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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. 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






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






3. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






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






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






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






8. Mother Earth; the wife of Uranus & the sky; she gave birth to the Titans & the Cyclopes & and the Hundred-Handed Ones






9. 1






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






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






12. Market place/business center






13. 'for the time being' - temporary






14. 'Word for word'






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






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. 'The state in which'






18. 'great-souled & high-minded'






19. 'Word for word'






20. The river surrounding the Underworld






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






22. 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






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






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






25. 'Work conquers all'






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






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






28. Goddess of victory






29. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






30. 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')






31. Volcano which erupted in AD 79 and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum






32. 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.






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






34. 'unknown land'






35. 'The other way around'






36. 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






37. Refers to an action or condition necessary for something to happen






38. 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






39. Greek island in the Ionian Sea; the home of Odysseus






40. 'beware of the dog'






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






42. 'great work'






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






44. 'After death'






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






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






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






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






49. 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






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