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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. 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






2. Goddess of love






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






4. The technical biological term for the human species

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






6. Goddess of the hearth






7. The Underworld; in early mythology & everyone went to Tartarus after they died; in later mythology & only bad people went to Tartarus after they died






8. 'in memory of'






9. 'This for that &' a fair trade






10. 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.






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






12. Refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the responsibilities of a parent






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






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






15. 'peace be with you'






16. 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






17. Home of the Greek gods






18. Doctor of medicine






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






20. 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






21. Goddess of love






22. 'seize the day'






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






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






25. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






27. 'note well' i.e. take note






28. 'All-knowing'






29. 'Word for word'






30. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






31. Gladiator who led an uprising of slaves against the Romans in the 1st c. BC






32. 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






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






34. 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






35. 'The things that must be done' - a to-do list






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






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






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






39. Volcano which erupted in AD 79 and destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum






40. 'seize the day'






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






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






43. 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






44. A mural painted directly onto wet plaster (fresco means 'fresh' in Italian)






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






46. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






47. 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






48. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)






49. 'With highest honors' graduating from college in the highest grade scale






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