FOWC EXAM 1
"Ah, the suffering you've had, and the courage. To come here alone to the Greek ships And meet my eye . . . You have a heart of iron. But come, sit on this chair. Let our pain Lie at rest a while, no matter how much we hurt. There's nothing to be gained from cold grief." Which of the following scenes best fits the context of the above quotation from the Iliad? a. Book 24. These are words spoken by Achilles to Priam, when the latter enters the Greek tent with the help of Hermes to ask Achilles to return the body of Hector to his family for a proper burial. b. Book 9. These are words spoken by Achilles to Phoenix, after the latter finished sharing the story of Meleager and Kleopatra. c. Book 6. These are the words spoken by Andramache to Hector, as the two embraced atop the walls of Troy, just before Hector left the city for the final time. d. Book 16. These are the words spoken by Hector to Patroclus, moments before the latter dies after having experienced an extended Aristeia, while wearing the armor of Achilles.
A
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the universe began in: Select one or more: a. Chaos b. Order c. A Beautiful Garden d. Formless water e. A Big Band
A
Cuneiform writing refers to . . . Select one or more: a. "wedge shaped writing" produced by the application of a wet stylus to a drying clay tablet, a technology first developed in Mesopotamia in around 3200 BC. b. "idea writing," which uses combinations of pictures to represent abstract thought, first developed by the Hebrews, c. 2000 BC. c. "picture writing," first developed in the Egyptian hieroglyphics, c. 2700 BC. d. "alphabet writing," first developed by the ancient Phoenicians, c. 1000 BC.
A
In considering the "vastness of human prehistory," the record of human activity in the archaeological record was compared to a 24 hour clock, with the full 24 hrs. being the amount of time human begins (Homo sapiens) have been active on this planet. Within that perspective, recorded human history is best represented as . . . Select one or more: a. the final minute before midnight. b. the second 12 hrs. of the 24 hr. day c. the last 20 minutes before midnight.
A
The etymological (word origin) definition of "civilization" is best described by which of the following? Select one or more: a. Civilization comes from "civitas," "cives," and "civilities" the Latins word for "city," "citizen," and "civility." Thus, civilization speaks of a mode of human life that arises from and depends upon the creation of large cities. Typically civilization refers to a society that produces complex art and architecture, elaborate religious practice, law, literature, and other forms of refined cultural production. b. "Civilization" is derived from the Latin from "civilivatis" and refers to a nomadic society based around hunting and gathering. c. "Civilization" derives from the words "civil" and "zationes," which refers to societies "founded by the gods." Thus, the etymological definition of "civilization" refers to the ancient belief that the very first cities were established by divine origin. d. "Civilization" is derived from the word "civil" and it refers primarily to a society based on refined manners, just laws, complex architecture, and pacifism.
A
The goddess of beauty and erotic desire who won the "Judgment of Paris," after promising Paris the bed of the most beautiful woman in the world. According to Hesiod she was born from the sperm of the castrated Ouranos mixed with Mediterranean Sea foam, though Homer in Bk. 5 of the Iliad calls her the daughter of Dione, when she is wounded in battle and goes, bleeding "ichor," to Mt. Olympus for convalescence. She can frequently be found intervening in battle on behalf of Paris (as, for example, in Bk. 3., when she saves him from Menelaus, by breaking the strap of his chin and spiriting him away to sleep with Helen, safely behind the walls of Troy. Select one or more: a. Aphrodite b. Rhea c. Helen of Sparta d. Athena e. Artemis f. Correct Answer Does Not Appear g. Andromache
A
