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. 'Work conquers all'






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






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






4. 'Thus always & to tyrants.' Allegedly said by Brutus during the assassination of Caesar. John Wilkes Booth also shouted it after shooting President Lincoln. It is now the motto of Virginia.






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






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






7. 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






8. God of metallurgy (metal working); married to Aphrodite






9. God of metallurgy (metal working); married to Aphrodite






10. 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






11. Icarus was the son of Daedalus who flew too close to the sun with the wings his father made him from wax and feathers & and fell to his death






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






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






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






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






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






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






18. 'for the time being' - temporary






19. 500






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






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






22. A picture made from small bits of glass or pottery






23. Refers to an action or condition necessary for something to happen






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






25. Market place/business center






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






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






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






29. Goddess of the hearth






30. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






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






32. The Underworld; in early mythology & everyone went to Tartarus after they died; in later mythology & only bad people went to Tartarus after they died






33. 'All-knowing'






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






35. 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






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






37. 'A slip of the tongue'






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






39. Another name for Zeus/Jupiter






40. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






41. 100






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






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






44. 'I refuse &' used by the president of the US to stop any bill he sees unfit from passing






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






46. 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






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






48. 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.






49. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






50. Out of her curiosity & she opened a box containing all the bad things in the world; she put the lid on just in time & so that hope did not escape from the box & too