AP Latin : AP Latin Language
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #101 : Ap Latin Language
Sic pater Anchises, atque haec mirantibus addit:
'aspice, ut insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis
ingreditur victorque viros supereminet omnis.
hic rem Romanam magno turbante tumultu
sistet eques, sternet Poenos Gallumque rebellem, 5
tertiaque arma patri suspendet capta Quirino.'
atque hic Aeneas (una namque ire videbat
egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis,
sed frons laeta parum et deiecto lumina vultu)
'quis, pater, ille, virum qui sic comitatur euntem? 10
filius, anne aliquis magna de stirpe nepotum?
qui strepitus circa comitum! quantum instar in ipso!
"Filius" in line 11 is an example of __________.
tmesis
oxymoron
simile
prolepsis
prolepsis
The word "filius" appears in this line/sentence much sooner than it normally would. It would make the most sense for "filius" to appear before "magna" in this sentence. This use of a word sooner than expected is called prolepsis.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #102 : Ap Latin Language
Sic pater Anchises, atque haec mirantibus addit:
'aspice, ut insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis
ingreditur victorque viros supereminet omnis.
hic rem Romanam magno turbante tumultu
sistet eques, sternet Poenos Gallumque rebellem, 5
tertiaque arma patri suspendet capta Quirino.'
atque hic Aeneas (una namque ire videbat
egregium forma iuvenem et fulgentibus armis,
sed frons laeta parum et deiecto lumina vultu)
'quis, pater, ille, virum qui sic comitatur euntem? 10
filius, anne aliquis magna de stirpe nepotum?
qui strepitus circa comitum! quantum instar in ipso!
The phrase "insignis spoliis opimis" (line 2) is an example of __________.
ablative of accompaniment
ablative place where
ablative of comparison
ablative absolute
ablative absolute
In the phrase "insignis spoliis opimis," we have the use of an adjective denoting some sort of action (participle) and a noun in the ablative case in order to indicate a completed action. This is characteristic of an ablative absolute.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #103 : Ap Latin Language
inter quas Phoenissa recens a vulnere Dido
errabat silva in magna; quam Troius heros
ut primum iuxta stetit agnovitque per umbras
obscuram, qualem primo qui surgere mense
aut videt aut vidisse putat per nubila lunam, 5
demisit lacrimas dulcique adfatus amore est:
'infelix Dido, verus mihi nuntius ergo
venerat exstinctam ferroque extrema secutam?
funeris heu tibi causa fui? per sidera iuro,
per superos et si qua fides tellure sub ima est, 10
inuitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi.
The phrase "per umbras obscuram" (line 3-4) is an example of which of the following?
Pleonasm
Metaphor
Zeugma
Hysteron Proteron
Pleonasm
In lines 3 and 4, Vergil uses the words "per umbras obscuram" to emphasize the difficulty Aeneas is having seeing Dido. She is referred to as "obscuram"—shadowy or barely visible, but, as is stated in the previous lines, we already know that Dido is walking away from Aeneas and that he is viewing her through shadows. The addition of "obscuram" is a little redundant. This redundant or superfluous use of words is an example of pleonasm.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.450-460)
Example Question #101 : Ap Latin Language
inter quas Phoenissa recens a vulnere Dido
errabat silva in magna; quam Troius heros
ut primum iuxta stetit agnovitque per umbras
obscuram, qualem primo qui surgere mense
aut videt aut vidisse putat per nubila lunam, 5
demisit lacrimas dulcique adfatus amore est:
'infelix Dido, verus mihi nuntius ergo
venerat exstinctam ferroque extrema secutam?
funeris heu tibi causa fui? per sidera iuro,
per superos et si qua fides tellure sub ima est, 10
inuitus, regina, tuo de litore cessi.
"Vidisse . . . lunam" (line 5) is an example of what sentence construction?
Conditional sentence
Indirect statement
Relative clause
Ablative absolute
Indirect statement
In this phrase, you have a main verb—"putat"—followed by the infinitive "vidisse." The infinitive, however, is governing the rest of the phrase "per nubila lunam," which all function as the object of "vidisse." This is an example of an indirect statement, which is a type of phrase typically introduced by some sort of thinking verb like "putat" and is characterized by the presence of an accusative subject and an infinitive main verb. No subject is present here, however, because that is all being handled by the verb "vidisse." The phrase translates as: She thought that she saw the moon through the clouds.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.450-460)
Example Question #91 : Vergil
1 Quod genus hoc hominum? Quaeve hunc tam barbara morem
2 permittit patria? Hospitio prohibemur harenae;
3 bella cient, primaque vetant consistere terra.
4 Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma
5 at sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi.
6 Rex erat Aeneas nobis, quo iustior alter,
7 nec pietate fuit, nec bello maior et armis.
In line 1, what is the grammatical function of "hominum"?
Partitive genitive
Genitive of quality
Direct object
Adjective describing genus
Partitive genitive
The noun "homo, hominis", meaning man, is a third declension noun. It is thus genitive plural, which allows you to eliminate both "direct object" (which would have to be accusative), and "adjective describing genus". Don’t get it confused with second declension nouns! A genitive of quality describes a trait or a quality of something or someone, for example, “A man of great virtue.” This genitive is modifying "genus," or type, race, rendering the translation race of men. Thus, it is denoting part of something, not describing something.
