Unit 1: Teacher's Choice: Latin Prose
Latin · Unit 1 · Paper 1

Teacher's Choice: Latin Prose unit test

A test on this unit alone, marked as a percentage and a letter grade — for the test your class is actually sitting, rather than for May. Answer everything, then submit once: seeing the answer to question 3 before attempting question 4 makes the final percentage meaningless.

Paper 1Paper 2Paper 3
Each paper is built from this unit’s 46 terms and is the same for everyone, so a teacher can assign “Unit 1, Paper 1” and every student sits the identical test. Multiple choice is marked objectively; the written sections you mark yourself against the model answer and rubric.
Suggested time 33 min 30 points0/17 attempted
1

obses, obsidis (m./f.)

2

The bridge over the Rhine (Book IV)

3

Caesar's clementia

4

Orgetorix

5

Caesar's ethnography of the Germans

6

Indirect command (ut/ne + subjunctive)

7

The analytical essay

8

Ablative absolute in Caesar

9

The Gallic revolt of Book V

10

Roman military vocabulary: legio, cohors, centuria

11

The Hercynian forest

12

Gallic religion in Roman terms

Short answer 1. Define or explain: The first British expedition (Book IV)

3 pts

Short answer 2. Define or explain: Place constructions with towns

3 pts

Short answer 3. Define or explain: Deponent and semi-deponent verbs

3 pts

Short answer 4. Define or explain: Ablative of comparison

3 pts

Free response

6 pts

SUMMARY AND ESSAY: AUGUSTINE (Question 4, 2026 format). Augustine on learning Greek and Latin (Confessions 1.14): Cur ergo Graecam etiam grammaticam oderam talia cantantem? Nam et Homerus peritus texere tales fabellas et dulcissime vanus est, mihi tamen amarus erat puero. Credo etiam Graecis pueris Vergilius ita sit, cum eum sic discere coguntur ut ego illum. Videlicet difficultas, omnino ediscendae linguae peregrinae, quasi felle aspergebat omnes suavitates Graecas fabulosarum narrationum. Nulla enim verba illa noveram, et saevis terroribus ac poenis ut nossem instabatur mihi vehementer. Nam et Latina aliquando infans utique nulla noveram, et tamen advertendo didici sine ullo metu atque cruciatu, inter etiam blandimenta nutricum et ioca adridentium et laetitias adludentium. Didici vero illa sine poenali onere urgentium. Hinc satis elucet maiorem habere vim ad discenda ista liberam curiositatem quam meticulosam necessitatem.

A. In your own words, summarize the passage in 4–5 complete sentences, with a summary sentence identifying what the whole passage is about and coverage of its beginning, middle, and end.

B. Describe Augustine’s attitude toward the Greek language and explain how the passage develops this attitude (7–8 sentences; at least two multi-word Latin citations translated or paraphrased, with explanations; plus one piece of relevant contextual or stylistic information, explained).