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






2. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






3. 50






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






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






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






7. 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






8. First emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian






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






10. 'beware of the dog'






11. 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






12. 'All-knowing'






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






14. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






15. 'note well' i.e. take note






16. 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






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






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






19. 'in the whole &' 'as a whole &' 'totally'; ex: The suggestions were adopted in toto.






20. God of the sea






21. Usually referring to Julius Caesar & the Roman dictator Who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) 44 BCE






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. A hollow wooden horse built by the Greeks so that they could get into the walls of Troy. The Greeks pretended to pack up and leave from the war & but some hid in the horse which was later led into the walls of Troy by the Trojans (thinking it was a






24. Goddess of wisdom






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






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






27. 'firm ground/solid earth'






28. 'Always prepared'






29. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






30. Site of the Apollo's oracle at Delphi; home of the Muses






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






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






33. 'To err is human' - in other words & it's normal to mess up






34. 'The end'






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






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

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37. The garment which signified a Roman man's citizenship






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






39. '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






40. 'Work conquers all'






41. 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






42. 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)






43. 'peace be with you'






44. 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






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






46. 'The things that must be done' - a to-do list






47. 'Time flies/flees'






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






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






50. First emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian