Western Civilization can be said to have begun in 
A. Persia 
B. Greece 
C. Spain 
D. England 
Answer: B
The epic poem Iliad, which recounts the prowess and anger of Achilles, was composed by 
A. Homer 
B. Hesiod 
C. Herodotus 
D. Minos 
Answer: A
The largest Minoan palace on the island of Crete was 
A. Phaestos 
B. Knossos 
C. Delos 
D. Thera 
Answer: B
Minoan Civilization 
A. Was centered in Mesopotamia 
B. Had artists who often painted frescoes featuring bulls and athletes 
C. Was destroyed by the Middle Kingdom of Egypt 
D. Produced as its greatest military leader, Alexander the Great 
Answer: B
The epics of Homer are set in the period of Greek history called the 
A. Sumerian Age 
B. "Dark Age" 
C. Mycenaean Age 
D. Stone Age 
Answer: B
Mycenaean Civilization 
A. Was centered around palaces and warrior kings 
B. Was depicted many years later in the Homeric epics 
C. Was an ancestor of later Greek civilization 
D. All of the above 
Answer: D
Which of the following was NOT a result of the widespread violence and movement of peoples in the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 B.C.? 
A. Egyptian Empire beseiged and weakened 
B. The Trojan War and destruction of Troy 
C. The establishment of democracy at Athens 
D. The decline of Mycenaean civilization and invasion of Dorian Greeks 
Answer: C
The Greek "Dark Age" commenced when 
A. The Mycenaean culture collapsed 
B. The eruption of the volcano on Thera caused dust that dimmed the sun 
C. Glaciers from the Ice Age spread all over Greece 
D. Homer died, leaving his epics unfinished 
Answer: A
A major event at the end of the Greek "Dark Age" and the beginning of Classic Greek Civilization was 
A. The Trojan War 
B. The spread of Greek colonies over much of the shoreline of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea 
C. The conquests of Alexander the Great 
D. The triumph of democracy in Athens 
Answer: B
Although the Greeks learned many things from earlier civilizations, the philosopher Plato said the 
A. Greeks didn't really need to learn anything 
B. Earlier civilizations had not invented anything useful 
C. Greek gods had taught all those things to earlier civilizations 
D. Greeks turned those things into something finer 
Answer: D
The Greek gods 
A. Resembled human beings 
B. Shared the same virtues and defects as mankind 
C. Were immortal 
D. All of the above 
Answer: D
The oracle at Delphi was presided over by the god 
A. Apollo 
B. Zeus 
C. Athena 
D. Poseidon 
Answer: A
The Greek invention of philosophy, or the search for knowledge, involved the idea that 
A. The cosmos was orderly, accessible to human reason, and based on natural laws 
B. All could be learned by studying the texts of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia 
C. The gods would reveal all knowledge according to their own plan 
D. People could hasten the acquisition of knowledge by increasing religious sacrifices 
Answer: A
Which of the following was NOT one of the early Greek philosophers, or scientists? 
A. Pythagoras 
B. Gilgamesh 
C. Democritus 
D. Thales 
Answer: B
Which of the following was NOT a result of the expansion of Greek commerce after 700 BC? 
