THE CERTAMEN QUESTIONS DATABASE http://www.speakeasy.org/~bwduncan/index.html THESE QUESTIONS WRITTEN BY: GAIUS STERN, ANDREW GOLLAN EVENT: CONSTANTINE AND MAXENTIUS CERTAMEN LOCATION: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY LEVEL: ADVANCED DIFFICULTY RATING: *** DATE: OCTOBER 28, 2001 # OF QUESTIONS: 58 NOTE: SOME QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN REWORDED OR CORRECTED AND ALL HAVE BEEN REFORMATTED BY BRADFORD DUNCAN. THE FINALS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROUND I 1. Welcome to the Constantine and Maxentius Certamen. What was the dramatic battle of AD 312 fought between these two emperors? MILVIAN (MULVIAN) BRIDGE B1. The other name for Milvian Bridge is Saxa Rubra. What does that mean? RED ROCKS (STONES) B2. What was the famous vision Constantine saw in the sky that led him to adopt the cross as a symbol just before this battle? THE CROSS AND, in fire beneath it, THE WORDS IN HOC SIGNO VINCES 2. After the execution of Appius Junius Silanus, Camillus Scribonianus rebelled in AD 42 against what emperor? CLAUDIUS B1. Silanus' death convinced Camillus that no one was safe from Claudius' tyranny. By marrying Domitia, Silanus had briefly become what relation to Claudius? FATHER-IN-LAW B2. What daughter of Domitia was Claudius' wife? Valeria MESSALLINA 3. When dum, dummodo, or modo mean "provided that," what mood governs the associated verb? SUBJUNCTIVE B1. What introduces these clauses when they are negative? NE B2. Say in Latin "We will stay provided that he arrives." MANEBIMUS DUM (MODO, DUMMODO) VENIAT 4. What is the English term for the second paragraph of the Aeneid where Vergil asks for inspiration to recite his poem? EVOCATION OF THE MUSE B1. In this evocation, which goddess does Vergil say is full of anger and grief? JUNO B2. He ends this evocation with a question he never expects to be answered, Tantaene animis calestibus irae? What do we call such a question? RHETORICAL 5. What Phoenician searched the earth for his lost sister and eventually founded a city in Boeotia after he slew a dragon? CADMUS B1. Who was his lost sister? EUROPA B2. What happened when Cadmus sowed the dragon's teeth? ARMED MEN (the EPIGONI) SPRANG UP 6. In Latin, what case is used to specify quality, value or age? GENITIVE B1. Using ingenium,-i say in Latin "Pericles was a man of great character." PERICLES ERAT vir (homo) MAGNI INGENII B2. What other case is used to express characteristic, but usually color, stature, and physical appearance? ABLATIVE 7. Replaced in competition 8. Who was the lawyer who prosecuted the corrupt governor Verres of plundering his province? Marcus Tullius CICERO B1. What province had Verres looted? SICILY B2. What offical post had Cicero formerly served in Sicily? QUAESTOR 9. How many feet are in a typical line of Ovid's Metamorphoses? SIX B1. What is the meter of the Metamorphoses? DACTYLIC HEXAMETER B2. What is the pattern of the last two feet of such a line? DACTYL, SPONDEE 10. From what Latin root and meaning is "nihilist" derived? NIHIL meaning NOTHING B1. What Greek word comes to English meaning the absence of order? ANARCHY (accept CHAOS) B2. What is the meaning of the Greek rooted word "autonomous"? SELF-RULING (SELF-GOVERNING) 11. Of what tribe that often used crescent-shaped shield was Penthesilea the ruler? AMAZONS B1. Who killed Penthesilea in battle? ACHILLES B2. What son of Nestor had Penthesilea just slain, making Achilles angry? ANTILOCHUS 12. What is the first person singular present subjunctive of "esse"? SIM B1. What is the subjunctive form of "eras"? ESSES B2. What is the subjunctive form of "estis"? SITIS 13. When Tacitus says "The first crime of the new regime..." early in Book I of his Annals, whose regime is he condemning? TIBERIUS' B1. According to Tacitus, what heir beloved by the people did Tiberius have eliminated? GERMANICUS Caesar B2. Suetonius tops this when he says "So much for the man, now for the monster" when he described