Martia Dementia 2022

Diffugere nives, redeunt iam gramina campis

    arboribusque comae.

The snows have fled, now the grass returns to the fields
    and the leaves to the trees. (Horace, 4.7.1–2)

As we emerge from the cold, snowy days of winter, we not only encounter the greenery and renewal that springtime heralds: we also embark on our yearly Martia Dementia celebrations, now in their eighth year! In 2021, the best military commanders of the ancient world met their match in competition with birds. Shockingly, the birds emerged triumphant, and the immortal phoenix took (and perhaps burned to ashes) the laurel wreath. This year, the birds are back and ready to flaunt their fearlessness. Their challengers? Ancient Greek and Roman writers, in part inspired by our newest Explore Latin reader on theater and comedy! In Explore Latin: Lūdī Scaenicī by Christopher Bungard, information is presented about playwrights and poets like Menander, Livius Andronicus, Ennius, Plautus, and Terence. These authors, and many more, will now have to prove their Martia Dementia mettle. 

To the victor—whoever finishes with the best bracket—belong the spoils. Before getting to the prizes, here is how the competition will work. Please read through the process carefully: this year we will continue to use an online bracket and voting system. For reference, we are providing a PDF of the bracket that you can use with your classes, but be sure to submit your final choices via the online system.

The Bracket

Starting today, complete and submit a bracket to be eligible for wondrous prizes. Please access and submit your bracket online via the following link: Martia Dementia 2022 Bracket. 

 When you access the online Martia Dementia bracket, click the “Submit your bracket!” button to start making your selections. You will be prompted to enter your name and email address; we need this information so that we can track and notify the winners of the competition once Martia Dementia is completed. After signing up, you will be asked to predict a winner for each game in the bracket. 

At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to a PDF showing short descriptions of each of this year’s Martia Dementia participants. You can access the same descriptions by clicking on the photo of a given figure in the bracket.

 

Once you have completed all of your selections and have submitted your bracket, you will receive a notice thanking you for your submission:

If you would like to view your prediction bracket, simply click on the link to “View My Prediction.” We recommend saving a copy of your bracket at this point so that you can keep track of how you are doing as the competition progresses. With our online submission system, you can also easily share your prediction bracket via email or social media—a great way to show off how you’re doing, or earn some pity points if your bracket is going poorly. 

We are also providing a PDF copy of the bracket here (for reference only) in case you would like to print a copy of the bracket and fill one in with your class. However, we are not accepting scanned brackets this year, so make sure that you also submit the bracket online.

Brackets will be accepted through March 16.

The Survey

A voting survey will be made available on March 17, where you can vote for your picks. Whichever figures have the most votes by the time the survey closes will advance through the round. Actively participating in the survey betters your chances at winning. We will announce via social media when voting for each round has opened.

We cannot stress enough the importance of voting. When the survey goes live, cast your votes! Get your friends to vote for your picks. Teachers, get your students to stuff the survey with favorable votes!

Victori Spolia

This competition is not solely for bringing glory to your favorite ancient writer or bird. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is offering book prizes for the brackets that most closely resemble the final results; a $100 book credit will be awarded to the first-place participant, a $50 credit to the second-place participant, and a $25 credit to the third-place participant. Feeling like you no longer stand a chance? Do not give up! There will also be a $25 credit for having the most abysmal bracket! 

Stay Connected

Be sure to bookmark this post and check back here to access the link to the voting bracket. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates as the competition progresses.

Remember, brackets close March 16, and the first round of voting will begin March 17.

Bracket and Other Resources

Access the online bracket
Access a printable bracket (for reference only) 
Access a description of all Martia Dementia 2022 figures

Access a short explainer on submitting a bracket

Voting Schedule

• Round 1: March 17–18
• Round 2: March 19–22
• Round 3 (Sweet 16): March 24–25
• Quarterfinals (Elite 8): March 26–29
• Semifinals (Final 4): March 31–April 1
• Final (Championship): April 4–6

Note that each round of voting will open at 7:30 a.m. central time and close at 4:00 p.m. central time on the designated days.