AP Latin : Scanning Dactylic Hexameter in Vergil
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Example Questions
Example Question #61 : Vergil
Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, 5
inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.
Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,
quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores 10
impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
How many ellisions are in line 9?
1
2
3
0
0
Zero ellisions occur in line 9.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 1.1-12)
Example Question #62 : Vergil
Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venit
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
vi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem, 5
inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,
Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.
Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,
quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casus
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores 10
impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae?
How many ellisions occur throughout this excerpt?
6
3
5
8
5
A total of 5 ellision occur throughout this excerpt. Remember, ellisions occur when one word ends with a vowel (or accusative singular ending), followed by a word beginning with a vowel.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 1.1-12)
Example Question #63 : 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 5 ("at…nefandi"), the metrical pattern of the first four feet is __________.
dactyl – dactyl – spondee – spondee
dactyl – dactyl – dactyl – spondee
spondee – dactyl – spondee – spondee
spondee - dactyl - dactyl - spondee
spondee - dactyl - dactyl - spondee
The initial “e” in "sperate" is long by nature, which makes the first foot a spondee. The last “e” of "sperate" and the first “e” in "deos" are short, making the second foot a dactyl. The first two syllables of "memores" are short, making the third foot a dactyl. Because two consonants “nd” follow the “a” in "fandi," the “a” is long, making the fourth foot a spondee.
(Passage adapted from The Aeneid of Vergil 1. 539-546)
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