Latin V Questions to Try
The Education of Nero
Suetonius discusses Nero's education and love
of poetry
Liberales disciplinas omnes fere puer attigit.
Sed puer = Nero (as a boy);
attigit = studied
a philosophia eum mater avertit monens imperaturo imperaturo = for one destined to rule (refers
to Nero)
contrariam esse; a cognitione veterum oratorum Seneca
praeceptor, quo diutius in admiratione sui detineret.
praeceptor = teacher (supply
avertit); sui = of Seneca
Itaque ad poeticam pronus carmina libenter ac sine
labore pronus = inclined
towards
composuit nec, ut quidam putant, aliena pro suis edidit.
Venere in manus meas pugillares libellique cum quibusdam
pugillares = writing tablets
notissimis versibus ipsius chirographo scriptis, ut
facile chirographo = handwriting
appareret, non tralatos aut dictante aliquo exceptos.
tralatos = translatos
Suetonius, Nero, 52
1. Line 1 describes Nero's education as
A) based on astronomy B) not challenging enough
C) lacking supervision D) including many
subjects
2. In this context a philosophia (line 2) is best translated
A) towards philosophy B) from philosophy C)
according to philosophy D) by philosophy
3. eum (line 2) refers to
A) philosophia B) puer C)
mater D) disciplina
4. monens (line 2) is best translated
A) warning B) warns C)
warned D) must warn
5. Lines 1-3 (Sed...esse) indicate that Nero's mother found
philosophy
A) useful for her own ambition B) unsuitable
for a ruler C) too confusing for Nero D)
more important than oratory
6. veterum oratorum (line 3) is best translated
A) earlier orators B) of earlier orators C)
an earlier orator D) by earlier orators
7. quo (line 4) is best translated
A) against whom B) so that C)
without which D) to what place
8. diutius (line 4) is best translated
A) for a longer time B) for all time C)
in no time D) for a very long time
9. Why, as Suetonius suggests in lines 3-4, did Seneca keep
Nero from reading the works of ancient orators?
A) They were too difficult to understand B) They
contained too much mythology C) They would encourage
Nero's tyrannical tendencies D) They would keep him
from admiring Seneca's writings
10. pronus (line 5) describes
A) Nero B) Seneca C) Nero's
poetry D) an ancient orator
11. sine labore (line 5) implies that Nero wrote poetry
A) constantly B) effortlessly C)
occasionally D) poorly
12. To whom or what does suis (line 6) refer?
A) Nero's family B) Nero's critics C)
Nero's teachers D) Nero's poetry
13. In line 6 (aliena...edidit), Suetonius states that some
people believe
A) Nero was a gifted poet B) Nero disliked
epic poetry C) Nero did not write his own poetry
D) Nero wrote better poetry than Seneca
14. Which of the following would have the same translation
as venere (line 7)?
A) venire B) venient C)
veniunt D) venerunt
15. According to line 7, into whose hands did the writing
tablets fall?
A) Nero's B) Nero's mother's C)
Seneca's D) Suetonius'
16. The difference between libelli (line 7) and libri involves
A) authenticity B) size C)
quality D) content
17. In line 8, one indication that Nero's poetry was authentic
was that
A) he signed his work B) he was often quoted
C) verses were written in Nero's handwriting
D) the handwriting was illegible
18. A possible translation of ut facile appareret (lines 8
and 9) is
A) upon first sight B) so that it was obvious
C) as quickly as he prepared D) how easily
he wrote
19. To what does exceptos (line 9) refer?
A) meas manus B) quibusdam versibus C)
pugillares libellique D) ipsius chirographo
20. In this passage, Suetonius' attitude towards Nero may
be described as
A) hostile B) suspicious C)
indifferent D) supportive
Based on your knoledge of Roman literature, answer
the following questions.
21. Seneca, Nero's teacher, was a famous Roman
A) actor B) general C)
poet D) philosopher
22. Suetonius' biography of Nero is contained in
A) The Annals of Ancient Rome B) The
Golden Ass C) The Metamorphoses D)
The Lives of the Twelve Caesars
23. Suetonius, who wrote in the 2nd century A.D., was a contemporary
of
A) Pliny the Younger B) Julius Caesar C)
Cato the Elder D) Vergil