A. Common citizens could afford to arm themselves, making aristocratic warriors less important 
B. The new middle-class desired governments that reflected their interests and needs 
C. Aristocrats lost their privileged positions in politics 
D. Kings strengthened their absolute power by controlling the expanded wealth 
Answer: D
Tyrant was the name given to: 
A. An elected leader of a democratic state 
B. A king who rules in a cruel manner 
C. A ruler who uses physical force rather then hereditary right or constitutional means to seize power 
D. An aristocratic ruler who cares only about the interests of his own class 
Answer: C
The normal term used to characterize the Greek city-state is 
A. Polis 
B. Pyramid 
C. Civitas 
D. County 
Answer: A
Respectable Athenian women 
A. Traveled widely in the Greek world 
B. Tended to stay within the home, presiding over spinning and weaving 
C. Undertook regular gymnastic exercises 
D. None of the above 
Answer: B
Bisexual relationships were common in Greek society because 
A. Segregation of the sexes was strictly regulated 
B. Male/male relationships were thought to offer the highest possibilities for love and intellectual development 
C. Men feared that female sexuality would betray their control of family paternity 
D. All of the above 
Answer: D
The purpose of Solon's reforms was to 
A. Insure that only men of aristocratic birth would control Athens 
B. Return Athens to a Mycenaean-style monarchy 
C. Open participation in government to the new commercial middle-class 
D. Establish himself securely as a tyrant 
Answer: C
The Greek political reformer Cleisthenes 
A. Wrote epic poetry 
B. Established an Athenian constitution with many democratic features 
C. Preached equal rights for Athenian women 
D. Became a tutor to Alexander the Great 
Answer: B
Athenian democracy differed from modern democracy in many ways, with several groups excluded. Which of the following was not excluded? 
A. Women 
B. Slaves 
C. Persons not of Athenian ancestry, even though they were born in Athens 
D. The poor 
Answer: D
The Greek polis known for its emphasis on military training was 
A. Athens 
B. Rome 
C. Sparta 
D. Corinth 
Answer: C
Sparta developed a strict military state and society in order to 
A. Keep their conquered people, or helots, in subjection and slavery 
B. Train their artists to create simple but powerful images 
C. Compete victoriously in the Olympic Games 
D. Dominate the trade and commerce of the entire Greek world 
Answer: A
Spartan society 
A. Emphasized soft living rather than military values 
B. Gave women considerably more public freedom than Athens gave its women, including athletic training 
C. Was more democratic than Athens 
D. All of the above 
Answer: B
Which of the following was NOT true of the Olympic Games? 
A. Men and women could compete together in some events 
B. They were pan-Hellenic, or open to Greeks from any polis 
C. They were a religious festival in honor of Zeus 
D. Victorious athletes were richly rewarded with honor and free meals 
Answer: A
Which of the following Persian War battles was a Persian, rather than Greek, victory? 
A. Salamis 
B. Marathon 
C. Thermopylae 
D. Plataea 
Answer: C
During the Persian Wars 
A. Athens defeated Sparta 
B. Xerxes of Persia conquered Greece, ending Athenian democracy 
C. Athens and Sparta invaded Persia and destroyed the Persian Empire 
D. None of the above 
Answer: D
The great historian of the Persian Wars, justifiably known as the Father of History, was 
A. Homer 
B. Archimedes 
C. Herodotus 
D. Sargon 
Answer: C
The Delian League, a maritime union organized to defend the Aegean against Persia, became converted into a virtual empire for the benefit of 
A. Sparta 
B. Athens 
C. Egypt 
D. Miletus 
Answer: B
Which of the following apply to Pericles, the architect of Athens' Golden Age? 
A. He was elected chief strategos, or general, from 443 to 429 B.C.
B. Provided the leadership for the building of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon 
C. Advocated the supremacy of Athens over members of the Delian League 
D. All of the above 
Answer: D
The major leader of Athenian democracy after the Persian Wars was 
A. Homer 
B. Pericles 
C. Saphho 
D. Pythagoras 
Answer: B
Greek plays dealt with the following theme(s) 
A. Relationship of men to the gods 
B. Just relationships between rulers and their subjects 
C. The consequences of hubris, or arrogance and pride 
D. All of the above 
Answer: D
The Theban Plays of Sophocles are an illustration that the great Athenian playwrights 
A. Preferred shallow sensationalism to serious drama 
B. Preferred to set their plays in exotic locations far from Greece 
C. Wrote only comedies 
D. Tried to explore complex moral problems in their plays 
Answer: D
According to Thucydides, the Peloponnesian War was caused by 
A. Athens' attack on Sparta to free the helots 
B. Persia's desire to conquer the Peloponnesus for its rich mines 
C. Sparta's fear of Athens' growing power 
D. Sparta's attempt to stop Athens from imposing monarchy on all Greek states 
Answer: C
The historian who wrote about the Peloponnesian War was 
A. Thycidides 
B. Homer 
C. Plato 
D. Pythagoras 
Answer: A
Which of the following was NOT an advantage for Athens in the war with Sparta? 
