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






2. 'A slip of the tongue'






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






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






5. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






6. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






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






9. 'All-knowing'






10. 'Word for word'






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






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






13. 50






14. 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')






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






16. 5






17. 'per day'






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






19. 'I came & I saw & I conquered &' famous words of Julius Caesar






20. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






21. 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)






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






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






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






26. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






27. 'And the rest' usually seen at the end of a list of things & instead of listing everything






28. 'per year'






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






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






31. Goddess of childbirth; married to Zeus; queen of the gods






32. 'The things that must be done' - a to-do list






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






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






35. 'The end'






36. Roman officials who were charged with protecting the people (the plebeians) from oppression; they were sacrosanct & meaning no one could harm them






37. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






38. '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






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






40. Eurydice died on their wedding day. Orpheus went down to the Underworld to bring her back. Hades agreed & on the condition that Eurydice would follow behind Orpheus on their way up to the mortal world and he couldn't check to make sure She was behind






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






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






43. 'firm ground/solid earth'






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






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






46. 'I came & I saw & I conquered &' famous words of Julius Caesar






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






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






49. Goddess of wisdom






50. 'horn of plenty' a symbol of food and abundance