2002 Ad Fontes Certamen
Level IV - Round Two

1. In this sentence "The women whom I saw left the town weeping", translate the relative pronoun. Quas.
Bonus: Translate the present participle in that sentence (repeat). Lacrimantes, flentes.

2. Distinguish between the verbs occïdo, occïdere, occïdï, occïsum and occidö, occidere, occidï, occäsum. To cut down, slay, etc. / to fall, perish, die, etc.
Bonus: Translate this sentence and tell me the tense and voice of the participle: Caesare occïso, senatores e curia exiverunt. Caesar killed, the senators left the senate house. / perfect passive.

3. The first civil wars in Rome broke out in the 80's B.C., as Rome was preparing to fight this last great king in the East, the ruler of Pontus. Mithridates.
Bonus: How many wars did Rome fight with Mithridates before he finally committed suicide in 63 B.C.? 3.

4. How can a February certamen go without mention of the story of Cupid and Psyche? How did Cupid finally win permission to marry Cupid? By bringing back a little of Persephone's beauty from the underworld.
Bonus: The Cupid and Psyche story is probably an old one; but only one writer tells it in the ancient world. Who was this writer and what was the title of his work? Apuleius, Metamorphoses (or the Golden Ass). [Intentional repetition]

5. Give the genitive singular of the phrase unus manus. Unius manus.
Bonus: Name three other adjectives that follows the unusual pattern of unus. Solus, totus, nullus, ullus, alius, alter, neuter, uter.

6. Which Olympian god was called "twice born" because he was snatched from his mother's womb and sewn into his father's thigh? Dionysus / Bacchus / Liber.
Bonus: Who was the mother of Dionysus? Semele / Thyrone.

7. We heard earlier that odi is a defective verb, which accounts for the famous phrase odi et amo. Who wrote these word and what do they mean? Catullus / I love and I hate.
Bonus: Whom did he write them about? Lesbia.

8. Take the number of conjugations, add the number of voices, and multiply by the number of tenses. Tell me your answer in Latin. Triginta sex.
Bonus: Take the number of the hills of Rome and multiply by the number of the kings of Rome and give me you answer in Latin. Undequinquaginta.

9. What constellation was created when Aphrodite and Eros hid in a river? Pisces.
Bonus: Whom were these gods hiding from? The Titans.

10. What was the Roman form of marriage for patricians, involving a cermony with cakes? Confarreatio.
Bonus: Confarreatio became rare and was replaced by two more common forms of marriage. Name and describe one of them. Coemptio - purchase / usus - simply living together.

11. It is often said that Latin lacks the perfect active participle, but this is not strictly true. What type of verbs, by their nature, can only have perfect active participles? Deponents.
Bonus: With that said, translate this sentence: Haec locuta, Julia ex atrio exit. Having said these things (words), Julia leaves the atrium.

12. Which one of the following does not belong and why: maior, minus, optimus, longior? Optimus - it's a superlative.
Bonus: Which one of the following does not belong and why: aetas, voluptas, feminas, aestas. Feminas - it's not a third declension noun.

13. Pygmalion was the name of two famous characters in legend. Describe one of them. The sculptor who created the living woman (Galatea) / Dido's brother.
Bonus: Describe the other.

14. What year saw the formation of the First Triumvirate? 60 B.C.
Bonus: What famous Roman was asked to join the First Triumvirate, refused, and lived to regret it? Cicero.

15. Distinguish in meaning between avus and nepos. Grandson and grandfather.
Bonus: Distinguish in meaning between mater and noverca. A mother and a step-mother.

16. How and on what special day did Eurydice die? Snake bite on her wedding day.
Bonus: Orpheus himself came to a bad end. How did he die? Torn apart by the Maenads.

17. There were many famous poets of the Roman empire. Who was famous for writing Odes and Satires during the Age of Augustus. Horace.
Bonus: What other poet was famous for his Satires? Juvenal / Persius / Lucilius.

18. What is the superlative of parvus? Minimus.
Bonus. What is the superlative of acer? Acerrimus.

19. Please translate Tibi rogandus est. You must ask him.
Bonus: Now this: Tibi dona a me danda sunt. Gifts must be given by me to you (or I must give you gifts).

20. At what great battle in 490 B.C.did the Greeks defeat the Persians and prevent the conquest of Greece? Marathon.
Bonus. Who was the Persian king who launched this invasion? Darius.