(Passage adapted from The Aeneid of Vergil 1. 539-546)
Example Question #92 : Vergil
1 Quod genus hoc hominum? Quaeve hunc tam barbara morem
2 permittit patria? Hospitio prohibemur harenae;
3 bella cient, primaque vetant consistere terra.
4 Si genus humanum et mortalia temnitis arma
5 at sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi.
6 Rex erat Aeneas nobis, quo iustior alter,
7 nec pietate fuit, nec bello maior et armis.
In line 6, what case is "nobis"?
Ablative of comparison
Ablative of agent
Dative of possession
Dative of agent
Dative of possession
You have to use context here, because "nobis" could be either ablative or dative. There is no passive verb, so we can eliminate “ablative of agent.” Without a comparative adjective, we can also eliminate “ablative of comparison.” We are left with the two datives. Because the clause has a nominative, a form of "sum," and a dative noun (or in this case, pronoun), "nobis" is a dative of possession.
(Passage adapted from The Aeneid of Vergil 1. 539-546)
Example Question #104 : Ap Latin Language
After being warned of an imminent attack by the Gauls, Caesar’s men debate whether to stay in their camp or attempt to join another unit.
1 Lucius Aurunculeius compluresque tribuni militum et primorum ordinum
2 centuriones nihil temere agendum neque ex hibernis iniussu Caesaris
3 discedendum existimabant: quantasvis [magnas] copias etiam Germanorum
4 sustineri posse munitis hibernis docebant: rem esse testimonio, quod
5 primum hostium impetum multis ultro vulneribus illatis fortissime
6 sustinuerint: re frumentaria non premi; interea et ex proximis hibernis et a
7 Caesare conventura subsidia: postremo quid esse levius aut turpius, quam
8 auctore hoste de summis rebus capere consilium?
A proper translation for the word "copias" in line 3 is __________.
rations
enemies
troops
forts
troops
While the primary definition of "copia, -ae" is abundance, Caesar and others writing about the military often use this word to indicate troops or groups of men.
(Passage adapted from Gallic Wars, 5:28)
Example Question #1 : Caesar
(1) Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. (2) Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit. (3) Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, (4) proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt. Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt. (5) Eorum una pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine Rhodano, continetur Garumna flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum, attingit etiam ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum, vergit ad septentriones. (6) Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus oriuntur, pertinent ad inferiorem partem fluminis Rheni, spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem. (7) Aquitania a Garumna flumine ad Pyrenaeos montes et eam partem Oceani quae est ad Hispaniam pertinet; spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones.
What is the translation of flumen (part 2)?
Country
Smoke
City
River
River
The word flumen comes from the noun flumen, fluminis, which means "river."
Passage adapted from De Bello Gallico by Caesar, I. 1-7
Example Question #1 : Vocabulary In Caesar
(1) Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur. (2) Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit. (3) Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae, propterea quod a cultu atque humanitate provinciae longissime absunt, minimeque ad eos mercatores saepe commeant atque ea quae ad effeminandos animos pertinent important, (4) proximique sunt Germanis, qui trans Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt. Qua de causa Helvetii quoque reliquos Gallos virtute praecedunt, quod fere cotidianis proeliis cum Germanis contendunt, cum aut suis finibus eos prohibent aut ipsi in eorum finibus bellum gerunt. (5) Eorum una pars, quam Gallos obtinere dictum est, initium capit a flumine Rhodano, continetur Garumna flumine, Oceano, finibus Belgarum, attingit etiam ab Sequanis et Helvetiis flumen Rhenum, vergit ad septentriones. (6) Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus oriuntur, pertinent ad inferiorem partem fluminis Rheni, spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem. (7) Aquitania a Garumna flumine ad Pyrenaeos montes et eam partem Oceani quae est ad Hispaniam pertinet; spectat inter occasum solis et septentriones.
The word mercatores (part 3) means ___________________.
citizens
merchants
many
nomads
merchants
The word mercatores comes from the noun mercator, mercatoris, meaning "merchant."
Passage adapted from De Bello Gallico by Caesar, I. 1-7
Example Question #105 : Ap Latin Language
(1) Apud Helvetios longe nobilissimus fuit et ditissimus Orgetorix. Is M. Messala, [et P.] M. Pisone consulibus regni cupiditate inductus coniurationem nobilitatis fecit et civitati persuasit ut de finibus suis cum omnibus copiis exirent:(2) perfacile esse, cum virtute omnibus praestarent, totius Galliae imperio potiri. (3) Id hoc facilius iis persuasit, quod undique loci natura Helvetii continentur: una ex parte flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, qui agrum Helvetium a Germanis dividit; altera ex parte monte Iura altissimo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios; tertia lacu Lemanno et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Helvetiis dividit. (4) His rebus fiebat ut et minus late vagarentur et minus facile finitimis bellum inferre possent; (5) qua ex parte homines bellandi cupidi magno dolore adficiebantur. (6) Pro multitudine autem hominum et pro gloria belli atque fortitudinis angustos se fines habere arbitrabantur, qui in longitudinem milia passuum CCXL, in latitudinem CLXXX patebant.
What is the meaning of copiis (part 1)?
Supplies
Armies
Dancers
Many
Supplies
The word copiis comes from the noun copia, copiae, which means "resources" in the context of this sentence.
Passage adapted from De Bello Gallico by Caesar, I. 2.1-6
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