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






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






3. Athenian prince who killed the Minotaur






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






5. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






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






7. 1000






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






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






11. The technical biological term for the human species


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






13. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






15. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.






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






17. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (i); commonly used in the phrase 'not one iota &' meaning 'not one bit'






18. 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






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






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






21. 10






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






23. 'per year'






24. Greek island in the Ionian Sea; the home of Odysseus






25. 'from the library of' used as an inscription on a bookplate to show the name of the book's owner: ex libris Mark Twain.






26. 'in memory of'






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






28. 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






29. 'I came & I saw & I conquered &' famous words of Julius Caesar






30. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






31. Winged horse which flew from the neck of Medusa the Gorgon after Perseus cut off her head






32. One of the 12 Titans & father of Zeus/Jupiter & who swallowed his children in an attempt to keep from being overthrown






33. 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






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






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






38. 'great work'






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






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






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






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






43. 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






44. The people in control of the Italian peninsula before Rome began to spread






45. 'per year'






46. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.






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






48. Market place/business center






49. 'All-knowing'






50. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.