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






2. 'for the time being' - temporary






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






4. 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)






5. 'seize the day'






6. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






7. 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






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






9. 1






10. Writing after the body of a letter






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






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






13. 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)






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






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






16. Doctor of medicine






17. 'beware of the dog'






18. 'The other way around'






19. Used on documents & coins & monuments & etc. as an official signature of the Roman government






20. River that runs through the city of Rome






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






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






23. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






24. 'in memory of'






25. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






26. 'unknown land'






27. 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






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






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






30. The oracle of Apollo; people visited the oracle for guidance and predictions of the future






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






32. God of the sea






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






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






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






36. 1000






37. 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






38. 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






39. One-eyed children of Ouranos/Uranus and Gaea (Mother Earth); sided with Zeus during the war with the Titans; were helpers of the smith-god Hephaestus






40. Goddess of the hunt






41. Doctor of medicine






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






43. The ferryman for the river Styx going into the underworld






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






45. 'beware of the dog'






46. 'peace be with you'






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






48. A hollow wooden horse built by the Greeks so that they could get into the walls of Troy. The Greeks pretended to pack up and leave from the war & but some hid in the horse which was later led into the walls of Troy by the Trojans (thinking it was a






49. 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






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