The site of an ancient city, which, according to Greek mythology, had been ruled by Agamemnon, son of Atreus. It was excavated in the 1860s and 70s and, alongside the excavations at Hesarlik (in modern Turkey), and other sites scattered throughout the Mediterranean, it became one of the principal sites through which modern archaeologists and historians discovered a bronze-age Greek civilization that predated the Dark Ages. Select one or more: a. Mycenae b. Athans c. Argos d. Corinth e. Sparta
A
This son of Tantalus, king of Lydia, emigrated to and settled the southern most region of the Greek mainland, lending his name to the region where the famous cities of Mycenae, Argos, and Sparta are would later be founded. Select one or more: a. Pelops b. Menelaus c. Agamemnon d. Odysseus e. Atreus
A
Which of the following best describes Arthur Evan's influential interpretation of the palace culture of Crete? Select one or more: a. A matriarchal garden of Eden, likely a peaceful society with no need for defensive fortifications. b. A Mediterranean based maritime empire, which revolved around the trade of olive oil and barley. c. A highly militaristic society, in which arête in battle was prized above all else. d. A bureaucratic society in which all political, economic, and social relations depended upon the use of the written word
A
Which of the following best describes the concept of an "aristeia" within the context of Homeric song culture? Select one or more: a. An aristeia is a "demonstration of excellence" (arete), with "excellence" in the context of Homeric song culture defined primarily as an excellent display of athletic and military prowess. b. An aristeia is identical to the concept of "berserking," found in the stories of Scandinavian warriors from the middle ages. c. An aristeia is an outpouring of unbridled rage in which the hero becomes an unstoppable war machine d. An aristeia is a display of cowardice on the battlefield and is to be avoided at all costs by the Greek warrior
A
Which of the following is the best definition of "Cosmology"? a. knowledge gained through scientific observation of the natural world b. a theory or story about the organization of the cosmos c. theories about political organization of the city d. a story about the origins of the gods
B
In the "4 preliminary observations," outlined at the start of the course, which capacities, practices, and intellectual habits were argued mostly likely unite modern humans with our Paleolithic (old Stone Age) ancestors? Select one or more: a. The use of writing to organize society, preserve memory, and structure religious life. b. The use of fire to prepare food, for warming homes, and even manipulating metals. c. The capacity for and attraction to myth (meaningful story), ritual, and worship. Humankind is not just Homo sapiens ("wise man"); humankind is also homo liturgicus ("worshipping man"). d. Dependence on tools (such as the wheel), settled agriculture, and manipulation of the environment
C
Our division of time into units of 60 is based on a sexagesimal numerical system first developed . . . Select one or more: a. by the Romans, on the Italian peninsula, around 600 BC. b. by the Egyptians, in the Nile River Valley, around the third millennium BC. c. by Sumerians in the Mesopotamians cities of the fourth millennium BC. d. by the Greeks in the Bronze Age Minoan civilization of around the third millennium BC.
C
Site of the Minoan palace culture discovered by Arthur Evans on the Island of Crete. Select one or more: a. Athens b. Thebes c. Knossos d. Mycenae e. Delphi
C
The "Sumerian King List" is a document that contributed to the origins of which of the following ideas pertaining to the practice of history writing? a. The development of history as an ongoing examination of the relationship between divine cosmic forces (the gods) and humankind. b. The development of history as a series of intimate biographies of fascinating personalities (including stories of peasants, artisans, and merchants, as well as of kings and aristocrats). c. The development of history and history writing as a linear succession of kings, kingdoms, states, and empires. In order words, history as "political history." d. The concept of history as an "investigation" into the causes and effects of large, epoch-shifting events.
