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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. One of the 12 Titans & father of Zeus/Jupiter & who swallowed his children in an attempt to keep from being overthrown






2. 'unknown land'






3. 10






4. 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






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






6. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






7. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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






9. The king of the gods; god of thunder and lightning






10. 'Time flies/flees'






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






12. 'And you & Brutus?' famous last words of Julius Caesar as the Senate members assassinated him; Brutus was supposed to be a friend of his & but had a hand in the killing






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






14. Was chosen by Zeus to settle the argument of Who was the fairest of the goddesses; he chose Aphrodite because she promised him the most beautiful woman in the world if he chose her






15. 'Higher!' -- the state motto of New York






16. 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)






17. 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






18. God of the sea






19. 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






20. 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')






21. Greek god of nature; had the torso and head of a man & but the legs and horns of a goat






22. 'firm ground/solid earth'






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






24. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






25. 'beware of the dog'






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






27. God of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele






28. 'The state in which'






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






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






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






32. 'for the sake of an example' - abbreviation used when providing an example






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






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






35. 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






36. Sweet-sounding (literally 'flowing like honey')






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






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






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






40. Market place/business center






41. In early mythology & the resting place of heroes; the later mythology & where good people went in the afterlife






42. 50






43. 'by mouth' - used on prescription medicines that have to be taken orally






44. 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






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






46. 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






47. 'The end'






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






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






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