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. The river surrounding the Underworld






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






3. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






4. 10






5. Writing after the body of a letter






6. God of war






7. The norms or values of a society






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






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






10. Goddess of love






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






12. The king of the gods; god of thunder and lightning






13. 'my fault' ; tua culpa -'your fault'






14. 'before midday &' in the morning & before noon






15. 'Higher!' -- the state motto of New York






16. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






17. 'firm ground/solid earth'






18. 'seize the day'






19. '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






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






21. 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






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






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






24. The technical biological term for the human species


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






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






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






28. 'boyish &' 'childlike' (from puer- boy)






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






30. 'Work conquers all'






31. Prince of Troy Who was killed by Achilles in the Iliad; Achilles tied Hector's dead body to the back of his chariot and dragged it around the city walls three times






32. 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






33. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






35. 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.






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






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






38. 'After death'






39. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






40. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






41. 50






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






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






44. 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






45. Greek god of nature; had the torso and head of a man & but the legs and horns of a goat






46. 'A slip of the tongue'






47. 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






48. Goddess of wisdom






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






50. Greek god of nature; had the torso and head of a man & but the legs and horns of a goat