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Assessment Test* in Latin

2016-2017

A 'Pagan' Lombard Leader Questions Christians' Belief in the Intercession of the Saints

Cumque dux ipse prope Spoletium, ubi basilica beati martyris Savini episcopi sita est, in qua
eiusdem venerabile corpus quiescit, advenisset, interrogavit cuius haec tam ampla domus esset.
Responsum est ei a viris fidelibus Savinum ibi martyrem requiescere, quem Christiani, quotiens in
bellum contra hostes irent, solitum haberent in suum auxilium invocare. Ariulfus vero, com adhuc
esset gentilis, ita respondit: “Et potest fieri, ut homo mortuus aliquid viventi auxilium praestet?”
Qui cum hoc dixisset, equo dissiliens, eandem basilicam conspecturus intravit. Tunc, aliis orantibus,
ipse picturas eiusdem basilicae mirari coepit. Qui cum figuram beati martyris Savini depictam
conspexisset, mox cum iuramento affirmavit dicens talem omnino eum virum qui se in bello
protexerat formam habitumque habuisse. Tunc intellectum est beatum martyrem Savinum eidem in
proelio adiutorium contulisse.
(Paul the Deacon, Historiae Langobardorum 4.16)

Notes:
Spoletium: inflected form of Spoletium, -ii; geografic name, today Spoleto (Italy)
martyris Savini: Savinus, Christian martyr (and possibly bishop) killed in the time of Emperor
Maximian (286-305 CE); his body was buried outside the city of Spoleto, where later a church
would be built in his honor
Ariulfus: Ariulf; proper name, here in N.sg.
gentilis: here used with its postclassical meaning 'pagan'

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* As part of the admission procedure, the Medieval Studies Department requires that applicants take a language
exam. The exam is not intended as a device to determine whose applications will be successful. It is, rather,
designed to serve as an assessment of your language skills, so that we may both help students arrange their
language classes for the year or propose a modification of the research topic in case applicants need to improve
their language skills.