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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. Challenged Athena to a weaving contest and was turned into a spider for her excessive pride






2. Through & by way of (from via- road & way)






3. A material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant & used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on






4. 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






5. 'The end'






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






7. Through & by way of (from via- road & way)






8. A member of one of the original aristocratic families of Rome; 'aristocratic'






9. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






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






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






12. 'Always faithful' - motto of the US Marines






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






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






15. 'per year'






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






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






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






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






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






21. 'in the whole &' 'as a whole &' 'totally'; ex: The suggestions were adopted in toto.






22. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






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






24. 'unknown land'






25. Good-humored & jolly (ancient astrologers thought that the planet Jupiter fostered cheerfulness)






26. 'great-souled & high-minded'






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






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






29. City-state in ancient Greece known for its powerful army; fought against Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars






30. After midday/noon






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






32. A system created by the Romans which carried water over long distances






33. Lived in the Labyrinth; fed off of Athenian youths; killed by Theseus






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






35. 1000






36. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






37. The god of the sky; created the Titans with Gaia & Mother Earth






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






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






40. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






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






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






43. 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






44. Daughter of Demeter; kidnapped by Hades to make her his queen






45. 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






46. 'Thus passes the glory of the world.' i.e. 'Worldly things are fleeting.'






47. Refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the responsibilities of a parent






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






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






50. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter