Brutus leads a revolution against the Roman people against Tarquinius Superbus who is not in Rome at the time.
Plēbēs miseriās et labōrēs habēbant quod Tarquinius erat rēx
superbissimus. Brūtus, memorāns haec et alia ātrōciōra, turbam īrātam
claudere portās Rōmae contrā rēgem Tarquinium et uxōrem et līberōs coēgit.
Brūtus adulēscentēs Rōmae cōnscrībēbat et armābat, tum eōs in castra
Ardeae mīsit. Ibi adulēscentēs contrā rēgem mīlitēs Ardeae incitāvērunt.
Brūtus imperium Rōmae Lucrētiō, quī anteā ā rēge praefectus Rōmae
creātus erat, dedit. Brūtus ad urbem Ardeam iter faciēbat. Postquam haec ad
rēgem relāta sunt, rēbus novīs territus Tarquinius ad urbem Rōmam redīvit,
quod rēs novās comprimere voluit.
Brūtus viam suam flexit quod obvius esse
Tarquiniō nōluit. Simul Brūtus ad castra Ardeae, Tarquinius ad urbem
Rōmam advēnit. Portae Tarquiniō clausae erant exsiliumque indictum est.
Brūtus, līberātor Rōmānōrum, ā cīvibus laetīs laudātus est.
Adapted from Livy, Ab
Urbe Condita ll.59–60
turbam: mob
coēgit: compelled
cōnscrībēbat: enrolled
castra: camp
Ardeae: at Ardea
praefectus: commander
rēbus novīs: because of revolution
redīvit: returned
comprimere: to suppress
flexit: changed
obvius esse: to meet (+ dat.)
nōluit: did not want
indictum est: was decreed
30. “Plēbēs...superbissimus”: Tarquinius was a king who was
A) haughty and caused miseries for the people
B) brave in war but feared by the people
C) ordered to work for the people
D) supported by the people in spite of their miseries
31. The best translation of ātrōciōra is:
A) savagely
B) more savage things
C) very savage things
D) as savagely as possible
32. “turbam...coēgit”: Brutus urged the people to
A) follow the advice of the king
B) remove the angry mob
C) shut out the king
D) remember the good which the king had done
33. “tum...incitāvērunt”: Brutus sent young men to Ardea to
A) sign a treaty with the army
B) build a new camp
C) stir up the soldiers against the king
D) capture Tarquinius
34. “Brūtus...dedit”: what do we learn about Lucretius?
A) Tarquinius had wanted to name him commander of Rome.
B) Tarquinius already had established him as commander of
Rome.
C) Lucretius had ruled in Ardea earlier.
D) Lucretius had held power before Tarquinius Superbus.
35. What does the idiom iter faciēbat mean?
A) was becoming
B) was searching
C) was leading
D) was traveling
36. Postquam haec ad rēgem relāta sunt most closely
means:
A) The messenger had been brought to the king later.
B) These events were spread far and wide later.
C) After these messengers left the king.
D) After these events were reported to the king.
37. “rēbus...voluit”: Tarquinius returned to Rome to
A) cause a revolution
B) put down the revolt
C) increase his alliances
D) explain his difficult situation
38. “Brūtus...nōluit”: Brutus changed his route to
A) gain time for attack
B) capture Tarquinius on the way
C) avoid facing Tarquinius
D) set an ambush for Tarquinius
39. “Tarquinius...indictum est”: when Tarquinius arrived in
Rome,
A) the gates were opened by spies
B) he chose to become an exile
C) he was captured and killed
D) the gates were closed and exile was ordered
40. At the end of the passage, the reader learns that
A) Brutus was praised by the happy citizens
B) Tarquinius was freed
C) Tarquinius closed the gates
D) Brutus was chosen as king by the citizens