Question 1

Persephonê is often simply called _______.

Accepted Answer

Persephonê is often called "Korê," which means "maiden" or "daughter" in Greek, reflecting her role as the daughter of Demeter.

Question 2

When a grieving Demeter becomes a nurse to the royal couple's son, Demophon, she tries to make him immortal by doing what?

Accepted Answer

Demeter attempted to make Demophon immortal by anointing him with ambrosia and placing him in the fire at night to burn away his mortal parts.

Question 3

What does Persephone eat, which in her living in the Underworld for part of the year?

Accepted Answer

Persephone eats pomegranate seeds, which binds her to the Underworld for part of the year according to Greek mythology.

Question 4

Who saw Persephonê's abduction and informs Demeter about it?

Accepted Answer

Helius, the sun god, saw Persephonê's abduction and informed Demeter about it.

Question 5

Who are the king and queen of Eleusis who take in a disguised Demeter as nurse to their son Demophon?

Accepted Answer

Celeus and Metaneira are the king and queen of Eleusis who take in Demeter, disguised as a nurse, to care for their son Demophon.

Question 6

In Greece the wheat seed is place in the ground in _______.

Accepted Answer

In Greece, wheat is typically sown in the autumn to take advantage of the winter rains and to allow the crop to mature by the following summer.

Question 7

When a Greek girl died unmarried, she was said to be _______.

Accepted Answer

In Greek mythology, an unmarried girl who died was often referred to as "Hades' bride," symbolizing her union with the god of the underworld in death.

Question 8

The word mystery comes from the Greek mystês, meaning "_______."?

Accepted Answer

The Greek word "mystês" refers to an initiate or someone who closes their eyes or mouth, symbolizing secrecy or hidden knowledge.

Question 9

Which of the following two families were in charge of the Eleusinian Mysteries?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following two families were...

Question 10

What is the name of the rectangular stone building that stood inside the Telesterion at Eleusis?

Accepted Answer

The Anaktoron is the name of the rectangular stone building that stood inside the Telesterion at Eleusis, where the most secretive parts of the Eleusinian Mysteries were conducted.

Question 11

Which of the following are aspects of the experience of the Eleusinian Mysteries?

Accepted Answer

The Eleusinian Mysteries were religious rites in ancient Greece that fostered a sense of community among participants (A), promised initiates a more hopeful afterlife (B), and were associated with the agricultural cycle, particularly the growth of grain (D). However, they were not open to murderers, as those who had committed serious crimes were typically excluded.

Question 12

Who is the Mesopotamian ruler of the underworld, and sister to Inanna?

Accepted Answer

Ereshkigal is the Mesopotamian ruler of the underworld and sister to Inanna.

Question 13

What happens to Innana when the Annunaki gods condemn her to death?

Accepted Answer

In the myth of Inanna's Descent, when the Annunaki gods condemn her to death, she is turned into a decayed side of meat and hung on a stake.

Question 14

Whom does Inanna select to take her place in the underworld?

Accepted Answer

Inanna selects Dumuzi, her husband, to take her place in the underworld as part of the ancient Sumerian myth.

Question 15

The story of Zeus making love to Hera on Mt. Ida in the Iliad may depend on the concept of the _______.

Accepted Answer

The concept of "hieros gamos" refers to a sacred marriage, often between a god and a goddess, which is relevant to the story of Zeus and Hera in the Iliad.

Question 16

In Christianity, the Virgin Mary's blue dress, crescent moon, and title "star of the sea" were taken from the Roman form of the cult of ______.

Accepted Answer

The Virgin Mary's attributes such as the blue dress, crescent moon, and title "star of the sea" are believed to have been influenced by the Roman cult of Isis, who was often depicted with similar symbols.

Question 17

Who plotted the downfall of Osiris by secretly measuring him, building a box to contain him, and then arranging to trap him in it at a banquet?

Accepted Answer

Typhoeus, also known as Set or Seth in Egyptian mythology, plotted the downfall of Osiris by measuring him, building a box to fit him, and then trapping him in it during a banquet.

Question 18

Which of the following are among the etiological features of the myth of Isis and Osiris?

Accepted Answer

The myth of Isis and Osiris provides context for the Egyptians' understanding of their pharaohs as divine and connected to Osiris. It explains the widespread worship and numerous temples dedicated to Osiris, and it also accounts for the different representations of the two gods named Horus, as one is the son of Osiris and Isis, and the other is a sky god. The myth does not explain the origin of the pyramids.

Question 19

Which of the following are among the aspects of Cybelê?

Accepted Answer

Cybelê was a goddess of mountains, fertility, and wild nature. She was often depicted in art as drinking wine.

Question 20

Which king arranged for Attis to marry his daughter, and walled off his town in order to keep ill-wishers away?

Accepted Answer

King Midas arranged for Attis to marry his daughter and took measures to protect his town from ill-wishers.

Quiz 10: Myths of Fertility I: Demeter and Related Myths