C
The Fertile Crescent coincides with the boundaries of which modern nations? a. Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland b. Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras c. Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel d. China and India
C
The author of the Theogony, an eighth-century BC poem which describes the origins of the Greek gods. Select one or more: a. Sapho b. Solon c. Hesiod d. Homer e. Simonides
C
The god of the air and chief god of the Sumerian pantheon. Praise hymns to this god survive attributing to him characteristics not unlike Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible. His worship declined after the Babylonian conquest of Sumer. a. Utu b. Nanna c. Enlil d. Ninhursag
C
The king of the gods, who presides over the world from Mt. Olympus. He is associated with thunder and lightening, is the guarantor of justice, yet, somewhat paradoxically, he is often found violating his own marital vows through his sexually predatory interactions with human women. Select one or more: a. Ares b. Apollo c. Zeus d. Hades e. Poseidon
C
The understanding of human morality portrayed in the Iliad is best described in terms of which of the following value systems? a. Heroic Morality b. Objective Morality c. Honor-Shame d. Sin-Guilt e. Perspectivist Morality
C
This legendary king of the Asian city of Lydia tried to sacrifice his son, Pelops, to the gods, but the gods pieced Pelops back together and reanimated him. As punishment, the king was tied to a tree, condemned to spend the rest of his life thirsty but unsatisfied, with his mouth just inches from a stream of water. Select one or more: a. Agamemnon b. Priam c. Tantalus d. Atreus e. Achilles
C
Achilles returns Hector to the Trojans after Priam, led by the messenger Hermes, enters the encampment of the Greeks and begs for the body of his son. Select one: True False
True
The last line of the Iliad reads: "And that was the funeral of Hector, breaker of horses." Select one: True False
True
When the Iliad begins, the Greeks are losing the war for Troy because the god Apollo has been raining plague arrows on the Greeks for nine uninterrupted days. Apollo is outraged that the Greek king Agamemnon has taken as a trophy Chryseis, the daughter of his priest, Chryses. Select one: True False
True
This silver-tongued orator, the son of Laertes, king of Ithaca, is frequently found making speeches and devising battle strategies on behalf of the Greeks. We meet him in Bk. 2 humiliating the hunchback Thersites and urging the Greeks to return to the beach to fight. Helen speaks favorably of him from the walls of Troy in the presence of Priam in Bk. 3, and evidence from Bk. 9 might be used to argue that he was a philos of Achilles. Select one or more: a. Ajax b. Diomedes c. Odysseus d. Correct Answer Does Not Appear e. Nestor f. Menelaus g. Thersites
C
This son of Atreus, the king of Sparta, married Helen, daughter of Zeus and Leda, reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. When Helen was later stolen from him by Paris, prince of Troy, all of the Greek kings agreed to fight to help him regain her. According to tradition, this was the cause of the famous Trojan War, whose closing weeks are described in Homer's Iliad. Select one or more: a. Achilles b. Agamemnon c. Menelaus d. Odysseus e. Diomedes
C
When Arthur Evans uncovered a previously unknown Bronze Age civilization on the island of Crete, he found a labyrinthine palace, filled with frescoes and statuary art depicting which of the following: Select one or more: a. The Persian Invasion of Babylon b. Human Sacrifice c. Bulls and Minotaurs d. The Trojan War
C
When the story of the Iliad begins, the "rage" of Achilles is best understood as the result of which of the following actions? Select one or more: a. The gods have informed Achilles that he has two fates: he may stay at Troy and win great glory but die young, or, alternatively, he may return home and have a long life but be forgotten forever. b. Achilles learned that his mother, Thetis, had an affair with Zeus, king of the gods, and was pregnant with another son who would become the greatest warrior among the Greeks. c. King Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek forces but an inferior man, has taken Briseis, the war-bride of Achilles, who represents the honor he had been granted by his fellow-combatants in an earlier fight. d. Achilles was humiliated in council by the abuse inflicted on him by Agamemnon, who claimed to be the greater warrior and superior commander.
C
Which of the following best defines the Greek concept of philos (and philtatos) within the context of Homeric song culture? Select one or more: a. "a mortal enemy" b. a friend or colleague c. "beloved" "near and dear one" (nearest and dearest) d. "one to whom one's ancestors have granted hospitality" e. a distant family member, but "near" because linked by bonds of kinship
C
Which of the following best describes the deathbed insight of Enkidu, the subhuman counterpart and friend to Gilgamesh, originally created by the gods to rival him. Select one or more: a. Gilgamesh is above the vast majority of humankind and will never possess the ability to identify with those beneath him. b. The goal of human existence is to have a moral and happy life c. To be human is "to see death in things" d. The purpose of human life is "to eat, drink, and be merry"
C
Which of the following cities mentioned in the book of Genesis is a Sumerian city-state? a. Nineveh b. Jerusalem c. Ur d. Assur
C
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the god Chronos, son of Ouranos: Select one or more: a. was the god of time and of the calendar who created humankind and established the foundational practices of ritual worship of the gods. b. was one of the great heroes, born in the generation before Hercules, who took fire from the gods and gave it to humankind. c. led the Titans against their father and eventually became the king of the gods who rules from Mount Olympus. d. rebelled against his father (castrating him with the help of his mother, Gaia), but later repeated the intergenerational violence against his own offspring with Rhea.
