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






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






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






4. 'in the whole &' 'as a whole &' 'totally'; ex: The suggestions were adopted in toto.






5. 'for the time being' - temporary






6. 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)






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






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






9. 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






10. Icarus was the son of Daedalus who flew too close to the sun with the wings his father made him from wax and feathers & and fell to his death






11. 'unknown land'






12. 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






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






14. 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






15. Writing after the body of a letter






16. 'Time flies/flees'






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






18. 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






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






20. 'great-souled & high-minded'






21. 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






22. '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






23. A picture made from small bits of glass or pottery






24. 'per year'






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






26. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (i); commonly used in the phrase 'not one iota &' meaning 'not one bit'






27. 1000






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






29. 'great work'






30. Goddess of grain & the harvest & and the seasons; mother of Persephone/Proserpina






31. 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.






32. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






33. Goddess of wisdom






34. 'Always prepared'






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






36. Female monsters who had snakes for hair and whose horrifying gaze could turn a man to stone if he looked at them (Medusa was one of the Gorgons)






37. 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






38. A serpent-like monster with many heads and poisonous breath; when one head got cut off & it grew two more; killed by Hercules as his second labor






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






40. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (i); commonly used in the phrase 'not one iota &' meaning 'not one bit'






41. Usually referring to Julius Caesar & the Roman dictator Who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) 44 BCE






42. 'in the whole &' 'as a whole &' 'totally'; ex: The suggestions were adopted in toto.






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






44. 'Always prepared'






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






46. 'doctor/teacher of philosophy' - an advanced academic degree






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






48. The technical biological term for the human species

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






50. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome