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






2. Challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider for her excessive pride






3. 1






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






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






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






7. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






8. 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






9. 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)






10. River that runs through the city of Rome






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






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






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






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






15. God of the sea






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






17. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






18. '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






19. 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.






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






21. The daughter of king Minos of Crete & who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the minotaur






22. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






23. The 15th of March & the day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated






24. 'firm ground/solid earth'






25. 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






26. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






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






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






29. A mural painted directly onto wet plaster (fresco means 'fresh' in Italian)






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

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






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






33. 1000






34. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






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






36. Site of the Apollo's oracle at Delphi; home of the Muses






37. 'Thus always & to tyrants.' Allegedly said by Brutus during the assassination of Caesar. John Wilkes Booth also shouted it after shooting President Lincoln. It is now the motto of Virginia.






38. The male head of a Roman family






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






40. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






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






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






43. 'peace be with you'






44. 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






45. 'Work conquers all'






46. The plebs were the free but non-aristocratic citizens of Rome; today & plebeian means 'of a low class'






47. 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






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






49. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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