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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. 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






2. 'per day'






3. The garment which signified a Roman man's citizenship






4. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






5. 1000






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






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






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






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






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






11. The god of the sky; created the Titans with Gaia & Mother Earth






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






13. 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






14. 'I'






15. 'Time flies/flees'






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






17. A state of disorganized matter from which the gods and the world were created






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






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






20. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






21. 'I'






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






23. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.






24. 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






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






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






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






28. Twin brothers & raised by a wolf; Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome






29. 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






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






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






32. 'per head' 'per person'






33. 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)






34. Goddess of the hunt






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






36. 50






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






38. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






39. 'seize the day'






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






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






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






43. 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






44. 'firm ground/solid earth'






45. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






46. 'in the year of the Lord &' designating the time period after Christ's birth






47. A material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant & used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on






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






49. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.






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