AP Latin : Prose
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Perspectives Of Roman Culture In Prose Passages
Primus amor Phoebi Daphne Peneia, quem non
fors ignara dedit, sed saeva Cupidinis ira,
Delius hunc nuper, victa serpente superbus,
viderat adducto flectentem cornua nervo
'quid' que 'tibi, lascive puer, cum fortibus armis?' 5
dixerat: 'ista decent umeros gestamina nostros,
qui dare certa ferae, dare vulnera possumus hosti,
qui modo pestifero tot iugera ventre prementem
stravimus innumeris tumidum Pythona sagittis.
tu face nescio quos esto contentus amores 10
inritare tua, nec laudes adsere nostras!'
filius huic Veneris 'figat tuus omnia, Phoebe,
te meus arcus' ait; 'quantoque animalia cedunt
cuncta deo, tanto minor est tua gloria nostra.'
Why is Daphne named "Peneia" in line 1?
It is a title of honor
It is the name of her father
All women are referred to as Peneia
She is light, like a feather
It is the name of her father
The reason Daphne is called "Peneia" is because her father's name is "Peneus." It was common in Ancient Rome to refer to a person by their lineage (e.g. Son of Anchises—Aeneas, and so on). Additionally, however, girls were rarely given original names of their own, but simply called a feminine version of their father's name. So, the daughter of a man named Cornelius would most likely be called Cornelia.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.452-465)
Example Question #1 : Perspectives Of Roman Culture In Prose Passages
Erat Miseni classemque imperio praesens regebat. Nonum Kal. Septembres hora fere septima mater mea indicat ei apparere nubem inusitata et magnitudine et specie. Usus ille sole, mox frigida, gustaverat iacens studebatque; poscit soleas, ascendit locum ex quo maxime miraculum illud conspici poterat. Nubes — incertum procul intuentibus ex quo monte; Vesuvium fuisse postea cognitum est — oriebatur, cuius similitudinem et formam non alia magis arbor quam pinus expresserit. Nam longissimo velut trunco elata in altum quibusdam ramis diffundebatur, credo quia recenti spiritu evecta, dein senescente eo destituta aut etiam pondere suo victa in latitudinem vanescebat, candida interdum, interdum sordida et maculosa prout terram cineremve sustulerat. Magnum propiusque noscendum ut eruditissimo viro visum. Iubet liburnicam aptari; mihi si venire una vellem facit copiam; respondi studere me malle, et forte ipse quod scriberem dederat. Egrediebatur domo; accipit codicillos Rectinae Tasci imminenti periculo exterritae — nam villa eius subiacebat, nec ulla nisi navibus fuga -: ut se tanto discrimini eriperet orabat. Vertit ille consilium et quod studioso animo incohaverat obit maximo. Deducit quadriremes, ascendit ipse non Rectinae modo sed multis — erat enim frequens amoenitas orae — laturus auxilium. Properat illuc unde alii fugiunt, rectumque cursum recta gubernacula in periculum tenet adeo solutus metu, ut omnes illius mali motus omnes figuras ut deprenderat oculis dictaret enotaretque.
"Nonum Kal. Septembres" refers to which date?
September 5
August 23
September 1
August 24
August 24
The author of this has actually omitted part of the date. The full date is "ante diem Nonum Kalends Septembres." We know this since "Nonum" is in the accusative case. So, the date is nine days before the Kalends (first day of the month) of September. This is August 24. Remember that the Romans counted inclusively, so when counting, September 1 would count as Day 1 (The system of counting in the West today is typically exclusive, where we would not count the day of when counting forwards or backwards from a date).
(Passage adapted from Pliny the Younger's Letters to Tacitus Book 6, #16)
Example Question #1 : Perspectives Of Roman Culture In Prose Passages
Ac mihi quidem videtur, iudices, hic introitus defensionis adulescentiae M. Caeli maxime convenire, ut ad ea, quae accusatores deformandi huius causa, detrahendae spoliandaeque dignitatis gratia dixerunt, primum respondeam. Obiectus est pater varie, quod aut parum splendidus ipse aut parum pie tractatus a filio diceretur. De dignitate M. Caelius notis ac maioribus natu et sine mea oratione et tacitus facile ipse respondet; quibus autem propter senectutem, quod iam diu minus in foro nobiscumque versatur, non aeque est cognitus, ii sic habeant, quaecumque in equite Romano dignitas esse possit, quae certe potest esse maxima, eam semper in M. Caelio habitam esse summam hodieque haberi non solum a suis, sed etiam ab omnibus, quibus potuerit aliqua de causa esse notus.
Of what is the "M." in the first sentence an abbreviation?
