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. 'unknown land'






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






3. Goddess of wisdom






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






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






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






7. 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






8. 'seize the day'






9. God of the sea






10. 50






11. Writing after the body of a letter






12. 'All-knowing'






13. First emperor of the Roman Empire; adopted son of Julius Caesar; member of the 2nd Triumvirate; also known as Octavian






14. Twin brothers & raised by a wolf; Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome






15. River that runs through the city of Rome






16. 'my fault' ; tua culpa -'your fault'






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






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






19. 'And others'






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






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






22. The arena for gladiatorial games in Rome (also known as the Flavian Amphitheater)






23. Figuratively 'secretly.' Aphrodite gave her son Eros a rose. Eros gave it to Harpocrates & the god of silence & to ensure that his mother's love affairs remained a secret.






24. The 200 year period of peace which began under the rule of Augustus






25. 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






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






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






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






29. '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






30. 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






31. After midday/noon






32. Titan who had to hold up the heavens on his shoulders as punishment for rebelling against Zeus






33. Perseus slayed Medusa the Gorgon






34. God of war






35. 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.






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






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






38. The river surrounding the Underworld






39. A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage & a Phoenician city in Northern Africa & for control of the Mediterranean (264-146 BC)






40. 'And the rest' usually seen at the end of a list of things & instead of listing everything






41. 'firm ground/solid earth'






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






43. The technical biological term for the human species


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 wine and revelry; son of Zeus and Semele






46. 'in memory of'






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






48. The technical biological term for the human species


49. 'note well' i.e. take note






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