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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. City-state in ancient Greece known for its powerful army; fought against Athens in the Peloponnesian Wars






2. 10






3. Epic poem written by Home chronicling the Trojan War






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






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






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






7. 'per day'






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






9. The 9 goddesses who looked after the arts and inspired men in those arts






10. The technical biological term for the human species

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






12. 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)






13. A long poem that narrates the deeds of a hero or the history of a nation & e.g. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey






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






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






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






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






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






19. 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






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






21. 'in memory of'






22. 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.






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






24. Usually referring to Julius Caesar & the Roman dictator Who was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15th) 44 BCE






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






26. 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






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






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






29. River that runs through the city of Rome






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






31. 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






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






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






34. 'note well' i.e. take note






35. 'After death'






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






37. A teacher Who is like a parent; comes from the Mentor & Odysseus' old friend & whom he left in charge of his son Telemachus when he went off to the Trojan War






38. 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.






39. 1






40. 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)






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






42. 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






43. 'The state in which'






44. The norms or values of a society






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






46. 'This for that &' a fair trade






47. God of love and desire; son of Aphrodite






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






49. 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






50. 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