Q1. The Mesopotamians
a. did not believe in an afterlife.
b. believed in heaven, but not hell.
c. believed in hell, but not heaven.
d. believed in an underworld where the shades of the dead resided.
Q2. Sumerian artists probably intended their works to be
a. records of history, left for future generations.
b. the first awe-inspiring works, meant to be studied and appreciated.
c. tools of everyday survival, or offerings to the gods.
d. elaborate displays of wealth and power.
Q3. The first Babylonian Empire fell due to
a. the invasion of the Hittites from Syria.
b. rampant disease.
c. violent civil war.
d. conquest by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal.
Q4. A myth, in the historical sense, is
a. something the speaker believes to be untrue although many others believe in it.
b. a story passed down orally from one generation to the next.
c. a system of beliefs, rituals, and standards of conduct.
d. a legend based on actual events in human history.
Q5. In Sumer, symbolic mountains called ______________ were constructed, featuring a temple on the top.
a. pyramids
b. ziggurats
c. mastabas
d. basilicas
Q6. What general statement could you make about the laws regarding recompense for injuries in The Hammurabi Code?
a. People paid the same fine, regardless of the severity of injury.
b. The law code distinguished between intentional and unintentional injury.
c. Compensation differed depending on the worth of the person injured.
d. An eye for an eye
Q7. All of the following were technological advances of early Mesopotamian civilization EXCEPT
a. the calendar.
b. the battle chariot.
c. monumental architecture.
d. the first writing system.
Q8. To the Sumerians, music was considered to be
a. a crucial part of everyday life.
b. a well-guarded priestly secret.
c. a waste of time.
d. the main sustenance of the gods.
Q9. According to the Sumerians, human beings were created
a. to rule the earth.
b. to act as the god's representatives on earth.
c. so that the gods would have servants.
d. by the moon in a moment of wild passion.
Q10. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero goes on a quest for
a. beauty.
b. justice.
c. immortality.
d. his father.
Q11. The Parthenon was constructed after the Athenian victory over
a. Xerxes.
b. Sparta.
c. Crete.
d. Egypt.
Q12. High-class courtesans and prostitutes, or the __________, were the only Athenian women allowed to attend male gatherings outside of the home.
a. Heterae
b. Mycenaeans
c. Hecabes
d. Sophrosynes
Q13. Greek comedy originated in the komos, or revel, which was
a. a religious revelation, characterized by a happy ending for all involved.
b. a fertility rite, characterized by vulgar jokes, singing, and dancing.
c. an early marriage ceremony, featuring songs and funny speeches.
d. a misunderstanding, featuring an emphasis on entertainment and hilarity.
Q14. Open Athenian government positions were typically filled
a. through bidding wars.
b. by the winners of contests of strength and intelligence.
c. via lottery or election.
d. by the leaving officer's chosen replacement.
Q15. Which statement about the wives of citizens in classical Athens is correct?
a. They took an important part in politics.
b. They served as hostesses at dinner parties and learned to discuss philosophy.
c. They owned land and rode around to manage their distant farms.
d. They were expected to stay at home and manage their servants and children.
Q16. Athenian women
a. could be citizens.
b. could not be citizens, but did have rights in law.
c. could not be citizens and did not have rights in law.
d. played key roles in public political life.
Q17. In Greek architecture, the two most important "orders" were
a. Metope and Triglyph.
b. Doric and Ionic.
c. Abacus and Echinus.
d. Spartan and Athenian.
Q18. The forms of government of Athens and Sparta were, respectively,
a. anarchy and democracy.
b. socialism and capitalism.
c. oligarchy and aristocracy.
d. democracy and oligarchy.
Q19. In Athens, all policy decisions and laws were made by the
a. Assembly of the People.
b. Council of Five Hundred.
c. Council of Elders.
d. Assembly of the Just.
Q20. Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War is conceived in terms related to
a. Athenian virtue.
b. classical tragedy.
c. historical necessity.
d. the importance of naval warfare.
