Test your basic knowledge |

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. After midday/noon






2. '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






3. 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






4. 'Time flies/flees'






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






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






7. 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






8. God of war






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






10. The 15th of March & the day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated






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






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






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






14. 'The one who says farewell' -- the student with the highest grade point average & Who is chosen to give a speech at the end of graduation






15. Female monsters who had snakes for hair and whose horrifying gaze could turn a man to stone if he looked at them (Medusa was one of the Gorgons)






16. 'This for that &' a fair trade






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






18. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






19. 10






20. Goddess of the hunt






21. Eurydice died on their wedding day. Orpheus went down to the Underworld to bring her back. Hades agreed & on the condition that Eurydice would follow behind Orpheus on their way up to the mortal world and he couldn't check to make sure She was behind






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






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






24. 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






25. 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






26. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






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






28. 'per head' 'per person'






29. 'The other way around'






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






31. King of Troy during the Trojan War; father of Hector and Paris; begged Achilles to give his son Hector's body back to be properly buried (Achilles had been dragging it around the city)






32. Kingdom in Asia Minor which fought against Greece in Homer's Iliad






33. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






35. One of the seven hills of Rome & south of the forum; the site of the imperial palace






36. Characterized by sitting & inactive (from sedet- to sit)






37. 'The end'






38. 50






39. A member of one of the original aristocratic families of Rome; 'aristocratic'






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






41. 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






42. '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.






43. The messenger god; god of thieves and travelers; son of Zeus; invented the lyre; escorted people to the Underworld when they died






44. The river surrounding the Underworld






45. Carthaginian general who attacked Italy by crossing the Italian Alps in the 2nd Punic War; He was eventually defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama






46. 'Word for word'






47. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






48. Home of the Greek gods






49. 100






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