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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. After midday/noon






2. 'for the time being' - temporary






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






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






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






6. 'With highest honors' graduating from college in the highest grade scale






7. Goddess of love






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






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






10. 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






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






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






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






14. 10






15. A mural painted directly onto wet plaster (fresco means 'fresh' in Italian)






16. 'The state in which'






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






18. A polis (city-state) in Greece & center of art and philosophy & named after Athena (its patron goddess); the Acropolis was the hill in Athens where many temples (including the Parthenon & the temple to Athena) were located






19. 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






20. 'The things that must be done' - a to-do list






21. The technical biological term for the human species

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22. 'The things that must be done' - a to-do list






23. Eurydice died on their wedding day. Orpheus went down to the Underworld to bring her back. Hades agreed & on the condition that Eurydice would follow behind Orpheus on their way up to the mortal world and he couldn't check to make sure She was behind






24. A member of one of the original aristocratic families of Rome; 'aristocratic'






25. 'I came & I saw & I conquered &' famous words of Julius Caesar






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






27. 'per day'






28. Spirits who carry out curses and torture for wrongdoing toward one's family member (s)






29. 'Higher!' -- the state motto of New York






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






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






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






33. 'A slip of the tongue'






34. A system created by the Romans which carried water over long distances






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






36. Blind poet Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey






37. Literally & the apple that Eris (goddess of strife) threw in front of Hera & Aphrodite & and Athena to cause a dispute over Who was the fairest; figuratively & anything which causes a dispute






38. 'seize the day'






39. Goddess of victory






40. 'Work conquers all'






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






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






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






44. In early mythology & the resting place of heroes; the later mythology & where good people went in the afterlife






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

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46. Temple in Rome dedicated to all the Roman gods






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






48. 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






49. 'great-souled & high-minded'






50. 'firm ground/solid earth'