Mille
Magnus
Magister
Marcus
Marcus
Often in writing, Romans abbreviated a person's given name. "M."is the abbreviated form of the name Marcus.
(Passage adapted from Cicero's Pro Caelio, Section 2 (56 BCE))
Example Question #1 : Influential People And Events In Prose Passages
Erat Miseni classemque imperio praesens regebat. Nonum Kal. Septembres hora fere septima mater mea indicat ei apparere nubem inusitata et magnitudine et specie. Usus ille sole, mox frigida, gustaverat iacens studebatque; poscit soleas, ascendit locum ex quo maxime miraculum illud conspici poterat. Nubes — incertum procul intuentibus ex quo monte; Vesuvium fuisse postea cognitum est — oriebatur, cuius similitudinem et formam non alia magis arbor quam pinus expresserit. Nam longissimo velut trunco elata in altum quibusdam ramis diffundebatur, credo quia recenti spiritu evecta, dein senescente eo destituta aut etiam pondere suo victa in latitudinem vanescebat, candida interdum, interdum sordida et maculosa prout terram cineremve sustulerat. Magnum propiusque noscendum ut eruditissimo viro visum. Iubet liburnicam aptari; mihi si venire una vellem facit copiam; respondi studere me malle, et forte ipse quod scriberem dederat. Egrediebatur domo; accipit codicillos Rectinae Tasci imminenti periculo exterritae — nam villa eius subiacebat, nec ulla nisi navibus fuga -: ut se tanto discrimini eriperet orabat. Vertit ille consilium et quod studioso animo incohaverat obit maximo. Deducit quadriremes, ascendit ipse non Rectinae modo sed multis — erat enim frequens amoenitas orae — laturus auxilium. Properat illuc unde alii fugiunt, rectumque cursum recta gubernacula in periculum tenet adeo solutus metu, ut omnes illius mali motus omnes figuras ut deprenderat oculis dictaret enotaretque.
This passage comes from ___________.
an account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
a book describing the locations of places
a myth
an account of daily life in Rome
an account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius
We can tell that this is an account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. There are many references to Vesuvius in the passage, in addition to dates and mentions of clouds, smoke, and so on.
(Passage adapted from Pliny the Younger's Letters to Tacitus Book 6, #16)
Example Question #1 : Syntax Of Prose Passages
In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas
corpora; di, coeptis (nam vos mutastis et illas)
adspirate meis primaque ab origine mundi
ad mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen!
Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe,
quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles
nec quicquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem
non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum.
nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan, 10
nec nova crescendo reparabat cornua Phoebe,
nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus
ponderibus librata suis, nec bracchia longo
margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite;
utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer, 15
sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,
lucis egens aer; nulli sua forma manebat,
obstabatque aliis aliud, quia corpore in uno
frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis,
mollia cum duris, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
What is the object of "deducite" (line 4)?
Origine
Tempora
Illas
Carmen
Carmen
The word "deducite" must take an accusative word as its direct object. In this clause of the sentence the only words that fit this description are "perpetuum carmen."
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, ln.1-20)
Example Question #2 : Syntax Of Prose Passages
In nova fert animus mutatas dicere formas
corpora; di, coeptis (nam vos mutastis et illas)
adspirate meis primaque ab origine mundi
ad mea perpetuum deducite tempora carmen!
Ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum 5
unus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe,
quem dixere chaos: rudis indigestaque moles
nec quicquam nisi pondus iners congestaque eodem
non bene iunctarum discordia semina rerum.
nullus adhuc mundo praebebat lumina Titan, 10
nec nova crescendo reparabat cornua Phoebe,
nec circumfuso pendebat in aere tellus
ponderibus librata suis, nec bracchia longo
margine terrarum porrexerat Amphitrite;
utque erat et tellus illic et pontus et aer, 15
sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,
lucis egens aer; nulli sua forma manebat,
obstabatque aliis aliud, quia corpore in uno
frigida pugnabant calidis, umentia siccis,
mollia cum duris, sine pondere, habentia pondus. 20
The word "eodem" in line 8 translates as __________.
the same
a certain
from
this
the same
The enclitic "-dem" indicates that the word should be translated as the same. It is commonly combined with a form of "is, ea, id or qui, quae, quod."
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, ln.1-20)
Example Question #71 : Prose
Primus amor Phoebi Daphne Peneia, quem non
fors ignara dedit, sed saeva Cupidinis ira,
Delius hunc nuper, victa serpente superbus,
viderat adducto flectentem cornua nervo
'quid' que 'tibi, lascive puer, cum fortibus armis?' 5
dixerat: 'ista decent umeros gestamina nostros,
qui dare certa ferae, dare vulnera possumus hosti,
qui modo pestifero tot iugera ventre prementem
stravimus innumeris tumidum Pythona sagittis.
tu face nescio quos esto contentus amores 10
inritare tua, nec laudes adsere nostras!'
filius huic Veneris 'figat tuus omnia, Phoebe,
te meus arcus' ait; 'quantoque animalia cedunt
cuncta deo, tanto minor est tua gloria nostra.'