Q21. Which statement about Egyptian religion is correct?
a. Most gods were fierce and warlike.
b. Beliefs evolved in a simple and logical way over time.
c. Gods were often adopted from other cultures or combined.
d. The goddess Maat represented the sun and had many temples.
Q22. Nubia is a geographical term that refers to
a. the portion of the Nile valley below Thebes.
b. all of West Africa.
c. the area that is now modern Morocco.
d. the portion of the Nile Valley between the first and sixth cataracts.
Q23. The famous monumental sculpture of a king with the body of a lion, which is part of the Chephren (Khafre) funerary complex, is better known as
a. Cheops (Khufu).
b. the Lion Gate.
c. the Sphinx.
d. Zoser's stepped pyramid.
Q24. During the period of history in which Egyptian culture flourished, known as the ______________ period, the sun god Aten was worshiped, and Egypt was very prosperous and powerful.
a. Theban
b. Kushite
c. Amarna
d. Hyksos
Q25. The relationship between Horus, Osiris, and Isis
a. laid out the structure of Egyptian kingship.
b. reflected the universal battle between good and evil.
c. established family roles for Egyptian men and women.
d. A and C.
Q26. The French scholar Champollion was able to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics because he realized that
a. hieroglyphics are a form of Assyrian script.
b. the Egyptian language contained very few words.
c. the Rosetta stone contains the same message in three languages.
d. the Rosetta stone was actually written in a Phoenician dialect.
Q27. Why did the kingdom of Kush disappear?
a. It was invaded by the Persians.
b. It was wiped out by a massive flood.
c. It split into a number of independent kingdoms, as recorded by the Candaces.
d. Scholars are not certain, though there are a few unproven theories.
Q28. Which statement about the Nubian kingdom of Kush is incorrect?
a. Queen mothers played an important role in selection of the king.
b. The kingdom founded by Kashta survived for over a thousand years.
c. A Nubian king conquered Egypt and ruled for fifty years.
d. Social class structure was based on occupation and education.
Q29. The African people from the south of Egypt, who ruled during the Twenty-fifth Dynasty and are noted for bestowing great wealth and authority upon royal women, were the
a. Ptolemies.
b. Libyans.
c. Nubians (Kushites).
d. Greeks.
Q30. Under the Pharaoh ________________, or Akhenaton, the god Aten was elevated to new importance.
a. Cleopatra
b. Hatshepsut
c. Tutankhamen
d. Amenophis IV
Q31. In an epic, the hero must be a "culture-hero," meaning that he/she
a. must embody an entire culture through stereotypes and behaviors.
b. must found a nation or a culture during the course of the epic's story.
c. must be from a nation that no longer exists.
d. must act as a savior for an entire race or nation.
Q32. In Homer's Iliad, the heroes of the two opposing sides were
a. Memnon and Penthisilea.
b. Menelaos and Paris.
c. Agamemnon and Aeneas.
d. Achilles and Hektor.
Q33. The civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome are often referred to collectively as
a. symbolic.
b. lyrical.
c. romantic.
d. classical.
Q34. The Greek perspective on life was
a. humanistic.
b. traditional.
c. mystical.
d. fatalistic.
Q35. During the Archaic period in Greece the political unit of the city-state, or polis, formed the basic roots of
a. a plutocracy.
b. a democracy.
c. an aristocracy.
d. an oligarchy.
Q36. The ____________ period of Greek culture followed the Mycenaean age.
a. Classical
b. Archaic
c. Neo-classical
d. Golden
Q37. The Greeks maintained that an individual had choices to make and a pattern of life to fulfill, called a
a. nemesis.
b. stele.
c. hubris.
d. moira.
Q38. Where did the earliest Greek civilization develop?
a. on Crete
b. in Egypt
c. in Troy
d. in Macedonia
Q39. Because of its emphasis on ______________ , the ancient Greek culture has been particularly significant for the development of the Western humanities.
a. the uniqueness of the individual
b. religious piety
c. women's rights
d. all of the above
Q40. The Trojan War took place during which period of Greek history?
a. Cretan period
b. Mycenaean period
c. Dark Ages
d. Archaic period