Humanities 115 - World Mythology » Spring 2020 » Quiz 2

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Question #1
Numerous writers have told the Greek myths at different times in history. One Roman writer translated many myths into Latin in a single work called Metamorphosis. His name was:
A.   Herodotus
B.   Ovid
C.   Augustus
D.   Apollodorus
Question #2
The primal elements of Greek mythology include Gaia, the earth, Tartarus, the underworld, and Eros, which is:
A.   love
B.   aggression
C.   water
D.   the sexual urge
Question #3
The two primal elements that exist at the beginning of the Hebrew creation myth are:
A.   day and night
B.   sun and moon
C.   light and air
D.   water and darkness
Question #4
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.   of an Arabic line
B.   first born
C.   not circumcised
D.   from Egypt
Question #5
Greek mythology begins with Homer, who wrote The Iliad, The Odysseyand 33 Homeric Hymns. Hesiod, another early writer, created a genealogy of the gods called:
A.   The Pantheon
B.   The Metamorphosis
C.   The Theogeny
D.   The Labyrinth
Question #6
In the play Oedipus Rex, when King Oedipus learns that his wife has hanged herself, he is consumed by grief and humiliation. What does he do?
A.   Makes a offering to Apollo
B.   Stabs out his own eyes
C.   Declares a year of mourning
D.   Punishes the messenger
Question #7
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:
A.   she accepted the gift of a golden apple
B.   Demeter lied to Zeus
C.   she ate a pomegranate seed
D.   Hades is one of the four main gods
Question #8
One of the labors of Heracles was to clean the Augean stables. He accomplishes this in one day with help from:
A.   the hundred-handed giants
B.   Athena, tamer of horses
C.   a river, which he diverted
D.   the blood of Hydra, which burns the filth away
Question #9
Both Odysseus and Achilles attempt to avoid fighting in the Trojan War. Achilles’ mother hides her son by disguising him as a:
A.   shepherd in the wilderness
B.   farmer plowing a field
C.   daughter of a king
D.   cup-bearer of Zeus
Question #10
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.   Phoenician
B.   Semitic
C.   Arabic
D.   Cuneiform
Question #11
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.   cloak of Athena
B.   breastplate of Zeus
C.   armor of Achilles
D.   helmet of invisibility
Question #12
According to Hebrew mythology, Yahweh commands Abram to circumcise all males in his household, including boys at the age of:
A.   eight years
B.   13 days
C.   13 years
D.   eight days
Question #13
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.   Scipio Africanus
B.   Hannibal
C.   Caesar Augustus
D.   Julius Caesar
Question #14
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.   all who die must be buried
B.   chariots are only for the gods
C.   fathers must be honored
D.   one must be humble in victory
Question #15
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.   the prophet Mohammed
B.   a rainbow appearing
C.   an angel
D.   a tribe of people
Question #16
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.   Insects
B.   A wounded bull
C.   A hundred-handed giant
D.   A man
Question #17
In The Iliad of Homer according to Donna Rosenberg, who were the Myrmidons?
A.   The Greek army
B.   Elite Trojan soldiers
C.   Goddesses of vengeance
D.   A city near Troy allied with the Greeks
Question #18
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.   praying to Yahweh
B.   dealing harshly with her
C.   sending her into the desert
D.   forgiving her
Question #19
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.   is a daughter of Jupiter
B.   welcomes him like a son
C.   has promised King Latinus
D.   falls in love with him
Question #20
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.   An old shephead
D.   A messenger
Question #21
The goddess Athena was born in an unusual way, wearing full armor and springing up fully-grown from:
A.   the foam of the sea
B.   a swan's egg
C.   the head of Zeus
D.   the genitals of Uranus
Question #22
According to Christian mythology, Jesus is “Christos,” which means “savior,” and a reliever of suffering from Hebrew mythology called the:
A.   Messiah
B.   Epistle
C.   Nazarene
D.   Rabbi
Question #23
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 Oracle of Delphi
B.   King Polybus of Corinth
C.   Asclepius, god of medicine
D.   The blind prophet Tiresias
Question #24
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.   Honey cakes topped with fruit
B.   A golden bough
C.   Medicine provided by Venus
D.   His own words, written down

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