You probably know who Julius Caesar was, and why he might have been wise to take a vacation in the middle of March.

You've sat through "Gladiator" and a few other Charlton Heston-starring historical epics, and you may have even attended a few toga parties with a white bed sheet draped around your body.

But can you name the writer who wrote about an elaborate banquet in imperial Rome? Can you identify the meaning of Latin phrases is 30 seconds or less? Do you know the difference between your di indigetes and your di novensides?

More than 150 New Jersey high school students had to try answering all those questions, and some even more obscure, during the Certamen MMVII tournament held at Princeton University yesterday.

Working in teams of four, students from across the state, including from local towns such as Princeton, Hopewell, and South Brunswick, were quizzed on their knowledge of Latin grammar and Roman history, society and mythology.

All the participants are part of the Junior Classical League, a national organization dedicated to encourage appreciation and interest in ancient Greek and Roman language, literature, and culture. The winners of Certamen will go to the statewide convention slate May 5, trying to earn a chance to compete at the national convention at the University of Tennessee in late July.

"My students get excited about this, they have a good track record," said Cherry Hill High School West teacher J.D. Munday in between rounds.

Munday was one of the teachers serving as moderator in the Jeopardy-style contest that pitted two schools against each other for 20 questions. Each question was worth 10 points each, with a possible bonus of another 10 points.

"They're pretty hard," Hopewell Valley Central High School competitor Colleen Kent said of the questions. "There's some obscure ones."

Kent said that league meetings leading up to the Certamen tournament helped her practice, along with preparation on her own. "Reading works like 'The Aeneid' and 'The Odyssey' is great preparation for the mythology questions," she said.

For Kent, who says she may very well major in classics in college, participation in the Junior Classical League is great preparation for the future. She says a better understanding of Latin has helped her vocabulary to expand, as the language of the ancient Romans has numerous direct or indirect derivations into modern English.

Additionally, Romance languages such as Italian, Spanish, and French are direct outgrowths of the Vulgar Latin, a late Latin vernacular.

"I think it's going to be a great foundation if I have to take a language in college," she said.

Not bad for a dead language.