A. The best land army in Greece 
B. Naval control of the Aegean 
C. Long walls protecting harbor and city 
D. Wealth and supplies from sea-borne trade 
Answer: A
Alcibiades 
A. Was an Athenian philosopher 
B. Has been described as an Athenian hero, military genius, and traitor 
C. Wrote the History of the Persian Wars 
D. Wrote the Theban Plays 
Answer: B
Socrates believed that 
A. There were no standards of truth and justice; only success counts 
B. That true wisdom lies in the endless search for knowledge 
C. That Alcibiades should conquer the world 
D. That all philosophical questions were meaningless 
Answer: B
The Greek Philosopher who argued that the world of the senses was only a shadow of ultimate reality was 
A. Assurbanipal 
B. Homer 
C. Alcibiades 
D. Plato 
Answer: D
Unlike Plato, Aristotle 
A. Argued that one had to observe and study actual entities rather than seek out ideal forms 
B. Believed that monarchy was the best form of government for a polis 
C. Rejected the study of logic 
D. All of the above 
Answer: A
Which of the following statements is not true of the comedies of Aristophanes? 
A. Criticism of public figures 
B. Use of sexual and bathroom humor 
C. The exaltation of military values 
D. Expression of a longing for peace 
Answer: C
The tragedies of Euripides 
A. Exalted Athenian imperialism 
B. Asked Athenians to reflect on their own actions during the Peloponnesian War 
C. Emphasized sexual jokes and bathroom humor 
D. None of the above 
Answer: B
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, taught that 
A. Good health depends on prayers to the gods 
B. Different people contract different diseases according to their genetic makeup 
C. All diseases have natural causes which can be discovered by observation 
D. All diseases are caused by mental and not physical conditions 
Answer: C
During the half century following the Peloponnesian war 
A. The major poleis recovered their original power and cultural vitality 
B. The Persians conquered Greece and made it into a province 
C. The Greeks united into a single state under the leadership of Sparta 
D. Constant warfare between the poleis weakened Greece politically and culturally 
Answer: D
The Greeks were fortunate in having a large plain and river so that they could be united in one great empire.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The Minoans engaged in no trade, depending entirely on agriculture.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
Mycenaean civilization was greatly influenced by the Minoans.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Unlike Minoan palaces, Mycenaean palaces were walled, indicating much warfare.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Homer's epics accurately describe life and events in prehistoric Greece.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The tension between heroic aspiration and dangerous individual pride became a prominent theme throughout the history of the ancient Greeks.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
The Greeks based their alphabet on that of the Egyptians.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
Greek philosophers made the first attempt to understand and explain the world in a scientific manner.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
The citizen of a Greek polis thought of himself as a subject of a high king and his priests.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The Greek polis noted for its cultural sophistication was Sparta.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The Athenian assembly was the heart of their democracy, since it included all male citizens and had power over any subject.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
The Greek polis noted for its promotion of military courage was Athens.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
Sparta refused to assist Athens in the Persian Wars.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The Persian Wars ended with Greek victories on both land and sea.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Athens converted the Delian League into an empire by forbidding the members to withdraw and controlling the League treasury.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Pericles was an aristocrat who ruled Athens in a despotic fashion.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
The Theban Plays of Sophocles revolve around the myths of Oedipus and his family.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Athens established herself as the supreme ruler of Greece by defeating Sparta in the Peloponnesian War.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
Plato did not believe that democratic government was fit for the ideal state.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
Unlike Plato, Aristotle believed in the study of the everyday world, not in the study of ideal forms.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A
The Greek theater of the 5th century B.C. primarily concerned itself with light comic themes much as TV sitcoms today.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: B
Hippocrates believed that all diseases had natural causes.
A. True
B. False
C. 
D. 
Answer: A