The title Ultimus Romanorum (Last of the Romans) was conferred upon

Question

The title  Ultimus Romanorum  (“Last of the Romans”) was conferred upon men who were seen to exemplify the greatest characteristics and values of Roman culture and whose deaths were mourned as the loss of those ideals’ purest expressions. Most of the figures bearing the title died in the period of the late Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages. Flavius Stilicho, Flavius Aetius, and Flavius Belisarius were all called  Ultimus Romanorum  for their tactical prowess as military generals, whereas Boethius and Pope Gregory I each became known as  Ultimus Romanorum  for their theological and philosophical works. Justinian I bore the name for his administrative skills and for being the last emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire to speak Latin natively, but Romulus Augustus and Julius Nepos each gained the title by claiming to be the final emperor of the Western Roman Empire. As can be seen from these few examples, there was no clear definition of what made a man  Ultimus Romanorum , and, indeed, many different men were awarded the title for many different reasons. No official declaration was made but simply a popular or an individual acclamation. It is ironic, however, that the first man to call someone  Ultimus Romanorum  was Julius Caesar, who used the term to refer to Marcus Junius Brutus as the ultimate embodiment of the spirit of Rome. Brutus would later become the most famous of Caesar’s assassins.    1 
 1. Which of the following statements is most strongly supported by the passage?

A. The title  Ultimus Romanorum  was issued by the government.
B. The most popular way to gain the title  Ultimus Romanorum  was through military genius.
C. Justinian I was known for his tactical prowess.
D. Many powerful figures in the Roman Empire sought the title of  Ultimus Romanorum. 
E. The title  Ultimus Romanorum  was not originally a posthumous award.

2 
 2. The passage suggests that which of the following distinguishes Julian Nepos and Romulus Augustus from the other examples of people referred to as  Ultimus Romanorum. ?

A. They were the final two people to gain the title.
B. They bear the title by position rather than ability.
C. They were jointly awarded the title.
D. They were not awarded the title for writing.
E. They had no military experience.

3 
 3. What is the primary purpose of this passage?

A. To explain the end of the Roman Empire
B. To determine who was the actual  Ultimus Romanorum 
C. To explore the history of the title  Ultimus Romanorum 
D. To explain the uses of the title  Ultimus Romanorum 
E. To discover the origins of the title  Ultimus Romanorum

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 281 Date: 16 Aug-2023
 This question is part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

Its_me_aka_ak · Answer

Kindly explain how is Q3 answer option D and not E or B
the passage nowhere mentioned  uses  of the title but rather how different people acquired them.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. What is the primary purpose of this passage?

Explanation

To answer this Global question, we recall the topic, scope, and purpose we already prephrased as we read the passage. The primary purpose of the passage is to highlight some of the men who received the title Ultimus Romanorum and the reasons each received the title.  Choice (D)  is the only choice with the proper scope to accurately describe the primary purpose of the passage, and it matches our prediction.

Choice (A)  is entirely outside the scope of the passage.

Choice (B)  fails to convey the purpose of the passage; the author is not attempting to select one among the various men given the title.

Choice (C)  may be tempting, but it is a little too broad—this is closer to the topic than the primary purpose.

Choice (E)  is discussed at the very end of the passage, but it is more of an interesting fact than the focus of the passage.

Answer choice (D) is correct.

Its_me_aka_ak · Answer

But at least C is mentioned and covers whole passage (assuming we cut E cuz scope is low).
the USE of the title would be something like THIS TITLE MADE THIS PERSON POPULAR which is not anywhere mentioned. so, my question again is that what are the USES of the title for D to be the right answer.

Catman · Answer

Hi Experts,
In Question 3, Can you please explain how we can pick the best answer choice between option D and C?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Posted here https://gmatclub.com/forum/the-title-ul ... l#p3253881

pudu · Answer

is it really reason? According to the passage they got it because of their particular skill/role.How can we take it a reason? Throughout the passage they are discussing about various people and finally reach to the first person who receive it. So is it E the correct one?

MihirBathia · Answer

Question number 1 explanation, please.

pudu · Answer

me too is waiting for someone's help to get clarity.

demo_xia · Answer

same my question exactly. If you would think logically the USE should be out of scope

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

1. Which of the following statements is most strongly supported by the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

The passage mentions that the title Ultimus Romanorum was conferred upon individuals who exemplified the greatest characteristics and values of Roman culture and whose deaths were mourned as the loss of those ideals' purest expressions. This implies that the title was typically given posthumously, as it was conferred upon individuals upon their deaths. However, the passage also highlights that the first person to call someone Ultimus Romanorum was Julius Caesar, who used the term to refer to Marcus Junius Brutus, and Brutus would later become one of Caesar's assassins. This example illustrates that the title was not originally a posthumous award since it was used to refer to a living individual.

Options (A), (B), (C), and (D)  are not strongly supported by the passage:

(A)  The passage doesn't mention that the title was issued by the government. It states that there was no official declaration but rather popular or individual acclamation.

(B)  While military prowess was one way to gain the title, the passage mentions that many different men were awarded the title for various reasons. The passage doesn't suggest that military genius was the most popular way to gain the title.

(C)  The passage doesn't attribute tactical prowess to Justinian I; it mentions his administrative skills and linguistic ability.

(D)  The passage doesn't explicitly state that many powerful figures sought the title; rather, the title seemed to be bestowed based on individual merit and was not restricted to powerful figures.

Answer: E

Its_me_aka_ak · Answer

Thanks for the revision of explanation

VerbalBot · Answer

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The title Ultimus Romanorum (Last of the Romans) was conferred upon

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The title Ultimus Romanorum (Last of the Romans) was conferred upon

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