which emperor? CALIGULA (GAIUS Caesar Germanicus) 14. Most Romans went clean-shaven during the Empire. Members of what profession traditionally wore beards to associate them with Greek wisemen? PHILOSOPHERS B1. Who was the first emperor to grow a beard for this reason, circa AD 120? Publius Aelius HADRIANus B2. Why else would a Roman grow a beard if he was not a philosopher? MOURNING 15. Ignoring nouns, the ending -im is uncommon in Latin. If you see -im, it is what part of speech, such as with statim? ADVERB B1. What -im adverb means "meanwhile"? INTERIM B2. What -im adverb means "hardly" or "barely"? PAULIM ROUND II 1. What type of ablative is found in the expression "Vir nobili genere natus"? ORIGIN B1. Why does it make sense for the ablative of origin to be an ablative rather than an accusative construction? EXPRESSIONS MEANING FROM TAKE ABLATIVE B2. Probably the best known ablative of origin is from the Aeneid. What ablative of origin does Vergil use to describe Aeneas? DEA NATU 2. What post did Julius seek in a special election in 63 BC, although he had to run against a distant cousin, Lutatius Catulus? PONTIFEX MAXIMUS B1. Julius won and Catulus died of grief according to the story. What office did Julius seek next and attain in 62 BC? PRAETOR urbanus B2. How long did Julius wait after his praetorship to run for consul? TWO YEARS (waiting to run in 60 BC for the 59 BC term) 3. What province of the Roman world was known as Achaea? GREECE B1. What did Greeks call Greece? HELLAS B2. What did Greeks call the central span of the coast of Asia Minor? IONIA 4. Sallust in particular uses what form of the verb to substitute for the past tense? PRESENT INFINITIVE (prompt on historical infinitive) B1. What do we call this grammatical construction? HISTORICAL INFINITIVE B2. Something similar occurs in English when authors writing about the past often replace the past tense with what to make it more vivid? PRESENT tense 5. What horrible monster lived in the Strait of Messina and grasped six sailors from every ship that passed by? SCYLLA B1. What other monster lived nearby and sometimes sucked up whole ships? CHARYBDIS B2. Another woman named Scylla was a princess who fell in love with a king who was attacking her homeland? Who was this attacking king? MINOS 6. When Latin uses natus plus numbers in the accusative, such as Paullus triginta annose natus quaestor fuit, what idea is it expressing? Paullus' AGE (not 30 years ago) B1. If we wish to express his age with a genitive, how would it look? PAULLUS, vir (homo) TRIGINTA ANNORUM B2. The idea of age can also be expressed using the participle agens. How would that look? PAULLUS, vir (homo) AGENS TRIGINTA ANNOS 7. Constantine fought at Milvian Bridge, but we associate the Battle of Colline Gate with what dictator from the first century BC? Lucius Cornelius SULLA Felix B1. Which of Sulla's officers helped win the Battle of Colline Gate but felt eclipsed by Pompey? Marcus Licinius CRASSUS B2. After Sulla took Rome, what reward did Pompey demand, which Sulla reluctantly granted? a TRIUMPH 8. According to Gildersleeve and Lodge, what case can be used to show temporary possession but must be combined with a form of esse? DATIVE B1. Sallust uses the dative of possessor in expressions meaning "to be lacking." Name either of the two verbs he uses for this. ABSUM or DESUM B2. What type of dative is used with personal pronouns, sometimes to denote the concept "please" with mihi? ETHICAL dative (Dative of INTEREST) 9. Using your knowledge of Greek roots, who rules a plutocracy? the RICH B1. Again using Greek roots, who really rules in an aristocracy? the BEST people B2. What dort of government is handled by the priest class? THEOCRACY 10. Which Roman poet demands thousands of kisses from his girlfriend in the poem Vivamus et amemus? Gaius Valerius CATULLUS B1. Whose jealousy does Catullus ignore and value as insignificant? OLD MEN B2. Who is the girlfriend who gave him the kisses -- this