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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. The wife of Odysseus; a model of faithfulness to one's husband






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






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






4. 'After death'






5. 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






6. 'Thus passes the glory of the world.' i.e. 'Worldly things are fleeting.'






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






8. 1000






9. 5






10. 'in memory of'






11. A material prepared in ancient Egypt from the pithy stem of a water plant & used in sheets throughout the ancient Mediterranean world for writing or painting on






12. 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






13. The daughter of king Minos of Crete & who helped Theseus escape from the labyrinth after he killed the minotaur






14. 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






15. 'note well' i.e. take note






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






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






18. '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






19. 10






20. Literally refers to the heel of Achilles (a character from the Iliad who killed Hector)

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






22. Home of the Greek gods






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






25. 'After death'






26. 'per day'






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






28. God of war






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






30. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






31. 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






32. 'unknown land'






33. 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






34. God of the Underworld/Tartarus






35. Goddess of the hearth






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






37. 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






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






39. 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






40. Inventor who created the Labyrinth where the Minotaur lived






41. 'The state in which'






42. 'All-knowing'






43. 'The other way around'






44. Doctor of medicine






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






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






47. 'for the time being' - temporary






48. 'seize the day'






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






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






Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?



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