D
One of the earliest and most important Greek literary texts, treated by later Greeks as "sacred scriptures," a poem that describes a distant past in which the gods came into being, fought with one another, and created humankind. This work addresses a time prior to the era described by Homer. Select one or more: a. Simonides, On the Origins of the World b. Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War c. Herodotus, Histories d. Hesiod, Theogony e. Plato, Timaeus
D
Prior to the discoveries of Heinrich Schliemann in the 1960s, the most ancient period of Greek civilization was traditionally thought to be: Select one or more: a. The Classical Age, 500-350 BC b. The Archaic Period, c. 800-500 BC c. The Hellenistic Period, 330-31 BC d. The Greek Dark Ages, c. 1200-800 BC
D
The Greek word "Mesopotamia" means _____________________. a. "Fertile Crescent" b. "given by the gods" c. "cradle of civilization" d. "land between the rivers"
D
The designations "Fertile Crescent" and "Mesopotamia" generally refer to the fertile lands lying along the banks of the ______________________ and _____________________ Rivers. a. Tiber and Arles b. Rhone and Rhine c. Nile and Jordan d. Tigris and Euphrates
D
The great library of Ashurbanipal, which preserved the Epic of Gilgamesh (among other great texts), was located in this capital city of the Assyrians: Select one or more: a. Babylon b. Jerusalem c. Correct Answer is Not Displayed d. Nineveh e. Ashur
D
This beautiful daughter of Agenor, the king of Lebanon, was kidnapped by Zeus, who had transformed himself into a beautiful white bull. Select one or more: a. Asia b. Athena c. Libya d. Europa e. Semele
D
This work describing a major war fought by Greek kings against the distant city of Troy was traditionally attributed to a singularly gifted poet named Homer, but was likely the work of many generations of oral poetry and eventually written down in its final form in around c. 700 BC. Select one or more: a. The Homeric Aeneid b. The Homeric Odyssey c. The Homeric Hymns d. The Homeric Iliad
D
Which of the following best describes the lasting effect of the Homeric Hero who achieves Kleos? a. the hero who achieves kleos wins the battle b. the hero who achieves kleos earns the most beautiful woman c. the hero who achieves kleos defeats death d. the hero who achieves kleos makes it into the poem
D
Which of the following best explains the claim of Samuel Noah Kramer: "History begins at Sumer"? a. Sumer was the first region known to host human settlements of any kind. b. Sumer was the first region in the world to produce large cities and history depends upon the existence of urban civilization. c. Sumer was the first region to produce sophisticated feats of engineering like roads, bridges, and aqueducts. d. Sumer was the first region to produce systems of writing and history depends upon the existence of written (documentary) evidence.