time? LESBIA (accept CLODIA) 11. Who is called Tyndarida in a passage of Aeneid II that might not be by Vergil? HELEN of Troy B1. Why is calling her Tyndarida actually inaccurate? SHE WAS THE DAUGHTER OF ZEUS, not Tyndareus B2. Zeuides is hard to say. Whom can we properly call Tyndarida? CLYTEMNESTRA 12. The accusative governs extent of space but what case govern separation of space? ABLATIVE B1. What preposition does the ablative uses to express separation? A (AB) B2. Say in Latin "Carthage is far from Italy." CARTHAGO AB ITALIA LONGE EST 13. What patrician in the early days of the Republic earned an agnomen for single-handedly capturing a town of the Volscian enemy? Gaius Marcius CORIOLANUS B1. Later Coriolanus fell afoul with the people of Rome when he opposed the creation of what office of state exclusively for the Plebs? TRIBUNATE B2. During a famine Coriolanus tried to trade grain for the tribunate. The Plebs rose in anger and inflicted what punishment on him they soon regretted? EXILE 14. duplicate of earlier question 15. What is the name for the introduction of a Roman oration which suggests it comes from the heart? EXORDIUM B1. What school of oratory in Cicero's day encouraged directness and force, and followed models by Lysias and Xenophon rather than the luxurious Asiatic School? ATTIC School B2. What is the part of a speech where it all comes together, just like the name of a complete outfit? SYNTHESIS ROUND III 1. What mythological character might have placed the following personals ad in the paper? "I am a newly discovered prince, really! Seeking single, beautiful female. Sail away with me to Ilium." PARIS B1. How about this ad? "Tall, beautiful maiden seeks male hunter-type. Must be swift of foot. Don't even respond to this ad if you can't beat me in a footrace." ATALANTA B2. Whose ad would this be? "Rescue me! Single princess desires a man who is not afraid of sea monsters. Speaking Amharic (Ancient Ethiopian) is a plus." ANDROMEDA 2. What case does Latin use with "accused" in expressing the crime of which someone is accused, such as "Verres was accused of theft"? GENITIVE B1. Using furtum, say in Latin "Verres was accused of theft." VERRES FURTI ACCUSABATUR (ACCUSATUS EST) B2. replaced in competition 3. Under what system of plural emperors did both Maxentius and Constantine serve as Augusti until they came to blows with each other? TETRARCHY B1. Who established the tetrarchy in AD 285? DIOCLETIAN B2. What title did Diocletian give to his junior, Constantius? CAESAR 4. From what Latin verb and meaning is "supplicate" derived? SUPPLICARE meaning to KNEEL DOWN (HUMBLE ONESELF, PRAY HUMBLY, BESEECH, BEG, IMPLORE, SUPPLICATE) or PLICARE meaning to FOLD (WIND, COIL) B1. In fact, what is the primary meaning of "supplicatio"? a PUBLIC PRAYER (SUPPLICATION) or a DAY SET FORTH FOR PRAYER or SOLEMNITY IN CONSEQUENCE OF CERTAIN PUBLIC EVENTS B2. What Latin idiom using a verb meaning "to give" means "to pay the penalty"? POENAS DARE 5. After he killed Echidna, what giant gained Hera's attention and received the task of watching over Io? ARGUS B1. By this time Echidna had already given birth to what six-eyed dog? CERBERUS B2. After Argus' death, whom did Hera assign to torment Io? a GADFLY 6. What is the subject of a jussive verb in Latin, such as Pugnet? THIRD PERSON singular or, rarely, plural (often impersonal) B1. How do you best translate "Pugnet"? LET HIM (HER, IT) FIGHT B2. Using plangere, say in Latin "Let Argentina not cry for me." ARGENTINA MIHI NE PLANGAT 7. Cicero and Marius were both the first in their families to gain political office. What did Romans call such a man? NOVUS HOMO (NEW MAN) B1. A third novus homo from Arpinum was Octavian's best friend, what admiral and three-time consul in 37, 28 and 27 BC? Marcus AGRIPPA B2. What other famous novus homo came from Tusculum and was elected consul and censor in the 190's and 180's BC? Marcus Porcious CATO the ELDER (CATO MAIOR, CATO CENSORIUS) 8. Give the