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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. 'All-knowing'






2. River that runs through the city of Rome






3. 'Work conquers all'






4. 'Word for word'






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


6. First emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian






7. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






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






9. Large island off the southeast coast of Italy; home of Mt. Etna & a huge volcano; where the Cyclopes lived in the Odyssey






10. 'per year'






11. Characterized by sitting & inactive (from sedet- to sit)






12. 'under penalty' a written order for a person to come testify in court






13. 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






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






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






16. 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






17. 'seize the day'






18. 'beware of the dog'






19. Lived in the Labyrinth; fed off of Athenian youths; killed by Theseus






20. A serpent-like monster with many heads and poisonous breath; when one head got cut off & it grew two more; killed by Hercules as his second labor






21. 'The end'






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






23. 'peace be with you'






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






25. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






27. 'great work'






28. Usually referring to Julius Caesar & the Roman dictator Who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) 44 BCE






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






30. 'per day'






31. 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.






32. 'in memory of'






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






34. 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






35. 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






36. 'firm ground/solid earth'






37. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






38. 'The end'






39. Home of the Greek gods






40. A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage & a Phoenician city in Northern Africa & for control of the Mediterranean (264-146 BC)






41. After midday/noon






42. Maze under the palace of Palace of Minos at Crete & where the Minotaur (half man & half bull) was thought to have been imprisoned






43. 1000






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






45. 'All-knowing'






46. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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






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






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






50. 50