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






2. Goddess of childbirth; married to Zeus; queen of the gods






3. 'This for that &' a fair trade






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






5. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






7. 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






8. Gladiator who led an uprising of slaves against the Romans in the 1st c. BC






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






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






11. 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')






12. Goddess of wisdom






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


14. 'To the point of sickness' - doing/saying something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it






15. The three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld






16. 'The state in which'






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






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






19. 'Word for word'






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






21. 'After death'






22. 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






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






24. 'Word for word'






25. 'After death'






26. Sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead






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






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






29. 1






30. 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






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






32. The male head of a Roman family






33. 'beware of the dog'






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






35. Sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead






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






37. 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






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






39. A town on the western coast of Italy destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuius in AD 79






40. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






41. 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






42. 'seize the day'






43. 'peace be with you'






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






45. 'note well' i.e. take note






46. A long poem that narrates the deeds of a hero or the history of a nation & e.g. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey






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






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






49. Goddess of victory






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