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Test your basic knowledge |
Classical Literacy
Start Test
Study First
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. 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
toga
rostra
papyrus
Hercules/Heracles
2. 'note well' i.e. take note
N.B./nota bene
Hades/Pluto
Mt. Parnassus
Hades/Pluto
3. 'To the point of sickness' - doing/saying something over and over until everyone is sick and tired of it
p.o./ per os
ad nauseam
Mt. Vesuvius
terra firma
4. 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
pontifex maximus
labyrinth
Aphrodite/Venus
Prometheus
5. A mural painted directly onto wet plaster (fresco means 'fresh' in Italian)
fresco
Hades/Pluto
Homer
epic
6. Twin brothers & raised by a wolf; Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome
homo sapiens- 'wise man'
the Fates
sub rosa
Romulus and Remus
7. The wife of Odysseus; a model of faithfulness to one's husband
Hermes/Mercury
Persephone/Proserpina
M.D./Medicinae Doctor
Penelope
8. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.
terra incognita
veto
ex libris
Pompeii
9. The 200 year period of peace which began under the rule of Augustus
Sicily
Pax Romana
Troy
pax vobiscum
10. 'A rare bird' - something unique/rare
Poseidon/Neptune
rara avis
mea culpa
apple of discord
11. One of the seven hills of Rome & south of the forum; the site of the imperial palace
Mt. Parnassus
Atlas
Palatine Hill
quid pro quo
12. 'per day'
L (Roman numeral)
Hestia/Vesta
quid pro quo
per diem
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
Tartarus
Golden Fleece
Daedalus
Ariadne
14. Festival of Saturn held on December 17th & during which social roles were temporarily reversed (slaves enjoyed relaxed discipline & etc)
Gorgons
Homer
Helen
Saturnalia
15. 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)
Priam
laurels
sine qua non
plebeian
16. 'unknown land'
laurels
terra incognita
Arachne
A.M./ante meridiem
17. 'my fault' ; tua culpa -'your fault'
via
Tantalus
aqueduct
mea culpa
18. The food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal
tribune
ambrosia and nectar
Elysian Fields/Elysium
Daedalus
19. 'seize the day'
the furies
pontifex maximus
carpe diem
Hera/Juno
20. 'for the time being' - temporary
Ides of March
Trojan Horse
pro tempore
fresco
21. 'After death'
Aegean Sea
Hera/Juno
status quo
post mortem
22. Festival of Saturn held on December 17th & during which social roles were temporarily reversed (slaves enjoyed relaxed discipline & etc)
Saturnalia
Cerberus
e.g./exempli gratia
ad nauseam
23. A bundle of wooden sticks and an axe blade that the attendants of Roman magistrates carried; symbolized the magistrates' power to inflict capital punishment
fasces
toga
persona non grata
sedentary
24. A state of disorganized matter from which the gods and the world were created
the furies
p.o./ per os
Chaos
labor vincit omnia
25. 10
Sicily
Trojan Horse
X (Roman numeral)
polytheism
26. The food of the gods; some believe it kept them immortal
Excelsior!
ambrosia and nectar
Pantheon
Hermes/Mercury
27. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon
pax vobiscum
Perseus & Medusa
sine qua non
X (Roman numeral)
28. The 15th of March & the day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated
toga
Ides of March
Hercules/Heracles
Etruscans
29. 'To infinity &' to continue forever & without limit
cave canem
valedictorian
e pluribus unum
ad infinitum
30. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.
semper paratus
Saturnalia
Nike/Victoria
ex libris
31. 'The other way around'
vice versa
errare humanum est
Prometheus
et tu & Brute?
32. '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
Hestia/Vesta
Punic Wars
et tu & Brute?
aqueduct
33. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece
Minotaur
Jason
Aegean Sea
Pompeii
34. A picture made from small bits of glass or pottery
mosaic
mea culpa
Prometheus
patrician
35. Characterized by sitting & inactive (from sedet- to sit)
sedentary
Cerberus
cornucopia
magnanimous
36. 'Work conquers all'
et tu & Brute?
labor vincit omnia
paterfamilias
P.M./post meridiem
37. 'in the whole &' 'as a whole &' 'totally'; ex: The suggestions were adopted in toto.
in toto
ambrosia and nectar
A.D./anno Domini
X (Roman numeral)
38. Reception hall (like the living room) in a Roman house
sine qua non
atrium
Hephaestus/Vulcan
Apollo/Apollo
39. Sweet-sounding (literally 'flowing like honey')
Hermes/Mercury
mellifluous
Perseus & Medusa
Theseus
40. Used on documents & coins & monuments & etc. as an official signature of the Roman government
SPQR
verbatim
consul
Ides of March
41. Religion in Which many gods are worshipped (from Greek poly 'many' and theoi 'gods')
terra incognita
sic semper tyrannis
polytheism
Minotaur
42. Challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider for her excessive pride
vice versa
status quo
Arachne
terra incognita
43. The Underworld; in early mythology & everyone went to Tartarus after they died; in later mythology & only bad people went to Tartarus after they died
cornucopia
Tartarus
Demeter/Ceres
papyrus
44. 'per year'
Circus Maximus
per annum
Pandora
et al./ et alii
45. 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
sub poena
Athena/Minerva
agora/forum
Pandora
46. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)
pro tempore
jovial
Homer
Gorgons
47. 'peace be with you'
pax vobiscum
Palatine Hill
Pantheon
mosaic
48. 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
Palatine Hill
veto
Orpheus & Eurydice
A.D./anno Domini
49. 'All-knowing'
ego
Pegasus
fresco
omniscient
50. 'for the sake of an example' - abbreviation used when providing an example
Uranus
e.g./exempli gratia
fresco
Dionysus/Bacchus