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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. The river surrounding the Underworld






2. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






3. 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






4. 'great-souled & high-minded'






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






6. 'I came & I saw & I conquered &' famous words of Julius Caesar






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






8. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






9. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






10. A mural painted directly onto wet plaster (fresco means 'fresh' in Italian)






11. The highest political office in the Roman Republic; 2 were elected every year






12. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






13. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.






14. Writing after the body of a letter






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






16. River that runs through the city of Rome






17. Son of Zeus; had to complete 12 labors to regain favor with the gods after killing his family; when he died & he became a god






18. 'firm ground/solid earth'






19. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






20. 'I refuse &' used by the president of the US to stop any bill he sees unfit from passing






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






22. 'from the office &' 'by right of office' - used to refer to someone Who is a member of a group (a board & committee & council & etc.) because they hold another office/position






23. God of the sun & light & reason & and the lyre






24. 'An unwelcome person' - used in diplomacy to indicate a person Who is barred from entering a certain country






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






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






27. A king Who was tortured in the Underworld by having water and grapes within his reach & but the water and grapes pulled away whenever he went to take drink or a bite






28. Refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the responsibilities of a parent






29. 'per year'






30. 'seize the day'






31. 'doctor/teacher of philosophy' - an advanced academic degree






32. 'Time flies/flees'






33. Reception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house






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






35. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






36. 'my fault' ; tua culpa -'your fault'






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






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






39. 'With highest honors' graduating from college in the highest grade scale






40. 500






41. King punished in Tartarus by having to roll a stone up a hill continuously for eternity; when he reached the top & the stone rolled to the bottom again






42. Maze under the palace of Palace of Minos at Crete & where the Minotaur (half man & half bull) was thought to have been imprisoned






43. Goddess of grain & the harvest & and the seasons; mother of Persephone/Proserpina






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






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






46. A polis (city-state) in Greece & center of art and philosophy & named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was the hill in Athens where many temples (including the Parthenon & the temple to Athena) were located






47. A picture made from small bits of glass or pottery






48. King of Ithaca who came up with the idea of using the Trojan horse to defeat the city of Troy; hero of the Odyssey






49. 'beware of the dog'






50. 'And the rest' usually seen at the end of a list of things & instead of listing everything