HSC Latin Extension case studies
HSC Latin Extension · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The HSC Latin Extension is a New South Wales senior-secondary credential for students who have already built a solid foundation in Latin and want to work with authentic, unadapted texts at speed and in depth. It suits candidates preparing for university classics, ancient history, medieval studies or linguistics, and anyone who values the discipline of reading a highly inflected language closely. The HSC Latin Extension case studies are 5 cases and about 2,426 words.
1The Ambiguous Ablative in a Curtius Passage
You are translating a 55-word unseen prose passage (adapted from a historian describing a siege) for Section I. One sentence reads: His rebus cognitis, Caesar pontem, quem paucis ante diebus fecerat, rescindi iubet, ne hostes flumen transire possent.
566 words, about 3 min2Verse Word Order and the Golden Line
You are translating 6 lines of unseen dactylic hexameter for Section I. The lines describe a storm at sea.
492 words, about 2 min3Analysing a Prescribed Verse Simile
In a prescribed verse set text (an epic), you must write a 10-mark commentary on a 4-line simile comparing a warrior to a lion. You know the lines by heart in translation but the question asks: 'Discuss how the simile contributes to the characterisation of the warrior and to the epic's themes.' You have 20 minutes.
471 words, about 2 min4Prescribed Prose: Period, Clause, and Bias
In a prescribed prose set text (a speech or historical narrative), you must translate a 6-line periodic sentence and then answer a 5-mark question on the author's bias. The sentence begins with a long cum clause, has a parenthetical relative clause, and only reveals its main verb in the final three words.
451 words, about 2 min5Intertextual Allusion Under Time Pressure
A 12-mark essay question asks you to discuss how a prescribed text engages with an earlier model. You recognise one passage as echoing a famous earlier scene, but you are not certain of the exact wording of the earlier text.
446 words, about 2 min