AP Latin: Vergil
Encyclopedia
Advanced Placement Latin: Vergil (known also as AP Latin: Vergil, AP Latin, or AP Vergil) is an examination offered by the College Board
's Advanced Placement Program
. The current exam focuses on selections from the Aeneid
, written by Augustan author Publius Vergilius Maro, also known as Vergil or Virgil. However, for the 2012-2013 academic year, the College Board has announced that it will change the content to include not only poetry, but also prose. The prose will be selections from Commentaries on the Gallic War
, written by Gaius Julius Caesar
. Also included in the new curriculum will be a focus on sight reading. The student taking the exam will not necessarily have been exposed to the specific reading passage that appears on the exam; however, the College Board suggests that a curriculum include practice with sight reading. The exam, administered in May, is three hours, consisting of a 60-minute multiple section and a 2 hour free-response section.
Student
s are expected to be familiar with the following 1,856 lines of the Aeneid:
Students must also be familiar with the total content of Books 1 through 12.
verse. Students should be given extensive practice in reading at sight and in translating literally so that their translations not only are accurate and precise, but also make sense in English.
The instructions for the translation
questions, "translate as literally as possible," call for a translation that is accurate and precise. In some cases an idiom
may be translated in a way that makes sense in English but is rather loose compared to the Latin. In general, however, students are reminded to remember that:
The free-response section includes translation, analysis, and interpretation of the Latin text from the syllabus. The format is as follows:
Instead of solely focusing on Vergil's Aeneid, the curriculum will now include both prose and poetry, including selections from Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. The new required reading list, including revisions to the number of lines required from the Aeneid, is:
Vergil's Aeneid
Caesar's Gallic War
Also, there is a change to the required readings in English. The new list from the Aeneid is books 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12, instead of all twelve books, as was previously required. The new required reading list in English from the Gallic War is books 1, 6, and 7. Also in the revised curriculum there is also a newly placed emphasis on sight reading. The College Board announced that the exam will include Latin passages not on the required readings lists in an effort to enhance students' ability to read at sight. Recommended authors for prose include (inexhaustively): Nepos
, Cicero
(though not his letters), Livy
, Pliny the Younger
, and Seneca the Younger
, rather than authors such as Tacitus
or Sallust
. For poetry, the College Board recommends authors (inexhaustively) as follows: Ovid
, Martial
, Tibullus
, and Catullus
, rather than poets such as Horace
, Juvenal
, or Lucan
. For practice with sight reading in both poetry and prose, the College Board recommends additional Latin passages in the Aeneid and Gallic War that are not included in the required reading list.
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
's Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
. The current exam focuses on selections from the Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, written by Augustan author Publius Vergilius Maro, also known as Vergil or Virgil. However, for the 2012-2013 academic year, the College Board has announced that it will change the content to include not only poetry, but also prose. The prose will be selections from Commentaries on the Gallic War
Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination.The "Gaul" that Caesar...
, written by Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. Also included in the new curriculum will be a focus on sight reading. The student taking the exam will not necessarily have been exposed to the specific reading passage that appears on the exam; however, the College Board suggests that a curriculum include practice with sight reading. The exam, administered in May, is three hours, consisting of a 60-minute multiple section and a 2 hour free-response section.
Material tested
The AP Latin: Vergil exam is based upon Vergil's Aeneid.Student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s are expected to be familiar with the following 1,856 lines of the Aeneid:
- Book 1: lines 1-519
- Book 2: lines 1-56, 199-297, 469-566, and 735-804
- Book 4: lines 1-445, 642-705
- Book 6: lines 1-211, 450-476, and 847-901
- Book 10: lines 420-509
- Book 12: lines 791-842, 887-952
Students must also be familiar with the total content of Books 1 through 12.
Abilities tested
The exam tests students' abilities to:- Translate a Latin passage from the syllabusSyllabusA syllabus , is an outline and summary of topics to be covered in an education or training course. It is descriptive...
into English literally - Explicate specific words and phrases in context
- Identify the context and significance of short excerpts from the works specified in the syllabus
- Identify and analyze characteristic or noteworthy features of the authors' modes of expression, including their use of imagery, figures of speech, sound effects, and metrical effects (in poetryLatin poetryThe history of Latin poetry can be understood as the adaptation of Greek models. The verse comedies of Plautus are the earliest Latin literature that has survived, composed around 205-184 BC, yet the start of Latin literature is conventionally dated to the first performance of a play in verse by a...
only), as seen in specific passages - Discuss particular motifs or general themes not only suggested by passages but also relevant to other selections
- Analyze and discuss structure and to demonstrate an awareness of the features used in the construction of a poem, thesisThesisA dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
, or an argument - Scan the meters specified in the syllabus
Reading and translation
Critical appreciation of the Aeneid as poetry implies the ability to translate literally, to analyze, to interpret, to read aloud with attention to pauses and phrasing, and to scan the dactylic hexameterDactylic hexameter
Dactylic hexameter is a form of meter in poetry or a rhythmic scheme. It is traditionally associated with the quantitative meter of classical epic poetry in both Greek and Latin, and was consequently considered to be the Grand Style of classical poetry...
verse. Students should be given extensive practice in reading at sight and in translating literally so that their translations not only are accurate and precise, but also make sense in English.
The instructions for the translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
questions, "translate as literally as possible," call for a translation that is accurate and precise. In some cases an idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
may be translated in a way that makes sense in English but is rather loose compared to the Latin. In general, however, students are reminded to remember that:
- The tense, voice, number, and mood of verbs need to be translated literally
- Subject-verb agreement must be correct
- ParticipleParticipleIn linguistics, a participle is a word that shares some characteristics of both verbs and adjectives. It can be used in compound verb tenses or voices , or as a modifier...
s should be rendered precisely with regard to tense and voice - Ablative absolutes may be rendered literally or as subordinate clauses; however, the tense and number of the participle must be rendered accurately
- Historical presentHistorical presentIn linguistics and rhetoric, the historical present refers to the employment of the present tense when narrating past events...
is acceptable as long as it is used consistently throughout the passage.
Exam
The 3 hour exam consists of a 60-minute multiple choice section and a 2 hour free-response section that includes fifteen minutes of reading time and 1 hour 45 minutes of writing time. The multiple choice section includes approximately 50 questions that relate to four passages: three read at sight and one from the syllabus. The multiple choice questions test the many skills learned and practiced throughout the year, including:- 20–30% grammar and lexical questions (10–15 questions)
- 35–45% translation or interpretation of a phrase or sentence (17–23 questions)
- 2–5% metrics: that is, scansion of the dactylic hexameter line (1–3 questions)
- 2–5% figures of speech (1–3 questions)
- 20–30% identification of allusions or references, recognition of words understood but unexpressed, explication of inferences to be drawn (10–15 questions)
- 2–5% background questions on the Aeneid passage only (1–3 questions)
The free-response section includes translation, analysis, and interpretation of the Latin text from the syllabus. The format is as follows:
- Question 1: a 10-minute translation
- Question 2: a 10-minute translation
- Question 3: a 45-minute long essay
- Question 4: a 20-minute short essay
- Question 5: a 20-minute short essay based on the entire Aeneid (Latin selections and parts read in English)
Course Revisions for the 2012-2013 Year
For the 2012-2013 academic year, the College Board announced that it has made revisions to its AP Latin curriculum. In general, the College Board announced new goals in the curriculum. These include:- Required readings in both prose and poetry
- Development of student capacity to read Latin at sight
- Greater focus on grammatical, syntactical, and literary terminology
Instead of solely focusing on Vergil's Aeneid, the curriculum will now include both prose and poetry, including selections from Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. The new required reading list, including revisions to the number of lines required from the Aeneid, is:
Vergil's Aeneid
- Book 1: Lines 1-209, 418-440, 494-578
- Book 2: Lines 40-56, 201-249, 268-297, 559-620
- Book 4: Lines 160-218, 259-361, 659-705
- Book 6: Lines 295-332, 384-425, 450-476, 847-899
Caesar's Gallic War
- Book 1: Chapters 1-7
- Book 4: Chapters 24-35 and the first sentence of Chapter 36 (Eodem die legati . . . venerunt.)
- Book 5: Chapters 24-48
- Book 6: Chapters 13-20
Also, there is a change to the required readings in English. The new list from the Aeneid is books 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12, instead of all twelve books, as was previously required. The new required reading list in English from the Gallic War is books 1, 6, and 7. Also in the revised curriculum there is also a newly placed emphasis on sight reading. The College Board announced that the exam will include Latin passages not on the required readings lists in an effort to enhance students' ability to read at sight. Recommended authors for prose include (inexhaustively): Nepos
Cornelius Nepos
Cornelius Nepos was a Roman biographer. He was born at Hostilia, a village in Cisalpine Gaul not far from Verona. His Gallic origin is attested by Ausonius, and Pliny the Elder calls him Padi accola...
, Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
(though not his letters), Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
, Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
, and Seneca the Younger
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
, rather than authors such as Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
or Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
. For poetry, the College Board recommends authors (inexhaustively) as follows: Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, Martial
Martial
Marcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
, Tibullus
Tibullus
Albius Tibullus was a Latin poet and writer of elegies.Little is known about his life. His first and second books of poetry are extant; many other texts attributed to Tibullus are of questionable origins. There are only a few references to him in later writers and a short Life of doubtful authority...
, and Catullus
Catullus
Gaius Valerius Catullus was a Latin poet of the Republican period. His surviving works are still read widely, and continue to influence poetry and other forms of art.-Biography:...
, rather than poets such as Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, Juvenal
Juvenal
The Satires are a collection of satirical poems by the Latin author Juvenal written in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD.Juvenal is credited with sixteen known poems divided among five books; all are in the Roman genre of satire, which, at its most basic in the time of the author, comprised a...
, or Lucan
Lucan
Lucan is the common English name of the Roman poet Marcus Annaeus Lucanus.Lucan may also refer to:-People:*Arthur Lucan , English actor*Sir Lucan the Butler, Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend...
. For practice with sight reading in both poetry and prose, the College Board recommends additional Latin passages in the Aeneid and Gallic War that are not included in the required reading list.
Grade distribution
In the 2010 administration, 6,523 students took the exam. The mean score was 3.04, with a standard deviation of 1.40. Also, 4,114 of those who took the exam received a passing grade (3 or higher), or about 63.1%.| Score | Percent |
|---|---|
| 5 | 21.4% |
| 4 | 17.6% |
| 3 | 24.1% |
| 2 | 17.8% |
| 1 | 19.1% |