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






2. 'And you & Brutus?' famous last words of Julius Caesar as the Senate members assassinated him; Brutus was supposed to be a friend of his & but had a hand in the killing






3. 'The state in which'






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






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






6. 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






7. 'before midday &' in the morning & before noon






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 rare bird' - something unique/rare






10. 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')






11. The male head of a Roman family






12. Half-man & half-goat creatures; companions of Pan and Dionysus






13. A large horse and chariot racing track in Rome






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






15. Greek god of nature; had the torso and head of a man & but the legs and horns of a goat






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






17. 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






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






19. 'Work conquers all'






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






21. 'great-souled & high-minded'






22. 'The end'






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






24. 'from the office &' 'by right of office' - used to refer to someone Who is a member of a group (a board & committee & council & etc.) because they hold another office/position






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






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






27. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






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






29. 5






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






31. Sweet-sounding (literally 'flowing like honey')






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






33. Literally 'the greatest bridge' -- the chief priest of Roman religion (later & the emperor took on this role); now used to refer to the Pope & the head of the Catholic Church






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






35. 'unknown land'






36. After midday/noon






37. Goddess of wisdom






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






39. 'That is' used for further explanation: 'in other words...'






40. 'This for that &' a fair trade






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






42. '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.






43. God of wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele






44. 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')






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






46. 'Word for word'






47. The 15th of March & the day in 44 BC Julius Caesar was assassinated






48. Temple devoted to Athena; located on the Acropolis of Athens






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






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