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Classical Literacy

Subject : literacy
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Reception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house






2. A town on the western coast of Italy destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuius in AD 79






3. The three goddesses who determine a person's life: when he will be born & how long he will live & and when he will die; one sister spins the thread of life & the second measures out a certain length & and the third cuts it at the end of the person's






4. Large island off the southeast coast of Italy; home of Mt. Etna & a huge volcano; where the Cyclopes lived in the Odyssey






5. Festival of Saturn held on December 17th & during which social roles were temporarily reversed (slaves enjoyed relaxed discipline & etc)






6. Lived in the Labyrinth; fed off of Athenian youths; killed by Theseus






7. 'seize the day'






8. The arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)






9. God of war






10. Literally refers to the heel of Achilles (a character from the Iliad who killed Hector)

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11. Mother Earth; the wife of Uranus & the sky; she gave birth to the Titans & the Cyclopes & and the Hundred-Handed Ones






12. Daughter of Demeter; kidnapped by Hades to make her his queen






13. The 200 year period of peace which began under the rule of Augustus






14. 'great work'






15. 'Work conquers all'






16. 100






17. Sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead






18. A system created by the Romans which carried water over long distances






19. Temple devoted to Athena; located on the Acropolis of Athens






20. God of the sea






21. The god of the sky; created the Titans with Gaia & Mother Earth






22. Gladiator who led an uprising of slaves against the Romans in the 1st c. BC






23. Through & by way of (from via- road & way)






24. Challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider for her excessive pride






25. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






26. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.






27. 'under penalty' a written order for a person to come testify in court






28. Titan who had to hold up the heavens on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus






29. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






30. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






31. The daughter of king Minos of Crete & who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the minotaur






32. Half-man & half-goat creatures; companions of Pan and Dionysus






33. Speaker's platform in the forum & which was decorated with the prows of ships the Romans captured in war (rostrum means 'beak & prow of a ship')






34. The golden wool of a ram sought by Jason and the Argonauts






35. 'A slip of the tongue'






36. The wife of Odysseus; a model of faithfulness to one's husband






37. 'one out of many' - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill






38. The people in control of the Italian peninsula before Rome began to spread






39. 'Always faithful' - motto of the US Marines






40. The three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld






41. 'horn of plenty' a symbol of food and abundance






42. Used on documents & coins & monuments & etc. as an official signature of the Roman government






43. 'To the point of sickness' - doing/saying something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it






44. 'per day'






45. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






46. 'seize the day'






47. Prince of Troy Who was killed by Achilles in the Iliad; Achilles tied Hector's dead body to the back of his chariot and dragged it around the city walls three times






48. 'note well' i.e. take note






49. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






50. 'A rare bird' - something unique/rare