Humanities 115 - World Mythology » Winter 2023 » Test 2

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Question #1
One of the labors of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables. He accomplishes this in one day with help from:
A.   his father Zeus
B.   the goddess Athena
C.   a river, which he diverts
D.   Iolaus, his companion
Question #2
Both Odysseus and Achilles attempt to avoid fighting in the Trojan War. Achilles’ mother hides her son by disguising him as a:
A.   god
B.   woman
C.   rock
D.   old beggar
Question #3
The Roman Republic grew strong by defeating the Carthaginians and taking control of the Mediterranean. The Roman general who ended the Punic Wars was:
A.   Julius Ceasar
B.   Marc Antony
C.   Scipio Africanus
D.   Ceasar Augustus
Question #4
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.   armor of Athena
D.   shield of Heracles
Question #5
The two primal elements that exist at the beginning of the Hebrew creation myth are:
A.   water and darkness
B.   day and night
C.   heaven and earth
D.   light and air
Question #6
According to Hebrew mythology, Yahweh tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac. According to Islamic mythology, Allah asks Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael. The Islamic sacrifice is stopped by:
A.   a voice from a burning bush
B.   an angel
C.   the parting of the Red Sea
D.   a tribe of people
Question #7
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.   Minotaur
C.   Laocoon
D.   Hydra
Question #8
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.   defeated enemies must be treated with respect
B.   do not dishonor the god of the dead
C.   unclothed men are an abomination
D.   all who die must be buried
Question #9
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.   Apollo twines the snakes around a staff
B.   he drinks the blood of Hydra
C.   Zeus stops them
D.   he strangles the snakes
Question #10
Before Rome became an empire, Tarquinius Superbus ruled harshly. His son Sextus raped a noblewoman named Lucretia, who committed suicide by:
A.   holding her breath
B.   allowing a poisonous snake to bite her
C.   drinking poison
D.   stabbing herself in the heart
Question #11
In Islamic mythology, Hagar is considered equal to Sarah because the faith allows polygamy. Hagar’s son Ishmael is considered superior to Isaac, however, because he is:
A.   from Egypt
B.   not circumcised
C.   from an Arabic mother
D.   born first
Question #12
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.   forgiving her
B.   sending her into the desert
C.   dealing harshly with her
D.   circumcising her son, Ishmael
Question #13
According to Christian mythology, Jesus is “Christos,” which means “savior,” and a reliever of suffering from Hebrew mythology called the:
A.   Rabbi
B.   Epistle
C.   Messiah
D.   Mahatma
Question #14
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.   violated her oath to remain a virgin
B.   fell in love with Hades
C.   picked a special flower
D.   ate pomegranate seeds
Question #15
In The Aeneid of Virgil, the harpy predicts that Aeneas will not triumph until he has become so hungry he "eats his tables." What do the "tables" turn out to be?
A.   mathematical equations
B.   a shield provided by Venus
C.   honeycakes topped with fruit
D.   his own words, written down
Question #16
One of the Twelve Titans of Greek mythology is:
A.   Hercules, hero of the Twelve Labors
B.   Hestia, protector of home and hearth
C.   Gaia, the Mother Goddess
D.   Atlas, who holds creation on his shoulders
Question #17
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.   Q Source
D.   Apocrypha
Question #18
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.   Epistles
C.   Poetry
D.   Oaths
Question #19
According to Hebrew mythology, Yahweh commands Abram to circumcise all males in his household, including boys at the age of:
A.   eight days
B.   eight years
C.   puberty
D.   eight months
Question #20
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.   Hera
B.   Artemis
C.   Hestia
D.   Athena
Question #21
The primal elements of Greek mythology include Gaia, the earth, Tartarus, the underworld, and Eros, which is:
A.   brotherly love
B.   the sky
C.   the sexual urge
D.   familial love
Question #22
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 first books of the New Testament in the bible
B.   The first books of the Old Testament in the bible
C.   The Metamorphoses of Ovid
D.   the Qu'ran
Question #23
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 Theogony of Hesiod
C.   The Odyssey of Homer
D.   the myth of Romulus and Remus
Question #24
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.   her prophecies have been wrong before
B.   they fear the wrath of Poseidon
C.   the god Apollo has cursed her
D.   the goddess Athena did not give her wisdom
Question #25
In The Iliad of Homer, Paris, prince of Troy, battles one-on-one with Menelaus, husband of Helen. In the fight, Menelaus drags Paris around by the helmet strap. Paris escapes because the goddess Aphrodite:
A.   asks Zeus to save him
B.   breaks the helmet strap
C.   throws a mist over Menelaus's eyes
D.   hands him a sword

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