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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 oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle for guidance and predictions of the future






2. 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)






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






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






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






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






7. A modern day race of 26.2 miles; from Marathon in Greece & the scene of a victory over the Persians in 490 BC; the modern race is based on the tradition that a messenger ran from Marathon to Athens (26 miles) with the news.






8. 'per head' 'per person'






9. '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.






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






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






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






13. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






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






15. Roman officials who were charged with protecting the people (the plebeians) from oppression; they were sacrosanct & meaning no one could harm them






16. Market place/business center






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






18. 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






19. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






20. 'The end'






21. The male head of a Roman family






22. Through & by way of (from via- road & way)






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






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






25. 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






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






27. 'firm ground/solid earth'






28. 'To infinity &' to continue forever & without limit






29. 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






30. '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






31. The arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)






32. 'Always prepared'






33. 'before midday &' in the morning & before noon






34. 'in the year of the Lord &' designating the time period after Christ's birth






35. 'A rare bird' - something unique/rare






36. Market place/business center






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






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






39. 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






40. 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






41. 'A slip of the tongue'






42. 'seize the day'






43. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






44. God of metallurgy (metal working); married to Aphrodite






45. 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






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

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47. 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






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






49. God of metallurgy (metal working); married to Aphrodite






50. Victorious athletes & generals & and emperors wore crowns of made of the branches of the laurel tree to symbolize their victory; now & 'laurels' refer to someone's achievements