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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. River that runs through the city of Rome






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






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






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






5. Winged horse which flew from the neck of Medusa the Gorgon after Perseus cut off her head






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






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






8. Queen of Sparta Who was promised to Paris by Aphrodite for choosing her (Aphrodite) as the fairest goddess; Helen was already married to Menelaus and her kidnapping began the Trojan War






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






10. 'The other way around'






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






12. 'in memory of'






13. After midday/noon






14. '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.






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






16. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






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






19. God of the sea






20. 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






21. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






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






23. 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')






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






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






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






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






28. 'seize the day'






29. 'peace be with you'






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






31. God of war






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






33. Religion in Which many gods are worshipped (from Greek poly 'many' and theoi 'gods')






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






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






36. 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)






37. 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






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






39. '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






40. 'That is' used for further explanation: 'in other words...'






41. The norms or values of a society






42. Daughter of Demeter; kidnapped by Hades to make her his queen






43. 'great-souled & high-minded'






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






45. The male head of a Roman family






46. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






47. 'note well' i.e. take note






48. 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






49. 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






50. 5