AP Latin : Grammar, Syntax, and Scansion in Poetry
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #41 : Poetic Syntax
Tertia post illam successit aenea proles,
saevior ingeniis et ad horrida promptior arma,
non scelerata tamen; de duro est ultima ferro.
protinus inrupit venae peioris in aevum
omne nefas: fugere pudor verumque fidesque; 5
in quorum subiere locum fraudesque dolusque
insidiaeque et vis et amor sceleratus habendi.
vela dabant ventis nec adhuc bene noverat illos
navita, quaeque prius steterant in montibus altis,
fluctibus ignotis insultavere carinae, 10
communemque prius ceu lumina solis et auras
cautus humum longo signavit limite mensor.
nec tantum segetes alimentaque debita dives
poscebatur humus, sed itum est in viscera terrae,
quasque recondiderat Stygiisque admoverat umbris, 15
effodiuntur opes, inritamenta malorum.
The word "inrupit" in line 4 should be translated ___________.
it invaded
it invades
it destroys
it destroyed
it invaded
The word "inrupit" comes from "inrumpo," "inrumpere," "inrupi," "inruptus," which means to invade. "Inrupit" then, is the third person, singular, perfect, active, indicative form of this verb land should be translated as: it invaded.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 1.125-141)
Example Question #41 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Tertia post illam successit aenea proles,
saevior ingeniis et ad horrida promptior arma,
non scelerata tamen; de duro est ultima ferro.
protinus inrupit venae peioris in aevum
omne nefas: fugere pudor verumque fidesque; 5
in quorum subiere locum fraudesque dolusque
insidiaeque et vis et amor sceleratus habendi.
vela dabant ventis nec adhuc bene noverat illos
navita, quaeque prius steterant in montibus altis,
fluctibus ignotis insultavere carinae, 10
communemque prius ceu lumina solis et auras
cautus humum longo signavit limite mensor.
nec tantum segetes alimentaque debita dives
poscebatur humus, sed itum est in viscera terrae,
quasque recondiderat Stygiisque admoverat umbris, 15
effodiuntur opes, inritamenta malorum.
What is the use of "venae" in line 4?
Genitive of Possession
Nominative Subject
Dative with certain verbs
Dative Indirect Object
Genitive of Possession
The word "venae" is being used in tandem with "peioris" in order to describe the word "nefas." They are both genitive, showing possesion of "nefas."
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 1.125-141)
Example Question #41 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Vallis erat piceis et acuta densa cupressu,
nomine Gargaphie succinctae sacra Dianae,
cuius in extremo est antrum nemorale recessu
arte laboratum nulla: simulaverat artem
ingenio natura suo; nam pumice vivo 5
et levibus tofis nativum duxerat arcum;
fons sonat a dextra tenui perlucidus unda,
margine gramineo patulos incinctus hiatus.
hic dea silvarum venatu fessa solebat
virgineos artus liquido perfundere rore. 10
quo postquam subiit, nympharum tradidit uni
armigerae iaculum pharetramque arcusque retentos,
altera depositae subiecit bracchia pallae,
vincla duae pedibus demunt; nam doctior illis
Ismenis Crocale sparsos per colla capillos 15
colligit in nodum, quamvis erat ipsa solutis.
What word is the subject of "est" (line 3)?
"cuius" (line 3)
"extremo" (line 3)
"Dianae" (line 2)
"antrum" (line 3)
"antrum" (line 3)
The only noun in the nominative case in the same clause as "est" ("cuius[...]nulla") is the word "antrum." It is the only word that could possibly be the subject.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses 3.155-171)
Example Question #372 : Ap Latin Language
Vallis erat piceis et acuta densa cupressu,
nomine Gargaphie succinctae sacra Dianae,
cuius in extremo est antrum nemorale recessu
arte laboratum nulla: simulaverat artem
ingenio natura suo; nam pumice vivo 5
et levibus tofis nativum duxerat arcum;
fons sonat a dextra tenui perlucidus unda,
margine gramineo patulos incinctus hiatus.
hic dea silvarum venatu fessa solebat
virgineos artus liquido perfundere rore. 10
quo postquam subiit, nympharum tradidit uni
armigerae iaculum pharetramque arcusque retentos,
altera depositae subiecit bracchia pallae,
vincla duae pedibus demunt; nam doctior illis
Ismenis Crocale sparsos per colla capillos 15
colligit in nodum, quamvis erat ipsa solutis.
Which word is the antecedent of "suo" in line 5?
"natura" (line 5)
"simulaverat" (line 4)
"artem" (line 4)
"ingenio" (line 5)
"natura" (line 5)
The word "suo" is an example of a reflexive pronoun. Such words refer back to the subject of the clause they are in. Since the subject of this clause is the word "natura," it acts as the antecedent for "suo."
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses 3.155-171)
Example Question #42 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
quae, quamquam comitum turba est stipata suarum,
in latus obliquum tamen adstitit oraque retro
flexit et, ut vellet promptas habuisse sagittas,
quas habuit sic hausit aquas vultumque virilem
perfudit spargensque comas ultricibus undis 5
addidit haec cladis praenuntia verba futurae:
'nunc tibi me posito visam velamine narres,
si poteris narrare, licet!' nec plura minata
dat sparso capiti vivacis cornua cervi,
dat spatium collo summasque cacuminat aures 10
cum pedibusque manus, cum longis bracchia mutat
cruribus et velat maculoso vellere corpus;
additus et pavor est: fugit Autonoeius heros
et se tam celerem cursu miratur in ipso.
Which word is the antecedent of "quas" (line 4)?
