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. The garment which signified a Roman man's citizenship






2. 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






3. Titan who had to hold up the heavens on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus






4. Homer's epic poem about Odysseus & kind of Ithaca & trying to find his way home from the Trojan War






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






6. 'for the time being' - temporary






7. Spirits who carry out curses and torture for wrongdoing toward one's family member (s)






8. 'beware of the dog'






9. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)






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






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






12. Goddess of wisdom






13. One-eyed children of Ouranos/Uranus and Gaea (Mother Earth); sided with Zeus during the war with the Titans; were helpers of the smith-god Hephaestus






14. '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






15. 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.






16. Goddess of wisdom






17. 'seize the day'






18. '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






19. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.






20. 'per day'






21. 500






22. 'After death'






23. Home of the Greek gods






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






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






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






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






28. The god of the sky; created the Titans with Gaia & Mother Earth






29. 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






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






31. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






32. Homer's epic poem about Odysseus & kind of Ithaca & trying to find his way home from the Trojan War






33. Writing after the body of a letter






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






35. 'Always prepared'






36. Out of her curiosity & she opened a box containing all the bad things in the world; she put the lid on just in time & so that hope did not escape from the box & too






37. Refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the responsibilities of a parent






38. 10






39. 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.






40. 'After death'






41. 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






42. The norms or values of a society






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






44. 'Always prepared'






45. 'per year'






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






47. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






48. 'one out of many' - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill






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






50. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)