D
When the Greeks emerge from the Trojan horse in the final pages of the Iliad, they find the Trojans asleep and unsuspecting. Select one: True False
False
She is the wife of Hector, mother of Astyanax, from the royal family of Eetion, whose near and dear ones were all murdered "in a single blinding sprint" by the warrior Achilles. In Bk. 6, she speaks a moving lament, begging Hector to stay inside the walls of Troy, but he claims his "shame is too great." Select one or more: a. Aphrodite b. Hecuba c. Helen d. Chryses e. Briseis f. Correct Answer Does Not Appear g. Andromache
G
This Greek warrior is frequently called by the epithet (nickname) "telemonian," which means "the wall," in order to distinguish him from another warrior by the same name. He is the largest and strongest warrior fighting on the side of the Greeks, though not usually called "the best of the Achaans" - this is the epithet reserved most often for Achilles and one other character (mentioned in the next question). Select one or more: a. Nestor b. Menelaus c. Correct Answer Does Not Appear d. Odysseus e. Diomedes f. Thersites g. Ajax
G
This Greek warrior is the son of Tydeus, who is granted "courage and greatness" in Bk. 5 by a goddess who had once favored his father. Bk. 5 may be read as his extended "aristeia." He can also be observed in a key scene with Glaucus in Bk. 6 and was an important voice in convincing Agamemnon to return Briseis to Achilles in Bk. 9. Select one or more: a. Correct Answer Does Not Appear b. Odysseus c. Thersites d. Nestor e. Menelaus f. Ajax g. Diomedes
G
This god, the twin brother of Artemis and son of Leto, is frequently found opposing the Greeks in the pages of the Iliad. In Bk. 1 he rains plague arrows upon the Greeks, after Agamemnon had taken Chriseis, the daughter of his priest Chryses. In Bk. 5, he protects Aeneas after a famous Greek warrior rushes him 3x, having already wounded his mother, an important goddess; and in Bk. 16, he stuns Patroclus, jolting him from his aristeia, and making him vulnerable to the spear of the young warrior Euphorbus. Select one or more: a. Hermes b. Zeus c. Ares d. Diomedes e. Correct Answer Does Not Appear f. Hephaestus g. Apollo
G
In Book 16 of the Iliad, Zeus decides to save his son Sarpedon from the rampage of Hector. Select one: True False
False
In Book 9 of the Iliad, Agamemnon, Thersites, and Menelaus visit Achilles, begging him to reenter the war. Select one: True False
False
When Diomedes encounters Glaucus in Book 5 of the Iliad, he becomes enraged, thus beginning his aristeia. Select one: True False
False
Which of the following best describes the enduring legacy of Heinrich Schliemann's archaeological career? Select one or more: a. Heinrich Schliemann, a German born industrialist and entrepreneur, turned a naïve and childlike obsession with the heroic world of Homer into a series of sensational archaological discoveries at Troy, Mycenae, and other important Bronze Age excavations on the Greek mainland. He almost single-handedly recovered a once lost Greek world now known as "Mycenaean Civilization." b. Heinrich Schliemann, a German born industrialist and entrepreneur, made essential contributions to the study of the Archaic Greek world through his pioneering work in cataloguing and dating the largest known deposit of Athenian pottery. c. Heinrich Schliemann,, a gifted historian and philologist, after many years of excavating on the island of Crete, almost single-handedly uncovered a lost "Greek-ish" world now known as "Minoan Civilization. d.Heinrich Schliemann, a German born professional historian and archaologist, made significant contributions to the archaology of the Mesopotamian world through his discoveries of the Sumerian libraries at Uruk and Ur.
A
Which of the following is NOT a Sumerian city-state? a. Babylon b. Eridu c. Uruk d. Ur
A
Which of the following is the best definition of "Myth" (in light of the explanation offered in the Interactive Lecture on Mesopotamia)? a. A Myth (from the Greek, mythos) is a meaningful story about a matter that is too complex or too ancient to understand fully. (Myth need not be historically or scientifically true in order to convey its message) b. A myth is similar to a "fairly tale," in that it originates a a story told by common people as a form of entertainment. Over time, lessons are incorporated into the myth, so that it becomes a kind of moral fable. c. "Myth" (Greek origins) has essentially the same meaning as "Legend" (Latin origins). Both myth and legend arise from historical fact (and may still possess a kernel of historical truth), but, as time passes, and the myth is conveyed orally from generation to generation, it becomes more fiction than fact. d. A myth is a false story created by malicious manipulators of human opinion, designed to divert attention from the truth of Scripture.
