Humanities 115 - World Mythology » Summer 2022 » Test 2

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Question #1
The cause of the Trojan War was the abduction of Helen, Queen of Sparta. The reason the men of Greece fight to get her back is because:
A.   Zeus's law against abduction
B.   the goddess Aphrodite decrees it
C.   her wealthy husband pays them
D.   they all took an oath to rescue her
Question #2
In The Aeneid of Virgil, the priestess Cassandra warns the Trojans that the Trojan Horse is dangerous. Although she has the gift of prophecy, no one believes her because:
A.   the god Apollo has cursed her
B.   her prophecies have been wrong before
C.   they fear the wrath of Poseidon
D.   the goddess Athena did not give her wisdom
Question #3
The Torah is the oldest writing of the Hebrews, consisting of five scrolls. In addition to Hebrew literature, the text of these five scrolls can be found in:
A.   the Qu'ran
B.   The Metamorphoses of Ovid
C.   the first books of the New Testament in the bible
D.   The first books of the Old Testament in the bible
Question #4
Both Odysseus and Achilles attempt to avoid fighting in the Trojan War. Achilles’ mother hides her son by disguising him as a:
A.   rock
B.   old beggar
C.   woman
D.   god
Question #5
Winter happens every year because the earth goddess Demeter is sad that her daughter Persephone must live with her husband Hades. Persephone lives in the underworld for one season because she:
A.   ate pomegranate seeds
B.   violated her oath to remain a virgin
C.   picked a special flower
D.   fell in love with Hades
Question #6
In the play Oedipus Rex, Oedipus first learns that he is was the man who murdered King Laius from Tiresias. Tiresias is:
A.   his brother-in-law
B.   a blind prophet
C.   god of vengeance
D.   King of Corinth
Question #7
Before the play Oedipus Rex begins, Oedipus becomes King of Thebes by answering the riddle of the Sphinx: "What goes on four legs in the morning, two in the day, and three at night?" What is the answer?
A.   Cerberus
B.   a Pokemon
C.   a man
D.   the goddess Eris
Question #8
The play Oedipus Rex begins with a plague raging through the city of Thebes. King Oedipus has sent Creon, the queen's brother, to learn how the plague can be cured. Creon returns with the solution to the problem, given to him by whom?
A.   the blind prophet Terisias
B.   Asclepius, god of medicine
C.   Athena, goddess of wisdom
D.   the Oracle of Delphi
Question #9
In The Aeneid, Aeneas is a prince of Troy who escapes the burning of the city. He finds refuge in Carthage, because Queen Dido:
A.   the harpy predicted it
B.   is advised to by her sister, Anna
C.   sees political advantage in welcoming him
D.   falls in love with him
Question #10
One of the Twelve Titans of Greek mythology is:
A.   Hercules, hero of the Twelve Labors
B.   Atlas, who holds creation on his shoulders
C.   Hestia, protector of home and hearth
D.   Gaia, the Mother Goddess
Question #11
The early Greek civilization was the Minoan, established on the island of Crete. The was named for the mythical King Minos who supposedly kept a terrible creature in a labyrinth called the:
A.   Scylla
B.   Laocoon
C.   Minotaur
D.   Hydra
Question #12
In The Iliad of Homer, the goddess Thetis asks the god Hephaestus to make armor for her son Achilles. This same thing happens with the goddess Venus and the god Vulcan in:
A.   The Aeneid of Virgil
B.   the myth of Romulus and Remus
C.   The Odyssey of Homer
D.   The Theogony of Hesiod
Question #13
In The Book of Genesis Chapter 16, Sarai encourages Abraham to "go into my maid; that I may obtain children by her." When her maid Hagar becomes pregnant, Sarai is "despised in her eyes." Sarai reacts by:
A.   sending her into the desert
B.   dealing harshly with her
C.   forgiving her
D.   circumcising her son, Ishmael
Question #14
In Greek mythology, the sister and wife of Zeus is considered queen of the gods and goddess of marriage and motherhood. Her name is:
A.   Artemis
B.   Athena
C.   Hestia
D.   Hera
Question #15
There is a substantial record of Hebrew mythology because that culture created the oldest written language still in use today. The basis of Hebrew is a language group called:
A.   Bedouin
B.   Semite
C.   Cuneiform
D.   Torah
Question #16
One of the labors of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables. He accomplishes this in one day with help from:
A.   a river, which he diverts
B.   the goddess Athena
C.   Iolaus, his companion
D.   his father Zeus
Question #17
Numerous writers have told the Greek myths at different times in history. One Roman writer translated many myths into Latin in a single work. It is called:
A.   The Metamorphoses of Ovid
B.   The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
C.   The Bibliotecha of Apollodorus
D.   The Theogony of Hesiod
Question #18
What is known of the life of Jesus is found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Many biblical scholars agree that there was once a fifth biography Jesus that is called the:
A.   Sanhedrin
B.   Nicaean Creed
C.   Apocrypha
D.   Q Source
Question #19
In The Aeneid, a priest named Laocoon suspects the Trojan Horse is a trick, saying “I fear the Greeks even when they are bearing gifts.” Serpents strangle Laocoon and his two sons, sent by:
A.   the god Poseidon
B.   the goddess Athena
C.   Virgil does not say
D.   Odysseus
Question #20
In The Iliad, the war is going badly for the Greeks because Achilles refuses to fight. His best friend Patroclus encourages the Greek soldiers by entering the battle wearing the:
A.   armor of Achilles
B.   golden fleece
C.   shield of Heracles
D.   armor of Athena
Question #21
According to Hebrew mythology, Yahweh commands Abram to circumcise all males in his household, including boys at the age of:
A.   eight months
B.   puberty
C.   eight years
D.   eight days
Question #22
In The Iliad, Achilles kills Hector and drags his naked body behind his chariot. This is a violation of one of Zeus’s highest laws, which is:
A.   do not dishonor the god of the dead
B.   unclothed men are an abomination
C.   defeated enemies must be treated with respect
D.   all who die must be buried
Question #23
Before Rome became an empire, Tarquinius Superbus ruled harshly. His son Sextus raped a noblewoman named Lucretia, who committed suicide by:
A.   allowing a poisonous snake to bite her
B.   drinking poison
C.   holding her breath
D.   stabbing herself in the heart
Question #24
In Greek mythology, the goddess Hera is angry that Zeus has had a child with another woman and sends two snakes to kill baby Herakles in his crib. Herakles lives because:
A.   he strangles the snakes
B.   Zeus stops them
C.   he drinks the blood of Hydra
D.   Apollo twines the snakes around a staff
Question #25
Two people who were important to the early spread of Christianity were Peter, a disciple of Jesus, and Paul, who converted to the faith. Paul's writings make up much of the New Testament in the bible, and are in the form of:
A.   Analysis
B.   Oaths
C.   Epistles
D.   Poetry

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