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






2. A hollow wooden horse built by the Greeks so that they could get into the walls of Troy. The Greeks pretended to pack up and leave from the war & but some hid in the horse which was later led into the walls of Troy by the Trojans (thinking it was a






3. Goddess of love






4. 'one out of many' - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill






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






6. '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






7. 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






8. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






9. 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






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






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






12. God of the sea






13. 'The one who says farewell' -- the student with the highest grade point average & Who is chosen to give a speech at the end of graduation






14. Writing after the body of a letter






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






16. 'Time flies/flees'






17. Festival of Saturn held on December 17th & during which social roles were temporarily reversed (slaves enjoyed relaxed discipline & etc)






18. 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')






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






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






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






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






23. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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






25. City-state in ancient Greece known for its powerful army; fought against Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars






26. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






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






28. 100






29. '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






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






31. 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






32. A polis (city-state) in Greece & center of art and philosophy & named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was the hill in Athens where many temples (including the Parthenon & the temple to Athena) were located






33. 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






34. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






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






36. Used on documents & coins & monuments & etc. as an official signature of the Roman government






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






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






39. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






40. 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






41. Spirits who carry out curses and torture for wrongdoing toward one's family member (s)






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






43. The arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)






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






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






46. God of war






47. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






49. 'The other way around'






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