Academic Contests

• Grammar- Students participating in Level 1/2 A, 1/2 B, or Level I will take Grammar I. All other students will take the Advanced Grammar test. The Grammar I test will not include verbals, deponent verbs, the subjunctive mood, or indirect statements.
• Latin Derivatives- Emphasis will be placed on English words derived from Latin.
• Vocabulary- Latin and English equivalents and idiomatic expresssions will be emphasized. Latin to Latin will be included.
• Mythology- Greek and Roman myths, gods, and heroes will be covered.
• Roman Life- The public and private lives of the Romans will be covered.
• Latin Literature- The significant authors (Livius Andronicus through Boethius), and their lives, works, and styles will be covered.
• Roman History- All phases of Roman History from 753 through 31 B.C. will be covered.
• Greek History- All phases of Greek History will be covered from the Minoan Civilization through the death of Alexander the Great.
• Greek Life and Literature- The public and private lives of the Greeks will be covered as well as the significant Greek authors, their lives, works and styles.
• Greek Derivatives- Emphasis will be placed on English words derived from Greek.
• Mottoes, Phrases, Abbreviations, and Famous Quotations- Emphasis will be placed on Latin mottoes, abbreviations, and phrases used in English, as well as famous mottoes and quotations.(Latin idioms are tested on the Vocab test.)
• Latin Reading Comprehension- Selections for comprehension will be suited to the level of Latin studied by the contestant. Level 1/2 and I students will take the Level I test. Level II students will take the Level II test. Third, fourth, and fifth year will take either the Prose Advanced Reading Comprehension test or the Poetry Advanced Reading Comprehension test. The poetry selections will come from Ovid, Catullus, Horace, or Vergil. A school may have students competing in both Advanced Poetry and Advanced Prose, but the same student is not allowed to take both. The comprehension questions will be asked in English and Latin.
• Geography of the Ancient World- The test will include knowledge of the monuments and of the physical and political geography of the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome including comparisons between the ancient and modern worlds.
• Sight Recitation- This contest will overlap with written tests in the convention schedule. Students should complete any written test before competing in Sight Recitation. Contestants will be given a brief selection in Latin appropriate to the year of Latin being studied by the contestant. Each contestant will be judged on his ability to read aloud in Latin, noticing their particular expression, tone of voice, pronunciation, and phrasing. Pronunciation for the contest will be based on the Classical pronunciation in Vox Latina. Each student will be given the selection for a 10-minute preparation period in which a dictionary may be used. Students must bring their own dictionary. Macrons will be used to indicate long vowels. Judges may ask very general English questions to verify the contestant's comprehension as a tie breaker.
• Dramatic Interpretation- One boy and one girl may be entered per level of Latin per school. Each level will be divided by gender. The selection must be memorized. All contestants may provide their own prompters. The contestant has the option of giving a one-minute introduction in English. No costumes may be worn. No props may be used. Level I and II contestants are not required to read with elision and meter. The selections are from Latin Via Ovid, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Vergil's Aeneid.
• Latin Oratory- The selection must be memorized. Contestants may provide their own prompters. No introduction in English may be given. No costumes or props may be used. The selections are from Cicero.
• Decathlon- A contestant may take the Decathlon and only one other academic contest. The Decathlon test will cover Grammar, Vocabulary, Roman Life, Roman History, Latin Literature, Mythology, Latin Derivatives, Reading Comprehension, Mottoes, Phrases, Abbreviations, and Famous Quotations and Geography of the Ancient World.