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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. Goddess of the hunt






2. 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)






3. 'firm ground/solid earth'






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






5. Literally & the apple that Eris (goddess of strife) threw in front of Hera & Aphrodite & and Athena to cause a dispute over Who was the fairest; figuratively & anything which causes a dispute






6. Reception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house






7. 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.






8. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






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






10. Temple devoted to Athena; located on the Acropolis of Athens






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. 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






18. 'by mouth' - used on prescription medicines that have to be taken orally






19. A system created by the Romans which carried water over long distances






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






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






22. 'great work'






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






24. 'The one who says farewell' -- the student with the highest grade point average & Who is chosen to give a speech at the end of graduation






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






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






27. Goddess of victory






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. A picture made from small bits of glass or pottery






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






31. 'from the office &' 'by right of office' - used to refer to someone Who is a member of a group (a board & committee & council & etc.) because they hold another office/position






32. The food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal






33. 'This for that &' a fair trade






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






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






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






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






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






39. 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






40. 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






41. 'boyish &' 'childlike' (from puer- boy)






42. 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')






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






44. The male head of a Roman family






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






46. 'And you & Brutus?' famous last words of Julius Caesar as the Senate members assassinated him; Brutus was supposed to be a friend of his & but had a hand in the killing






47. A hollow wooden horse built by the Greeks so that they could get into the walls of Troy. The Greeks pretended to pack up and leave from the war & but some hid in the horse which was later led into the walls of Troy by the Trojans (thinking it was a






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






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






50. 'After death'