AP Latin : Syllabus Passages
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Latin
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Example Questions
Example Question #3 : Context Of Vergil
Aeneas miratus enim motusque tumultu
'dic,' ait, 'o virgo, quid vult concursus ad amnem?
quidve petunt animae? vel quo discrimine ripas
hae linquunt, illae remis vada livida verrunt?'
olli sic breviter fata est longaeva sacerdos: 5
'Anchisa generate, deum certissima proles,
Cocyti stagna alta vides Stygiamque paludem,
di cuius iurare timent et fallere numen.
haec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est . . .
The words "Cocyti" and "Stygiamque" (line 7) are references to __________.
regions of heaven
rivers of the underworld
regions of Europe
Carthage
rivers of the underworld
Both of these words are refer to two of the underworld's five rivers: Cocytus, the river of wailing, and the Styx, the main river of the underworld and the place by which all the gods swear.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.317-325)
Example Question #4 : Context Of Vergil
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!
In line 4, the words "rem Romanam" refer to __________.
cities
Italy
war
the Senate
the Senate
Whenever Romans use the phrase "Res Publica," "Res Romana," or any variant of this, it is in reference to their system of government that the Romans create—the Republic. The Senate is the defining characteristic of this system of government. This is the Roman thing that Vergil is referencing.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #5 : Context Of Vergil
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!
Who is Marcellus (line 2)?
A Roman soldier
Nephew of Augustus
Aeneas' son
Anchises' father
Nephew of Augustus
Marcellus is a reference to the nephew of the Emperor Augustus, who was beloved and was a potential inheritor of the Roman throne, but died very young.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #6 : Context Of Vergil
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!
What is happening in the passage?
The Trojans have won a battle
Anchises is showing Aeneas the future
Anchises dies
Aeneas is mourning his father
Anchises is showing Aeneas the future
This passage is from the part of the Aeneid where Anchises shows Aeneas Rome's deeds and the great Romans to come.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #7 : Context Of Vergil
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 word "vulnere" (line 1) refers to __________.
emotional pain
a contract
something broken
a physical wound
emotional pain
This scene happens shortly after Aeneas tells Dido that he cannot be with her. Vulnere refers to the emotional pain that she is feeling from this break-up.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.450-460)
Example Question #8 : Context Of 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.
Elsewhere in the Aeneid of Vergil, we learn that Dido is wary of strangers in her land because __________.
she fears an attack from the Greeks because she helped the Trojans
she is afraid of retribution from her brother
she is protecting her people from pirates
she has heard a prophecy that foreigners will cause the downfall of her city
she is afraid of retribution from her brother
Venus explains to Aeneas earlier in Book 1 that Dido’s wicked brother, Pygmalion, murdered her husband Sychaeus. Dido saw her dead husband in a dream, where he warned her to take treasure that he had hidden and flee her brother. She took the money and, gathering up her loyal citizens, fled. She is currently building her new city, Carthage. Dido fears an invasion from Pygmalion, not to mention other possible invaders of her new city from surrounding lands.
(Passage adapted from The Aeneid of Vergil 1. 539-546)
Example Question #9 : Context Of Vergil
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 word "Quirino" in line 6 is a reference to __________.
Julius Caesar
Romulus
the line of Julio-Claudians
Augustus
Romulus
After his death, the founder of Rome, Romulus, became associated with the god Quirinus. This is why he is referred to as father here, because Romulus was the father of Rome.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 6.854-865)
Example Question #51 : Syllabus Passages
Laocoon, ductus Neptuno sorte sacerdos,
sollemnis taurum ingentem mactabat ad aras.
Ecce autem gemini a Tenedo tranquilla per alta
(horresco referens) immensis orbibus angues
incumbunt pelago pariterque ad litora tendunt; 5
pectora quorum inter fluctus arrecta iubaeque
sanguineae superant undas, pars cetera pontum
pone legit sinuatque immensa volumine terga.
Fit sonitus spumante salo; iamque arva tenebant
ardentisque oculos suffecti sanguine et igni 10
sibila lambebant linguis vibrantibus ora.
Diffugimus visu exsangues. Illi agmine certo
Laocoonta petunt; et primum parva duorum
corpora natorum serpens amplexus uterque
implicat et miseros morsu depascitur artus. 15
How many ellisions are in line 2?
3
2
1
0
1
Ellisions can occur when one word ends in a vowel and the following word begins with a vowel. They can also occur when one word ends in the accusative singular, followed by a word beginning with a vowel. There is one instance of this in line 2.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 2.201-215)
Example Question #52 : Syllabus Passages
Defessi Aeneadae, quae proxima litora, cursu
contendunt petere, et Libyae vertuntur ad oras.
Est in secessu longo locus: insula portum
efficit obiectu laterum, quibus omnis ab alto
frangitur inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos.
How many ellisions occur in line 2?
Ellisions can occur when one word ends with a vowel, followed by a word that begins with a vowel. There is only one such instance of this in line 2, so there is only one ellision.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 1.157-161)
Example Question #3 : Grammar, Syntax, And Scansion In 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?
Which is the correct scansion of line 1?
_ vv | _ vv | _ vv | _ _| _ vv | _ _
_ vv | _ vv | _ _ | _ _| _ vv | _ _
_ vv | _ vv | _ _ | _ _| _ vv | v v
_ vv | _ vv | _ v | _ vv| _ _ | _ _
_ vv | _ vv | _ _ | _ _| _ vv | _ _
The correct scansion for line 1 is: _ vv | _ vv | _ _ | _ _| _ vv | _ _
In dactylic hexameter, the first syllable of a dactyl is always long and there must be 6 dactyls total.
The following two syllables are short because they are naturally short and do not need to be long either because of case or meter. The "-no" in "cano" is long because of meter and inflection (the "-o" ending of verbs in the present tense is always long). The following syllable ("Troi") is also long because the "-ae" ending must also be long due to case. "Qui" and "pri-" need to also be long to fit the meter. "-Mus" and "ab" are short to fit the meter and because nothing necessitates that they be long syllables. Lastly, this line ends in a spondee (_ _), which is fairly common.
(Passage adapted from the Aeneid by Vergil, 1.1-12)
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