2001 Ad Fontes Certamen
Level I - Round III


1. Of the verbs vocavi, amaveram, and monebo which one happened first? amaveram

Bonus:Translate each of these words into English: I called, I had loved, I will warn

2. As you progress in Latin, you will surely read the works of Marcus Tullius Cicero. Which of these names is a nomen. Tullius

Bonus:What is the term for Marcus? praenomen

3. What famous first emperor of Rome claimed to have restored the Republic in 27 B.C. but really inaugurated one man rule? Augustus

Bonus:By what name was Augustus know when he was fighting the civil wars? Octavian/if they answer Caesar, ask them to be more specific­look for Octavianus

4. What wily Greek won a footrace to earn Penelope's hand in marriage? Odysseus

Bonus:Whom had Odysseus wanted to marry but lost out to Menelaus? Helen

5. Give the part of speech and meaning for the Latin word diu. Adverb, for a long time.

Bonus:Give the adverbs meaning "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow." heri, hodie, cras

6. 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? 2nd, 3rd, 4th

Bonus:What gender are most third declension nouns ending in -us? Neuter

7. 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. Theseus

Bonus:Who helped Theseus kill the Minotaur and how? Ariadne, by giving him a ball of thread so that he could find his way out of the labyrinth
8. What is the traditional birthday of Rome? April 21st, 753 B.C.

Bonus:What year did the Western Roman empire fall? 476 A.D.

9. What was the title of the highest elected position during the Roman republic? Consul

Bonus:What office in ancient Rome could be held only by plebeians? Tribune / Plebeian aedile.

10. What mood is used to give a command in Latin? Imperative

Bonus:Say in Latin, "Marcus and Lucius, walk." Ambulate, Marce et Luci.

11.Differentiate in meaning between eramus and fueramus. we used to be/were continuing action in the past and we had been completed action in remote past

Bonus:Now say in Latin "they will be" and "they will have been." erunt, fuerint

12. In the Roman baths, what was the word for the changing room? apodyterium

Bonus:What was the room for the cold room? frigidarium

13. Who built the first permanent theater in Rome in 55 B.C.? Eleven years later it was the sight of Julius Caesar's assassination? Pompey the Great

Bonus:What is the difference in seating structure between a theater and an amphitheater? A theater has seats in a semi-circle facing a stage; an amphitheater has seats on both sides, forming a full circle

14. What is the term for two vowels which together form one sound? Diphthong

Bonus:Spell that. DIPHTHONG

15. What self-centered young man fell in love with his own reflection? Narcissus

Bonus: What rejected nymph prayed that Narcissus would suffer from the pain of unfulfilled love? Echo

16. What case in Latin is used to show the object of the action implied in a noun such as "fear of fire"? genitive

Bonus: What is the name of this construction? objective genitive

17. What is mel, the sweetener of Roman cuisine? honey

Bonus: What was the name of the fish sauce, similar to anchovy paste, that Romans used to flavor their food? garum/liquamen

18. At what sea battle off the coast of Greece did Octavian strike the decisive blow against his enemies? Actium

Bonus: Who were these enemies, and in what year did this occur? Antony and Cleopatra, 31, B.C.

19. The Romans thought that the Egyptians were uncivilized since they worshiped gods who had the forms of animals. The Roman king of the gods didn't seem much more noble, however, as he used to transform himself into animals in order to carry on affairs with mortal women. In what shape did he seduce Leda? a swan

Bonus: Who were the children of this union? Helen and Pollux/Polydeuces­not Castor or Clytemnestra

20. In what three ways do adjectives agree with the nouns they modify? case, number, and gender

Bonus: Say in Latin: "the little girl," "the big boy," and "the bad sailor." parva puella, magnus puer, malus nauta