ablative absolute in Latin in the following sentence. "When Maxentius was killed by Constantine, the solider declared the winner sole emperor. MAXENTIO Ab CONSTANTINO INTERFECTO (NECATO, etc.) B1. Now transmit the same meaning using an active participle. CONSTANTINO MAXENTIUM INTERFICIENTE (NECANTE) B2. Now translate the ablative absolute in the sentence, "When the soldiers declared the winner emperor, Maxentius was killed by Constantine." MILITIBUS victorem imperatorem DECLARANTIBUS 9. The official term is "synchesis," which means A B A B such as saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram. What is the common name for this arrangement of words? INTERLOCKING WORD ORDER B1. Synchesis differs from hysteron proteron. What is the effect on word order of hysteron proteron? NATURAL (LOGICAL) WORD ORDER IS REVERSED B2. Another trick of word order is a symmetrical arrangement of words in sandwiched order, such as accusative, ablative, ablative, accusative. What is this called? CHIASMUS 10. What famous work is thought to have been completed by Aulus Hirtius, although his style is very similar to that of his commander-in-chief? Commentarii DE BELLO GALLICO (GALLIC WARS) B1. Who wrote an incomplete but very thorough history of the Peloponnesian War? THUCYDIDES B2. Who wrote the sequel to Thucydides' work by finishing up the account of the Peloponnesian War in his Hellenica, which was independent of his Anabasis? XENOPHON 11. From what Latin noun and meaning is "crucify" derived? CRUX, crucis meaning CROSS see n1. B1. From what Latin noun and meaning is "decapitate" derived? CAPUT, capitis meaning HEAD B2. From what Latin noun and meaning is "eviscerate" derived? VISCUS, visceris meaning INNER PART of an animal (INTERNAL ORGAN, SOFT PART, ENTRAILS, FLESH; accept GUTS) 12. Oreithyia bore twin, winged sons to what minor god who abducted her and took her up to Thrace? BOREAS (THE NORTH WIND) B1. Name either of those twin sons. CALAIS or ZETES B2. What famous expedition did Zetes and Calais join? VOYAGE OF THE ARGO (QUEST FOR THE GOLDEN FLEECE) 13. A very few I-stem nouns have their accusative singular in -im. What is the accusative singular of the very noun that means "tower"? TURRIM B1. Accordingly, how would you see Lucretius or Vergil write the accusative plural for "towers"? TURRIS (long I) B2. What is the poetic form for the ablative singular of a cousin word, tussis? TUSSI (long I) 14. In ancient Rome, what type of professional was a tonsor? BARBER (HAIRCUTTER) B1. What was a pistor. BAKER or MILLER or PASTRY-COOK B2. What was a piscator. FISHERman 15. We associate the agnomen Germanicus with Claudius' older brother, but it was a title given posthumously to what main, father of both Germanicus and Claudius? DRUSUS Claudius Nero the Elder B1. Seneca tells us that when Drusus died, Livia had to attend funerals for him in every city from Gaul to Rome. WHere did Drusus die? GERMANY B2. According to Valerius Maximus, who rode for 24 straight hours on relay horses to get to Drusus before he died and barely made it in time? TIBERIUS ROUND IV 1. Latin fairly often uses litotes to express a positive idea. What is litotes? NEGATING THE OPPOSITE B1. What Latin double negative is not infrequently used to means "some"? NON NULLI B2. Using "haud," make a litotes to say "big rocks." HAUD PARVA SAXA 2. What Latin grammatical construction to we use for "to look at" in the expression "horrible to look at"? SUPINE B1. What case is the supine in "to look at"? ABLATIVE B2. Now say in Latin "horrible to look at." HORRIBILE VISU (SPECTATU) 3. Tisiphone, Megaera, and Allecto were collectly known by what name? the FURIES (ERINYES, EUMENIDES, KINDLY ONES) B1. What name was given to them after Orestes' trial to placate them? EUMENIDES (KINDLY ONES) B2. What is the term for such a placation whereby a nicer term is used to avoid say the ugly truth? EUPHEMISM 4. From what Greek meanings is "megaphone" derived? mega meaning GREAT (LARGE); phone