I.

Multiple Choice: Introduction to the Greek Literature

Encircle the letter of the statement, name, or word that best corresponds to the idea pointed out in each number.
1. The phrase “the glory that was Greece” implies the following, except one. Choose that which does not belong.
a. the accomplishments of ancient Greece in sculpture and architecture
b. the exceptional attainment of ancient Greece in philosophy and literature
c. the Greeks’ pursuit of beauty in all its forms and their passion for democracy
d. that the Greeks descended from the gods
2. The slogan “Greece, were all began,” used as a tourist come-on, perpetuates this myth about Greece.
a. It is where European civilization began
b. It is the home of the gods.
c. It is where all things originated.
d. It appeals to the sensual nature of Greece.
3. Greece has claimed that its ancient classical people’s works of art are the best art and are unparalleled as compared to those
of other cultures for these reasons, except one. Choose that which does not belong.
a. Egypt produced an art that was unnatural, stiff in its fixity of expression.
b. Indian art, with its notion of absolute freedom, yielded results that are strange, like the statue of Siva who was portrayed
with many heads and arms.
c. The Greek statues or sculptures represented perfectly human forms.
d. The Greeks have produced the eight wonders of the world.
4. Greek Literature has enduring quality. They may have been written centuries ago, but its essence is still appreciated to this
day. This is called
a. universality
b. permanence
c. intellectual quality
5. Among the legacy of the Greeks, this is what every country strives for:
a. agelessness
b. beauty
c. character
d. democracy
6. According to the contemporary art critic, this is what makes the painting “ Helen of Troy” by Polygnotus great:
a. the realistic depiction of the Trojan War
b. The eyes of Helen of Troy are so full of life and expression that one can read the story of the Trojan War Through them.
c. The fixity of Greeks’ expression depicting reality
d. The freedom of the Greeks to portray any topic, particularly war
7. Iliad and Odyssey are Greek epics that affirm the truth that one’s fate is the ____________.
a. result of one’s action
b. will of God
c. reward or punishment of the gods and goddesses
d. outcome of one’s values
8. This is the Mythological cause of Trojan War:
a. Zeus wanted to solve the problem of overpopulation; thus he devised this great war that caused scores of death
b. The selfishness and greed of mortals
c. The rivalry between the god Apollo and goddess Eris
d. The abduction of Helen
9. The Greeks’ idea of the holiness of the gods was based on this:
a. their goodness and kindness
b. their utter perfection, incapable of any human frailty or weakness
c. their enduring and incorruptible beauty and strength
d. their saintly qualities
10. He is an Athenian philosopher and pupil of Socrates who wrote books in form of dialogue on the following subjects:
truthfulness, right way of living, honesty, justice, kindness, piety, and belief in the immortality of soul.
a. Aristotle
b. Plato
c. Democritus
d. Thales
II. Identification: Identify the literary and historical term or figure being described. Write the answer on the line.
___________________ 1. It is one of the four cardinal virtues highly regarded by the Greeks stressing a manner or style of living
without display or vulgarity and arrogance.
___________________2. It is another moral quality valued by the Greeks that emphasizes the importance of obeying laws and rules of
society and rendering to man his due.
___________________3. She is the goddess of mischief.
___________________4. The commander-in-chief of the Greek army in the epic, Iliad
___________________5. These are the Greek shrines where priest and priestesses interpreted the words of gods to men.
___________________6. She is the Greek goddess of wisdom.
___________________7. He is called “the blind poet of Greece” whose genius is manifested in his two great epics.
___________________8. It is Greek epic that shows the passions and cruelty found in war.
___________________9. It is the Greek epic about the great adventure of the hero Odysseus.
___________________10. He is the father of the gods.
III. Modified True or False: Write true if the statement is correct; if incorrect, underline the word or phrase that makes it
incorrect then supply the correct answer.
_______________1. Achilles declared a truce for ten days until Hector was given a proper funeral.
_______________2. The Greeks depicted their gods as having human attributes, indicating the Greeks’ belief in the power of men.
_______________3. The Greek gods never meddled in the affairs of men or mortals.
_______________4. The Greek gods can show vengeance by interfering in human affairs.
_______________5. Achilles rallies the Greeks after the death of Hector.
_______________6. The Iliad begins in the tenth year of war.
_______________7. Alexandros awarded the golden apple—a symbol of beauty—to Aphrodite because this goddess promised him
the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife.
_______________8. Achilles has a semi-divine origin.
_______________9. Vanity, bribery, and rivalry are the first human vices committed by the goddesses Hera, Athena, and
Aphrodite.
_______________10. For the duration of the Trojan War, Achilles remained sulking in his tent.
IV. True or False: Write true if the statement is correct, and false if incorrect.
____________1. Hector’s wife, Andromache, begged him not to fight in the battle with the Greeks. Hector, in turn, heeded her
appeal.
____________2. Women are taken as prisoners by the winning country, where they become slaves.
____________3. After the poignant farewell between Hector and Andromache, the women of his house wept for him even while
he is still alive because they think their lord and master will not be coming home again.
____________4. Achilles is the fiercest and bravest warrior during the Trojan War.
____________5. Priam braved the enemy camp to retrieve the dead body of Hector.
____________6. To soften the heart of Achilles to give in to his appeal of releasing the dead body of Hector, Priam used the
memory of Achilles’ dead father.
____________7. Achilles wept with Priam and even supervised the washing and anointment of Hector’s body before it was
returned to the old man, Priam. This particular act reveals Achilles’ soft heart.
____________8. It is a Greek funeral practice to lament for the dead led by a lone woman and followed by a chorus of wailing
women.
____________9. The people of Troy burned their dead in a funeral pyre.
____________10. The people of Troy were able to properly mourn the death of Hector because of a truce between Achilles and
Priam.
V. Describe how different are the Greek funeral rites from what is done in our country.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________