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. 'I'






2. 'The other way around'






3. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






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






5. 'for the time being' - temporary






6. After midday/noon






7. God of the sea






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






9. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






10. 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






11. The male head of a Roman family






12. 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






13. Used on documents & coins & monuments & etc. as an official signature of the Roman government






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






15. Market place/business center






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






17. The highest political office in the Roman Republic; 2 were elected every year






18. Home of the Greek gods






19. The river surrounding the Underworld






20. Winged horse which flew from the neck of Medusa the Gorgon after Perseus cut off her head






21. God of war






22. 'beware of the dog'






23. The wife of Odysseus; a model of faithfulness to one's husband






24. 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)






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






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






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






28. The people in control of the Italian peninsula before Rome began to spread






29. A polis (city-state) in Greece & center of art and philosophy & named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was the hill in Athens where many temples (including the Parthenon & the temple to Athena) were located






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






31. 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






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






33. 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






34. 'per day'






35. 50






36. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






37. Festival of Saturn held on December 17th & during which social roles were temporarily reversed (slaves enjoyed relaxed discipline & etc)






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






39. Goddess of the hunt






40. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






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






42. 'Always prepared'






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. 'Against' & used to show Who is up against who in sports matches & legal battles & etc.






50. The oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle for guidance and predictions of the future