Test your basic knowledge |

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






2. Titan best known for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humans; He was punished by being chained to a rock and having his liver eaten by a bird everyday






3. 'note well' i.e. take note






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






5. 'firm ground/solid earth'






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






7. 'Word for word'






8. '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






9. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






10. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






11. Greek island in the Ionian Sea; the home of Odysseus






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






13. 'by mouth' - used on prescription medicines that have to be taken orally






14. Sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead






15. Queen of Sparta Who was promised to Paris by Aphrodite for choosing her (Aphrodite) as the fairest goddess; Helen was already married to Menelaus and her kidnapping began the Trojan War






16. Homer's epic poem about Odysseus & kind of Ithaca & trying to find his way home from the Trojan War






17. 'by mouth' - used on prescription medicines that have to be taken orally






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






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






20. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






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






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






23. 'After death'






24. 'This for that &' a fair trade






25. God of the sea






26. 'And others'






27. 'unknown land'






28. 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.






29. Writing after the body of a letter






30. Goddess of the hearth






31. The river surrounding the Underworld






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






33. 10






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






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






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






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






38. Home of the Greek gods






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






40. The three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld






41. 'great-souled & high-minded'






42. Market place/business center






43. God of the sea






44. 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






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






46. Son of Zeus; had to complete 12 labors to regain favor with the gods after killing his family; when he died & he became a god






47. 500






48. River that runs through the city of Rome






49. '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






50. 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')