meaning VOICE (SOUND) B1. From what Greek meaning is "thermal" derived? therm meaning HEAT B2. Using your knowledge of Greek roots, what is a "diglot"? SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS TWO LANGUAGES 5. The Numidian princes Massinissa and Syphax both vied for the hand of a Carthaginian noblewoman during what great war? SECOND PUNIC (CARTHAGINIAN) B1. What did Massinissa do when Syphax got to marry Sophonisba? DEFECTED TO THE ROMANS B2. What did Massinissa do to Sophonisba when he got rid of Syphax? MARRIED HER (but she later committed suicide) 6. In Aeneid VIII, what pair of friends volunteer to break through the Rutilian lines to find Aeneas, but fail in their mission? NISUS and EURYALUS B1. What object of plunder betrays Nisus to Volcens' squadron? a HELMET B2. Why does Euryalus, who evaded Volcens, abandon did mission to find Aeneas? TO DIE WITH (AVENGE) NISUS 7. Listen carefully to the following English sentence and then translate the first word into Latin. "With Drusus Nero leading, the army advanced fearlessly." DRUSO (accept DUCENTE) B1. Now use a temporal subjunctive to translate the first word in "When Drusus Nero led the army, we advanced fearlessly." CUM B2. What is the meaning of "Ubi Drusus Nero duxit, the army advanced fearlessly?" WHENEVER DRUSUS Nero WAS LEADING 8. What feminine comparative adjective means "upper"? SUPERIOR B1. What comparative adjective means "outer"? EXTERIOR B2. What comparative adjective means "better"? MELIOR or POTIOR 9. Name either of the giants known as the Aloeids, who grew extremely quickly and could not be killed by god or man. OTUS or EPHIALTES B1. Name either of the goddesses Otus and Ephialtes demanded as their brides. ARTEMIS (DIANA) or HERA (JUNO) B2. How did Otus and Ephialtes perish? THEY KILLED EACH OTHER 10. What is the theoretical maximum number of spondees in a regular line of dactyllic hexameter? FIVE B1. Although in theory they could be five spondees in a line, four is the regular maximum. How many feet does a line of 4 spondees have? SIX B2. How many syllables does such a line have? FOURTEEN 11. In the infamous year of the Four Emperors, who was the first to rule, although his reign was cut short on the Ides of January? Servius Sulpicius GALBA B1. Why did Otho decide to assassinate Galba? GALBA DID NOT CHOOSE HIM AS HIS HEIR B2. Otho did not know that the commander of the legions in Germany had rebelled on January 1st. Who was that future emperor? VITELLIUS 12. What? We haven't asked anything about Lucretius yet? What is the name of his famous poem that explains how things work? DE RERUM NATURA (accept ON THE NATURE OF THINGS) B1. What philosophy does Lucretius explain, including warnings not to fall in love? EPICUREANISM B2. What admirer of the stoics allegedly helped get Lucretius published? Marcus Tullius CICERO 13. What single word in Latin conveys the whole sense of "We, intending to touch"? TACITURI B1. Using only one word in Latin, say "We who are touching." TACENTES B2. Using only one word in Latin, how do you say "things which must be touched." TACTANDA 14. What movie was released in Ancient Rome as In Raedis Volentis Cum Pueris? RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS B1. What movie was released in Ancient Rome as De Inferno? FROM HELL B2. What movie was released in Ancient Rome as Noli DICERE VERBUM? DON'T SAY A WORD 15. Since the certamen is almost at an end, let us consider the ends of some Ancient Romans. Where did Pompey the Great die? EGYPT B1. Pompey fled to Egypt after loosing what decisive battle to Julius? PHARSALUS B2. Cato the Younger also died in Africa in the same war. Where? UTICA (accept NEAR CARTHAGE) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- n1. According to Lewis & Short's A Latin Dictionary, the literal definition of "crux" is (in general) a tree, frame, or other wooden instruments of execution, on which criminals were impaled or hanged, or (in particular) a cross. Bradford Duncan