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. 'beware of the dog'






2. Half-man & half-goat creatures; companions of Pan and Dionysus






3. 'A slip of the tongue'






4. 'per head' 'per person'






5. The river surrounding the Underworld






6. The daughter of king Minos of Crete & who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the minotaur






7. Speaker's platform in the forum & which was decorated with the prows of ships the Romans captured in war (rostrum means 'beak & prow of a ship')






8. A long poem that narrates the deeds of a hero or the history of a nation & e.g. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey






9. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






10. 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






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






12. Victorious athletes & generals & and emperors wore crowns of made of the branches of the laurel tree to symbolize their victory; now & 'laurels' refer to someone's achievements






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






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. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






16. 500






17. 'I'






18. 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






19. Goddess of love






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






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. 'for the time being' - temporary






23. 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






24. 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






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






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






27. 'unknown land'






28. Victorious athletes & generals & and emperors wore crowns of made of the branches of the laurel tree to symbolize their victory; now & 'laurels' refer to someone's achievements






29. 'An unwelcome person' - used in diplomacy to indicate a person Who is barred from entering a certain country






30. 'Time flies/flees'






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






32. 'Always faithful' - motto of the US Marines






33. Writing after the body of a letter






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






35. 'great work'






36. The 15th of March & the day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated






37. 'Thus passes the glory of the world.' i.e. 'Worldly things are fleeting.'






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






39. 'Work conquers all'






40. 'firm ground/solid earth'






41. 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






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






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






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






45. 'The state in which'






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






47. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






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






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






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