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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. 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






2. The Underworld; in early mythology & everyone went to Tartarus after they died; in later mythology & only bad people went to Tartarus after they died






3. Sorceress & wife of Jason; killed their children to get revenge on Jason for leaving her






4. A state of disorganized matter from which the gods and the world were created






5. City-state in ancient Greece known for its powerful army; fought against Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars






6. 'Against' & used to show Who is up against who in sports matches & legal battles & etc.






7. The city in Northern Africa that the Romans fought and destroyed during the Punic Wars (264-146 BC.)






8. The 9 goddesses who looked after the arts and inspired men in those arts






9. Market place/business center






10. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)






11. The city in Northern Africa that the Romans fought and destroyed during the Punic Wars (264-146 BC.)






12. 'beware of the dog'






13. Goddess of victory






14. Greek island in the Ionian Sea; the home of Odysseus






15. 'seize the day'






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






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






18. 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






19. The 9 goddesses who looked after the arts and inspired men in those arts






20. 'great work'






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






22. Goddess of the hunt






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






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

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25. A bundle of wooden sticks and an axe blade that the attendants of Roman magistrates carried; symbolized the magistrates' power to inflict capital punishment






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






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






28. 'After death'






29. Titan best known for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humans; He was punished by being chained to a rock and having his liver eaten by a bird everyday






30. The Underworld; in early mythology & everyone went to Tartarus after they died; in later mythology & only bad people went to Tartarus after they died






31. 1000






32. A serpent-like monster with many heads and poisonous breath; when one head got cut off & it grew two more; killed by Hercules as his second labor






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






34. 'Thus always & to tyrants.' Allegedly said by Brutus during the assassination of Caesar. John Wilkes Booth also shouted it after shooting President Lincoln. It is now the motto of Virginia.






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






36. A bundle of wooden sticks and an axe blade that the attendants of Roman magistrates carried; symbolized the magistrates' power to inflict capital punishment






37. 'Thus passes the glory of the world.' i.e. 'Worldly things are fleeting.'






38. 'The state in which'






39. Literally 'the greatest bridge' -- the chief priest of Roman religion (later & the emperor took on this role); now used to refer to the Pope & the head of the Catholic Church






40. A material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant & used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on






41. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






42. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (i); commonly used in the phrase 'not one iota &' meaning 'not one bit'






43. 'Work conquers all'






44. 'The other way around'






45. 'Always prepared'






46. Writing after the body of a letter






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






48. Literally & the apple that Eris (goddess of strife) threw in front of Hera & Aphrodite & and Athena to cause a dispute over Who was the fairest; figuratively & anything which causes a dispute






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






50. 'note well' i.e. take note