A
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the god Ouranos (the Heavens) was . . . Select one or more: a. the traditional enemy of Chaos and Gaia b. both the son and the husband of Gaia (the Earth) c. the father of Zeus and Hera d. the brother of Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon
B
According to traditional Periodizations of Greek History, the period immediately following the Dark Ages is generally called ______________________. Select one or more: a. The Classical Period (500-350) b. The Archaic Period (800-500) 800-500 BC c. The Hellenistic Period (330 BC and after) d. The Jurassic Period
B
Before the migration (probably from Turkey) of the peoples who would build the cities of Sumer, Mesopotamia was settled primarily by peoples belonging to what ethnic and linguistic grouping? a. Finno-Ugric b. Semitic c. Basque d. Indo-European
B
In our translation, the opening lines of the Iliad read "Rage, Sing, Goddess, Achilles' rage, Black and murderous, that cost the Greeks incalculable pain, pitched countless souls of heroes into Hades' dark, and left their bodies to rot as feasts for dogs and birds, as Zeus' will was done." The word translated as "Rage" here derives from __________________ and most likely means "_______________________." Select one or more: a. achōs; "personal grievance for insult or injury inflicted by a lesser party" b. mēnis; "a cosmic sanction against behavior that violates the most basic rules of human society" c. kleos; "rage that leads to great glory" d. aristeia; "rage that leads to a battlefield rampage"
B
The Archaic Greek view of women, as illustrated in stories like the myth of Pandora and Simonides, On Women, is best described by which of the following? Select one or more: a. sexualized (characterized primarily by the treatment of women as objects of sexual desire) b. misogynistic (tending toward fear, loathing, even hatred of women) c. egalitarian (characterized by an equal treatment of men and woman by the broader society) d. objectifying (tending towards treating women as objects, valuable for the status represented by their attractiveness) e. patriarchal (characterized by the "rule by the father," in particular, over women)
B
The Epic of Gilgamesh describes the exploits of the king of which Mesopotamian city? Select one or more: a. Babylon b. Uruk c. Ashur d. Ur e. Correct Answer Not Displayed
B
Which of the following paragraphs best describes the Sumerian cosmology? a. The material universe was created through a series of eternal processions from an eternal Divine principle, "the One," mediated through Word (Logos, in which inhere the "archetypes"), and Spirit (Nous), which animates and suffuses all creation. b. The material world was created through a succession of divine "births," Nammu (Sea) gave birth to An (sky) and Ki (earth) and from An and Ki came Enlil (the atmosphere) and Enki (fresh water) and the Sun (Utu), Moon (Nanna), and all the stars. The earth is a flat disc, surrounded by water, enclosed by a series of domes, the innermost of which is a watery firmament from which the rains come. c. The material world was created by one God, in the beginning, when in seven days of creation, he called dry land out of water, divided the day from night, called into creation the sun, moon, and stars, and created all living things, including humankind. d. The material world was created entirely through natural processes, when a chemical reaction produced a cosmic explosion, the result of which produced all galaxies and their stars. The earth and its inhabitants is but one tiny planet in one of many galaxies, revolving around one of countless millions of stars.
B
Which of the following similes best describes the meaning of the Greek Kleos Aphthiton? a. like an uncaged lion b. like an unwilting rose in bloom c. like tears in the rain d. like a God on the battlefield
B
Which of the following statements best describes the goals, mentality, and values of the Homeric Hero? a. The hero is a semi-divine, semi-human character who represents the most extreme expression of the values and character of a people. In most epics, heroes want to undertake vast journeys, have adventures, and slay monsters. We can use these journeys to learn about inner psychological journeys that all human beings inevitably undertake. b. The hero (from hora, meaning "time," or "hour") is given a moment, either by fate or by the gods, in which to demonstrate his excellence (arete) on the battlefield. If the hero siezes the moment (hora), he will achieve Kleos (glory) and be remembered forever. If he chooses instead to avoid battle, he may return home but will soon be forgotten. c. The hero is an "every man" character who experiences an unusual transformation and becomes exceptional. The principal logic of hero stories is to examine how the hero will behave in extreme circumstances (on an epic quest, in combat, facing down a monster) in light of his new powers. d. While this description of a "hero" might resonate with Joseph Campbell's understanding of the hero (discussed in class in connection with the Epic of Gilgamesh), it does not capture what is particular and specific about the Homeric hero, For the Homeric hero, we must turn to the particular value system described in such texts as the Homeric Iliad and Odyssey.
