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. God of war






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






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






4. 'A slip of the tongue'






5. A state of disorganized matter from which the gods and the world were created






6. 'great work'






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






8. Carthaginian general who attacked Italy by crossing the Italian Alps in the 2nd Punic War; He was eventually defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama






9. 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






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






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






12. 'per head' 'per person'






13. Doctor of medicine






14. The plebs were the free but non-aristocratic citizens of Rome; today & plebeian means 'of a low class'






15. 'A rare bird' - something unique/rare






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






17. Speaker's platform in the forum & which was decorated with the prows of ships the Romans captured in war (rostrum means 'beak & prow of a ship')






18. 'A rare bird' - something unique/rare






19. 'The state in which'






20. 'The end'






21. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






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






23. 'great-souled & high-minded'






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






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






26. The male head of a Roman family






27. The highest political office in the Roman Republic; 2 were elected every year






28. 'unknown land'






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






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






31. The garment which signified a Roman man's citizenship






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






33. 'for the sake of an example' - abbreviation used when providing an example






34. 'And others'






35. 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






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






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






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






39. 'To infinity &' to continue forever & without limit






40. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






41. One of the seven hills of Rome & south of the forum; the site of the imperial palace






42. After midday/noon






43. 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






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






45. Carthaginian general who attacked Italy by crossing the Italian Alps in the 2nd Punic War; He was eventually defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama






46. 'To infinity &' to continue forever & without limit






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






48. Goddess of the hunt






49. Female monsters who had snakes for hair and whose horrifying gaze could turn a man to stone if he looked at them (Medusa was one of the Gorgons)






50. 'in memory of'