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Quiz about Quotes From Latin Sources
Quiz about Quotes From Latin Sources

Quotes From Latin Sources Trivia Quiz


In this quiz you find some 'popular' quotes from Latin sources. In most cases you have to guess their correct meaning.In a couple of cases you are required to know the source of the quote.

A multiple-choice quiz by flem-ish. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
flem-ish
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
68,653
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
929
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Question 1 of 10
1. Who was the Roman Emperor who laid taxes on the use of public 'washrooms', commenting 'Pecunia non olet'? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What is the correct preposition for this quote: Hannibal ___ portas? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What did Cicero mean by : 'Cedant arma togae'? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which of these quotations is the Latin version of the Greek text on the walls of Apollo's Temple at Delphi, and also a quotation from Socrates ? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What did Cicero (De officio, 1,5) mean by his often quoted 'Cui bono'? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. 'Tempus edax rerum' is a quote from Ovid. What does it mean? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What did Horace mean by: 'Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.' (Odes III, 1,1)? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What did Terentius mean by: 'Homo sum; humanum nihil a me alienum puto' ? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which of these renderings comes nearest to the meaning of : Ridendo dicere verum? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. In his 'Ars Poetica' Horace made an effort to analyse his own writer's job. What self-knowledge did he express by this remark : 'Brevis esse laboro. Obscurus fio.'? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who was the Roman Emperor who laid taxes on the use of public 'washrooms', commenting 'Pecunia non olet'?

Answer: Vespasianus

'Money does not smell'.
2. What is the correct preposition for this quote: Hannibal ___ portas?

Answer: ad

Must have sounded like 'The Russians are coming'.
Hannibal ante portas is heard as well but this is NOT a correct quotation.
The line is from Titus Livy's "War With Hannibal" (21.16.2). The author describes the consternation of the Roman senators. The correct quote is :"velut si iam ad portas hostis esset". The name Hannibal is not even mentioned as it was obvious WHO the enemy was.
3. What did Cicero mean by : 'Cedant arma togae'?

Answer: The bearers of arms should give precedence to the negotiators of peace.

In other words: it's time the diplomats (in Rome the Senators) take over from the generals.
4. Which of these quotations is the Latin version of the Greek text on the walls of Apollo's Temple at Delphi, and also a quotation from Socrates ?

Answer: Nosce te ipsum.

Gnothi seauton (Greek) = Know yourself. The other quotations mean: Now it's the right moment to drink. Drinking a bit of wine helps the truth rise tot he surface. Don't talk evil about those that are dead and cannot defend their honour any more.
5. What did Cicero (De officio, 1,5) mean by his often quoted 'Cui bono'?

Answer: When a crime happened, you always have to look for the one who got some profit from it.

The Wild West context did not allow of such complicated research and suggested a more direct approach: Look for the smoking gun. Everybody has a right to his own property = suum cuique. Juvenal (47 AD-113 AD) thought that: Nulla (fere) causa est in qua non femina litem moverit. Freely rendered by the French as : Cherchez la femme.
6. 'Tempus edax rerum' is a quote from Ovid. What does it mean?

Answer: Time devours everything.

Festina lente would render: It's better not to hurry. Other quotes from Ovid: Pia fraus. A well-intentioned deceit. And: Nonima sunt odiosa. Mentioning names is not nice.
7. What did Horace mean by: 'Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.' (Odes III, 1,1)?

Answer: I hate the common people and I keep them at a distance.

Other famous quotes from Horace: Nil mortalibus arduum est. Nothing is too harsh for humans.Odes, I, 3,37. Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Odes I, 11. Aurea mediocritas.Golden mean or golden mediocrity. Odes II,10,5. Eheu fugaces labuntur anni. The years slip by.. Odes II,14,1 and 2.
8. What did Terentius mean by: 'Homo {sum;} humanum nihil a me alienum puto' ?

Answer: There is nothing human I don't find in myself too.

Homo as in homosexual is from Greek homo= {similar;same.} Homo as in 'Ecce homo' means human being.
9. Which of these renderings comes nearest to the meaning of : Ridendo dicere verum?

Answer: There is many a true word spoken in jest.

Quote from Horace Satires, I, 1,24. A similar saying is : Ridendo, castigare mores. By saying things in a jesting way, you may be able to make people see their behaviour is wrong.
10. In his 'Ars Poetica' Horace made an effort to analyse his own writer's job. What self-knowledge did he express by this remark : 'Brevis esse laboro. Obscurus fio.'?

Answer: The more I try to be brief, the more I become obscure.

From 'Ars Poetica', 25-26.
Source: Author flem-ish

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