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






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






3. God of war






4. 'All-knowing'






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






6. Kingdom in Asia Minor which fought against Greece in Homer's Iliad






7. 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






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






9. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






10. 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






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






12. 'And others'






13. One-eyed children of Ouranos/Uranus and Gaea (Mother Earth); sided with Zeus during the war with the Titans; were helpers of the smith-god Hephaestus






14. 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






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






16. 'one out of many' - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill






17. 'note well' i.e. take note






18. Writing after the body of a letter






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






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






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






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






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






24. 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.






25. 'peace be with you'






26. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






27. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






28. 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






29. 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






30. The river surrounding the Underworld






31. 'one out of many' - found on most US minted coins and the back of the dollar bill






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






33. 1






34. 'beware of the dog'






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






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






37. Goddess of love






38. River that runs through the city of Rome






39. King punished in Tartarus by having to roll a stone up a hill continuously for eternity; when he reached the top & the stone rolled to the bottom again






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






41. 'All-knowing'






42. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






43. A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage & a Phoenician city in Northern Africa & for control of the Mediterranean (264-146 BC)






44. Doctor of medicine






45. Refers to an action or condition necessary for something to happen






46. 'per day'






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






48. 'The other way around'






49. 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)






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