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Ancient Greece

Think like an ancient. Politics, power and painted marble. Twelve questions, with a few convincing wrong turns along the way.

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Question sheet

  1. 1. After Cleisthenes' reforms, how many members sat on Athens' Boule?
    • A. 100
    • B. 300
    • C. 500
    • D. 1,000
  2. 2. How were members of Athens' democratic Boule normally selected?
    • A. Hereditary succession
    • B. Appointment by kings
    • C. Election by generals
    • D. Drawing lots
  3. 3. In classical Athens, what was a metic?
    • A. Resident foreigner
    • B. Hereditary priest
    • C. Naval commander
    • D. Council chairman
  4. 4. How many kings normally ruled Sparta at the same time?
    • A. One
    • B. Two
    • C. Three
    • D. Five
  5. 5. Who were Sparta's helots?
    • A. Foreign ambassadors
    • B. Full citizen soldiers
    • C. Royal family members
    • D. An unfree agricultural population
  6. 6. Which city led the Delian League, founded in 478 BCE?
    • A. Athens
    • B. Corinth
    • C. Thebes
    • D. Sparta
  7. 7. Where was the Delian League's treasury originally kept?
    • A. Delphi
    • B. Delos
    • C. Olympia
    • D. Samos
  8. 8. What best describes the original appearance of the Parthenon sculptures?
    • A. Entirely gold-covered
    • B. Deliberately uncoloured
    • C. They included painted colour
    • D. Coated in black bronze
  9. 9. To which goddess was the Parthenon dedicated?
    • A. Hera
    • B. Athena
    • C. Artemis
    • D. Demeter
  10. 10. Which materials chiefly formed Pheidias's great Athena statue?
    • A. Bronze and silver
    • B. Marble and terracotta
    • C. Gold and ivory
    • D. Limestone and iron
  11. 11. What does tri- in the Athenian trireme refer to?
    • A. Three masts
    • B. Three fighting decks
    • C. Three steering rudders
    • D. Three tiers of rowers
  12. 12. A hoplite was principally what kind of soldier?
    • A. Heavily armed infantryman
    • B. Mounted archer
    • C. Light cavalry scout
    • D. Shipboard helmsman

Answer sheet (for the quizmaster)

  1. 1. C - 500
    The reformed council had 500 members, replacing the earlier council traditionally attributed to Solon.
  2. 2. D - Drawing lots
    Annual selection by lot was central to the council, unlike modern parliamentary elections.
  3. 3. A - Resident foreigner
    Metics lived in the community but did not automatically possess Athenian citizenship.
  4. 4. B - Two
    Sparta had a dual kingship rather than a single royal ruler.
  5. 5. D - An unfree agricultural population
    Helots worked land assigned to Spartans and were not full Spartan citizens.
  6. 6. A - Athens
    Athens led the Delian League. Sparta did not lead this alliance.
  7. 7. B - Delos
    The treasury began in Apollo's temple on Delos, which gave the league its name.
  8. 8. C - They included painted colour
    Scientific analysis has identified pigment traces. Today's pale marble is not the complete original appearance.
  9. 9. B - Athena
    The Parthenon housed the great image of Athena Parthenos.
  10. 10. C - Gold and ivory
    The colossal cult image was gold and ivory, unlike the temple's marble architectural sculptures.
  11. 11. D - Three tiers of rowers
    Rowers were arranged in three tiers on each side, not three fighting decks.
  12. 12. A - Heavily armed infantryman
    Hoplites were heavily equipped foot soldiers associated with close-order phalanx fighting.