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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. Icarus was the son of Daedalus who flew too close to the sun with the wings his father made him from wax and feathers & and fell to his death






2. 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






3. 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






4. Goddess of love






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






6. 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






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






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






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






10. 'The state in which'






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






12. The three goddesses who determine a person's life: when he will be born & how long he will live & and when he will die; one sister spins the thread of life & the second measures out a certain length & and the third cuts it at the end of the person's






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






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

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15. A teacher Who is like a parent; comes from the Mentor & Odysseus' old friend & whom he left in charge of his son Telemachus when he went off to the Trojan War






16. Female monsters who had snakes for hair and whose horrifying gaze could turn a man to stone if he looked at them (Medusa was one of the Gorgons)






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






18. Twin brothers & raised by a wolf; Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome






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






20. 'great work'






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






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






23. 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






24. 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






25. The food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal






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






27. God of the sea






28. 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






29. Home of the Greek gods






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






31. 'With highest honors' graduating from college in the highest grade scale






32. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






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






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






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






36. The male head of a Roman family






37. The three goddesses who determine a person's life: when he will be born & how long he will live & and when he will die; one sister spins the thread of life & the second measures out a certain length & and the third cuts it at the end of the person's






38. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






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






40. 'from the office &' 'by right of office' - used to refer to someone Who is a member of a group (a board & committee & council & etc.) because they hold another office/position






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






42. The food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal






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






44. 'from the office &' 'by right of office' - used to refer to someone Who is a member of a group (a board & committee & council & etc.) because they hold another office/position






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






46. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






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






48. The technical biological term for the human species

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






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