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






2. A serpent-like monster with many heads and poisonous breath; when one head got cut off & it grew two more; killed by Hercules as his second labor






3. Goddess of the hearth






4. The three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld






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






6. '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






7. 'Higher!' -- the state motto of New York






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






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






10. The golden wool of a ram sought by Jason and the Argonauts






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






12. The male head of a Roman family






13. 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






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






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






16. 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






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






18. 'The state in which'






19. Home of the Greek gods






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






21. 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)






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






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






24. 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






25. 'in memory of'






26. '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






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






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






29. 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






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






31. 'beware of the dog'






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






33. Twin brothers & raised by a wolf; Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome






34. Goddess of the hunt






35. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






36. Sea to the west of Greece; named after King Aegeus after he drowned himself in the sea thinking his son Theseus was dead






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






38. 'And others'






39. 5






40. 1






41. 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






42. A king Who was tortured in the Underworld by having water and grapes within his reach & but the water and grapes pulled away whenever he went to take drink or a bite






43. Large island off the southeast coast of Italy; home of Mt. Etna & a huge volcano; where the Cyclopes lived in the Odyssey






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






45. 'Work conquers all'






46. 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






47. Market place/business center






48. A polis (city-state) in Greece & center of art and philosophy & named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was the hill in Athens where many temples (including the Parthenon & the temple to Athena) were located






49. Goddess of victory






50. 'note well' i.e. take note