B
Which of the following statements best describes the religious worldview of the Mesopotamian civilizations surveyed in Unit 1? a. The Mesopotamian civilizations discussed in Unit 1 were "monotheists" (that is, they believed in the existence of only one God, not unlike the ancient Hebrews, who worshipped Yahweh). b. The Mesopotamian civilizations surveyed in Unit 1 were all polytheists, who perceived a universe filled with divine beings, whom they conceived in anthropomorphic terms. The highest of these gods were the pantheon whom the Sumerians called Anunnaki ("heaven born"). c. The Mesopotamian civilizations surveyed in Unit 1 were "henotheists" (that is, they believed in the existence of multiple divine beings, but only worshipped a singular "high god" whom they believed had created the earth and all living creatures.) d. The Mesopotamian civilizations surveyed in Unit 1 were primitive "animists," who perceived numinous divine presences animating the natural world. Thus, the lived in a world constantly shaped by unseen forces.
B
Within the context of Homeric song culture, the name "Achilles" is best defined as ____________________________. Select one or more: a. "fleet-footed" or "fast warrior" b. "sorrow," "grief," or even "lament" of the people c. "Best of the Achaans" d. the word the Greeks used primarily to describe a tendon connecting the calf muscle to the heel bone
B
According to Simone Weil, a twentieth-century philosopher and humanist, the Homeric Iliad is "_______________________." Select one or more: a. "A poem of heroism." b. "A poem of force." c. "A poem of courage." d. "A poem of Troy." e. "A poem of Priam."
B Yes. Weil observes that the poems is about the effect of "force" and violence on the human person. She points to themes of dehumanization, war trauma, and finding meaning in the midst of human-inflicted evil.
According to Hesiod's Theogony, the origins of Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and erotic desire, are best explained by which of the following descriptions? Select one or more: a. Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and the sea-nymph, goddess Dionne, with whom Zeus cheated on Hera in an early episode poorly documented in early Greek mythology, but glimpsed in various scenes of Homer's Iliad. b. Aphrodite was born out of the ear of Zeus, who had swallowed the goddess Metis, with whom he was cheating on his wife Hera. c. Aphrodite was born of the Mediterranean Sea into which had fallen the severed testicles of Ouranos, following Chronos' castration of his father with the help of his mother (Gaia). This is why Aphrodite, known as "sea-born" or "foam born," is often depicted standing on a scallop shell reaching the shore of the Mediterranean (as she is shown in Botticelli's famous Birth of Venus). d. Aphrodite was originally a mortal, born to a human woman, Leda, after she was seduced by Zeus in the form of a beautiful white swan.
C
Cities and civilization first arose . . . Select one or more: a. in the Indus River Valley, c. 2000 BC. b. in Meso-America (Mexico), c. 10,000 BC. c. in Sumer, in modern Iraq, c. 4500 BC. d. in China, near the Yellow River, c. 1500 BC.
C
Which of the following best explains the use of "Western" in the course title "Foundations of Western Culture"? Select one or more: a. West or Western refers primarily to the works of high culture (literary masterpieces, art, architecture, philosophy) that originated in Europe during the ancient and medieval periods. b. West or Western is to be identified primarily with the colonial European powers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (England, France, and Germany). "Western Civilization" is the world created by these powers. c. West refers entirely to geographical location. This course will survey the history of those nations and peoples located primarily to the West of the Prime Meridian. d. West and Western refers primarily to those institutions, values, political systems, and systems of knowledge claimed by the United States, Britain, and, following World War II, by their NATO allies. During the latter half of the 20th century, "Western Civilization" became identified with political systems, values, and institutions that originated with the Greeks, were subsequently passed to the Romans, and later migrated to Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. In courses like "Survey of Western Civilization," this definition of "western" is generally combined with early modern views of a cultural tradition originating in the art, literature, and philosophical culture of the Greeks, subsequently passed to the Romans, and revived by Western Europeans in fourteenth and fifteenth century Italy (the period generally called the Renaissance).