The word "tuus" (line 12) modifies which word?
Omnia
Te
Arcus
Phoebe
Arcus
The word "tuus" is describing the word "arcus." "Arcus" here is actually being described by "tuus" and "meus" to show the difference in uses between the two gods' bows.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.452-465)
Example Question #4 : Syntax Of Prose Passages
Saepe pater dixit: 'generum mihi, filia, debes,'
saepe pater dixit: 'debes mihi, nata, nepotes';
illa velut crimen taedas exosa iugales
pulchra verecundo suffuderat ora rubore
inque patris blandis haerens cervice lacertis 5
'da mihi perpetua, genitor carissime,' dixit
'virginitate frui! dedit hoc pater ante Dianae.'
ille quidem obsequitur, sed te decor iste quod optas
esse vetat, votoque tuo tua forma repugnat:
Phoebus amat visaeque cupit conubia Daphnes, 10
quodque cupit, sperat, suaque illum oracula fallunt,
utque leves stipulae demptis adolentur aristis,
ut facibus saepes ardent, quas forte viator
vel nimis admovit vel iam sub luce reliquit,
sic deus in flammas abiit, sic pectore toto 15
uritur et sterilem sperando nutrit amorem.
In the phrases "generum . . . debes" (line 1) and "debes . . . nepotes" (line 2), what word should be supplied to fit the meaning of the sentence(s)?
Dare
Dicere
Curare
Relinquere
Dare
In these lines, the father is urging his daughter to give him grandchildren. The most appropriate word for these phrases would be "dare," which, paired with "debes," would translate as you ought to give me.
(Adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.481-496)
Example Question #5 : Syntax Of Prose Passages
Saepe pater dixit: 'generum mihi, filia, debes,'
saepe pater dixit: 'debes mihi, nata, nepotes';
illa velut crimen taedas exosa iugales
pulchra verecundo suffuderat ora rubore
inque patris blandis haerens cervice lacertis 5
'da mihi perpetua, genitor carissime,' dixit
'virginitate frui! dedit hoc pater ante Dianae.'
ille quidem obsequitur, sed te decor iste quod optas
esse vetat, votoque tuo tua forma repugnat:
Phoebus amat visaeque cupit conubia Daphnes, 10
quodque cupit, sperat, suaque illum oracula fallunt,
utque leves stipulae demptis adolentur aristis,
ut facibus saepes ardent, quas forte viator
vel nimis admovit vel iam sub luce reliquit,
sic deus in flammas abiit, sic pectore toto 15
uritur et sterilem sperando nutrit amorem.
What word is the object of "frui" (line 7)?
"Virginitate" (line 7)
"Genitor" (line 6)
No direct object
"Hoc" (line 7)
"Virginitate" (line 7)
The direct object of "frui" is "virginitate." "Frui" comes from the verb "fruor, frui, fructus sum," which is part of a small group of words in Latin that take ablative case words as their direct object. The daughter is asking her father to enjoy perpetual virginity.
(Adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, 1.481-496)
Example Question #2 : Syntax Of Prose Passages
Praebuerat dictis Tritonia talibus aures
carminaque Aonidum iustamque probaverat iram;
tum secum: 'laudare parum est, laudemur et ipsae
numina nec sperni sine poena nostra sinamus.'
Maeoniaeque animum fatis intendit Arachnes, 5
quam sibi lanificae non cedere laudibus artis
audierat. non illa loco nec origine gentis
clara, sed arte fuit: pater huic Colophonius Idmon
Phocaico bibulas tinguebat murice lanas;
occiderat mater, sed et haec de plebe suoque 10
aequa viro fuerat; Lydas tamen illa per urbes
quaesierat studio nomen memorabile, quamvis
orta domo parva parvis habitabat Hypaepis.
huius ut adspicerent opus admirabile, saepe
deseruere sui nymphae vineta Timoli, 15
deseruere suas nymphae Pactolides undas.
What is the subject of "praebuerat" (line 1)?
Dictis
Tritonia
Aures
Carmina (line 2)
Tritonia
The subject of "praebuerat" must be singular, since the verb is in the third person singular form. "Tritonia" is the only word that is singular. All of the other choices are plural.
(Passage adapted from Metamorphoses by Ovid, VI.1-16)
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