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. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






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






3. Maze under the palace of Palace of Minos at Crete & where the Minotaur (half man & half bull) was thought to have been imprisoned






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






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






6. 'per head' 'per person'






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






8. 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






9. God of war






10. Site of the Apollo's oracle at Delphi; home of the Muses






11. The 200 year period of peace which began under the rule of Augustus






12. 100






13. 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






14. Kingdom in Asia Minor which fought against Greece in Homer's Iliad






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






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






17. A bundle of wooden sticks and an axe blade that the attendants of Roman magistrates carried; symbolized the magistrates' power to inflict capital punishment






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






19. Home of the Greek gods






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






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






22. Doctor of medicine






23. Sailed with the Argonauts to take the Golden Fleece






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






25. 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.






26. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






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






28. 'per year'






29. Homer's epic poem about Odysseus & kind of Ithaca & trying to find his way home from the Trojan War






30. Goddess of the hearth






31. 'An unwelcome person' - used in diplomacy to indicate a person Who is barred from entering a certain country






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






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






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






35. The male head of a Roman family






36. The king of the gods; god of thunder and lightning






37. 'under penalty' a written order for a person to come testify in court






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






39. 'An unwelcome person' - used in diplomacy to indicate a person Who is barred from entering a certain country






40. Roman officials who were charged with protecting the people (the plebeians) from oppression; they were sacrosanct & meaning no one could harm them






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






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






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






44. '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






45. 'After death'






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. 'great-souled & high-minded'






48. 10






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






50. 'seize the day'