D
Which of the following early scholars of the Epic of Gilgamesh argued in "Babel and the Bible" (c. 1902) that the Epic undermined the historicity of scripture. His view may be contrasted with that of George Smith, the Epic's first translator, who believed the Epic supported the historicity and authority of scripture. Select one or more: a. Heinrich Schliemann b. Correct Answer Not Displayed c. Arthur Evans d. Friedrich Delitzsch e. Henry Layard
D
Which of the following is most likely the oldest complex worship site in the world? Select one or more: a. The ziggurat of ancient Babylon, dated. to c. 2000 BC b. Stonehenge in England, dated to c. 3000 BC c. The great pyramid of Giza, dated to c. 2700 BC d. Göbekli Tepe in modern Turkey, dated to c. 9,500 BC
D
Achilles, the best of the Achaans and the warrior around whose anger the action of the Iliad centers, is the son of ______________ and _____________. Select one or more: a. Peleus and Aphrodite b. Chiron and Thetis c. Phoenix and Athena d. Leda and Zeus e. Peleus and Thetis
E
In Bk. 3 of the Iliad, these two characters have an important conversation atop the walls of Troy (called the "teichoscopia"). While viewing the battlefield from the walls, they evaluate the virtues of the most important Greek warriors and reflect on the causes of the war. The scene may be considered a challenge, on the part of the poet, to prevailing Greek sentiment about women (as illustrated in such texts as the Myth of Pandora and the poetry of Simonides). Select one or more: a. Menelaus and Helen b. Hecuba and Priam c. Priam and Athena d. Andromache and Hector e. Helen and Priam f. Paris and Helen
E
The colorful and flamboyant German amateur archaeologist who discovered what most scholars believe to be the ancient city of Troy. His excavations at Troy, Mycenae, and other sites on the Greek mainland helped reveal a bronze-age Greek society now known as "Mycenaean Civilization." Select one or more: a. Adolph von Harnack b. Victor Davis Hanson c. E. A. Lowe d. Arthur Evans e. Heinrich Schliemann
E
The goddess of war, who, together with Hera, lost the "Judgment of Paris" to Aphrodite. In the Iliad, she frequently intervenes on the side of the Greeks -- in Bk. 1 to hold back an enraged Achilles at the theft of Briseis, in Bk. to reinstigate the fighting between Greeks and Trojans by whispering in the ear of Pandarus, in Bk. 5 by granting a famous warrior his aristeia. Perhaps most devastatingly to the Trojans, she appears alongside Hector in Bk. 22 in the form of his brother Deiphorbus. Select one or more: a. Artemis b. Rhea c. Aphrodite d. Correct Answer Does Not Appear e. Athena f. Helen of Sparta g. Andromache
E
This famous son of Pelops, grandson of Tantalus, presided over a famous house that produced two sons, Agamemnon and Menelaus. His house, like the household of his father and grandfather before him and his son after after him, was by intergenerational violence. Select one or more: a. Priam b. Laertes c. Phoenix d. Peleus e. Atreus
E
This character is described as a surrogate father of Achilles. He is one of the oldest warriors fighting on the side of the Greeks (though younger than Nestor) and in Bk. 9 he reminds Achilles of a famous story involving the young prince Meleager, concluding the story: "Don't be like that. Don't think that way. Don't wait until it's too late." Select one or more: a. Nestor b. Odysseus c. Correct Answer Does Not Appear d. Thersites e. Menelaus f. Phoenix g. Diomedes Feedback Your answer is correct.
F
