replacements (Round 3 only): 1. What scheming Athenian politician masterminded the Greek victory at Salamis? THEMISTOCLES 2. Romans watched chariot games, but the ancient Cretans seemed to favor what sport which may have some root in the legend of the Minotaur? BULL DANCING or JUMPING (prompt on bull fighting) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- n1. There is a fourth mood: the infinitive (Allen & Greenough). n2. I'd accept "There no such word as 'flumenem'; that's just wrong." n3. To the "Who, What, Where, Why and How" some have added "When" for 5 W's and an H. Naturally economists advocate another H for "How much?" Bradford Duncan