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






2. 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






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






4. 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






5. 'per year'






6. The arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)






7. 'firm ground/solid earth'






8. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






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. The technical biological term for the human species






12. '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






13. Characterized by sitting & inactive (from sedet- to sit)






14. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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






16. Out of her curiosity & she opened a box containing all the bad things in the world; she put the lid on just in time & so that hope did not escape from the box & too






17. 'To the point of sickness' - doing/saying something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it






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






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






20. 1






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






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






23. 'All-knowing'






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






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






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






27. 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.






28. 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






29. 'great work'






30. 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






31. 10






32. 'in memory of'






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






34. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






35. The norms or values of a society






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






37. The 9 goddesses who looked after the arts and inspired men in those arts






38. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






39. 'I refuse &' used by the president of the US to stop any bill he sees unfit from passing






40. 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






41. The river surrounding the Underworld






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






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






44. 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)






45. Mother Earth; the wife of Uranus & the sky; she gave birth to the Titans & the Cyclopes & and the Hundred-Handed Ones






46. 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






47. Market place/business center






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






49. God of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele






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