"sagittas" (line 3)
"latus" (line 2)
"ora" (line 2)
"aquas" (line 4)
"sagittas" (line 3)
The word "quas" is describing "sagittas" in the previous line.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 3.186-200)
Example Question #43 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Inde per inmensum croceo velatus amictu
aethera digreditur Ciconumque Hymenaeus ad oras
tendit et Orphea nequiquam voce vocatur.
adfuit ille quidem, sed nec sollemnia verba
nec laetos vultus nec felix attulit omen. 5
fax quoque, quam tenuit, lacrimoso stridula fumo
usque fuit nullosque invenit motibus ignes.
exitus auspicio gravior: nam nupta per herbas
dum nova naiadum turba comitata vagatur,
occidit in talum serpentis dente recepto. 10
How is the word "verba" (line 3) being used?
Ablative of Specification
Direct object of "attulit" (line 4)
Ablative of Means
Subject of "attulit" (line 4)
Direct object of "attulit" (line 4)
The word "verba" comes from "verbum, verbi." Here, "verba" is in the accusative plural because it is acting as the direct object of "attulit" on line 4.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 10.1-10)
Example Question #44 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Dignane, cui grates ageret, cui turis honorem
ferret, Adoni, fui? nec grates inmemor egit,
nec mihi tura dedit. subitam convertor in iram,
contemptuque dolens, ne sim spernenda futuris,
exemplo caveo meque ipsa exhortor in ambos: 5
templa, deum Matri quae quondam clarus Echion
fecerat ex voto, nemorosis abdita silvis,
transibant, et iter longum requiescere suasit;
illic concubitus intempestiva cupido
occupat Hippomenen a numine concita nostro. 10
luminis exigui fuerat prope templa recessus,
speluncae similis, nativo pumice tectus,
religione sacer prisca, quo multa sacerdos
lignea contulerat veterum simulacra deorum;
hunc init et vetito temerat sacraria probro. 15
The -ne at the end of "digna" in line 1 means __________.
nothing
not
indicates a question
or
indicates a question
The ending "-ne" is often added to the end of a word (usually the first or last word in a sentence) in order to indicate a question.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses 10.681-696)
Example Question #45 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Dignane, cui grates ageret, cui turis honorem
ferret, Adoni, fui? nec grates inmemor egit,
nec mihi tura dedit. subitam convertor in iram,
contemptuque dolens, ne sim spernenda futuris,
exemplo caveo meque ipsa exhortor in ambos: 5
templa, deum Matri quae quondam clarus Echion
fecerat ex voto, nemorosis abdita silvis,
transibant, et iter longum requiescere suasit;
illic concubitus intempestiva cupido
occupat Hippomenen a numine concita nostro. 10
luminis exigui fuerat prope templa recessus,
speluncae similis, nativo pumice tectus,
religione sacer prisca, quo multa sacerdos
lignea contulerat veterum simulacra deorum;
hunc init et vetito temerat sacraria probro. 15
"Nec...nec," as is present in lines 2-3, translate as __________.
neither...nor
not
not...and
whether...or
neither...nor
"Nec...nec" always translates as neither...nor.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 10.681-696)
Example Question #46 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Dignane, cui grates ageret, cui turis honorem
ferret, Adoni, fui? nec grates inmemor egit,
nec mihi tura dedit. subitam convertor in iram,
contemptuque dolens, ne sim spernenda futuris,
exemplo caveo meque ipsa exhortor in ambos: 5
templa, deum Matri quae quondam clarus Echion
fecerat ex voto, nemorosis abdita silvis,
transibant, et iter longum requiescere suasit;
illic concubitus intempestiva cupido
occupat Hippomenen a numine concita nostro. 10
luminis exigui fuerat prope templa recessus,
speluncae similis, nativo pumice tectus,
religione sacer prisca, quo multa sacerdos
lignea contulerat veterum simulacra deorum;
hunc init et vetito temerat sacraria probro. 15
The word "spernenda" in line 4 should be translated as __________.
spurning
about to spurn
spurned
in order to spurn
spurned
The word "spernenda" should be translated as spurned because it is a gerundive (gerunds cannot take feminine (1st declension) endings), which means it is acting as an adjective - one who has been spurned.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 10.681-696)
Example Question #47 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In Poetry
Dignane, cui grates ageret, cui turis honorem
ferret, Adoni, fui? nec grates inmemor egit,
nec mihi tura dedit. subitam convertor in iram,
contemptuque dolens, ne sim spernenda futuris,
exemplo caveo meque ipsa exhortor in ambos: 5
templa, deum Matri quae quondam clarus Echion
fecerat ex voto, nemorosis abdita silvis,
transibant, et iter longum requiescere suasit;
illic concubitus intempestiva cupido
occupat Hippomenen a numine concita nostro. 10
luminis exigui fuerat prope templa recessus,
speluncae similis, nativo pumice tectus,
religione sacer prisca, quo multa sacerdos
lignea contulerat veterum simulacra deorum;
hunc init et vetito temerat sacraria probro. 15
What is the case and number of "grates" in line 1?
Accusative Plural
Accusative Singular
Nominative Singular
Nominative Plural
Accusative Plural
All of the choices are possibilities for "grates," except for accusative singular. "Grates" comes from "grates, gratis," which is a third declension feminine noun. Due to the context of the sentence; however, it is clear that "grates" is functioning as the direct object of "ageret," which means it has to be accusative plural. Compare with the common idiom "gratias agere;" "grates" is being used in this exact phrase, with slightly different wording.
(Passage adapted from Ovid's Metamorphoses 10.681-696)
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