Question 1

Which of the following are other names by which Hades was known to the Greeks and Romans?

Accepted Answer

B,C

Question 2

In ancient Greece, the soul of a dead body survived as a sort of eidolon, or "_______."

Accepted Answer

In ancient Greek belief, an eidolon referred to an image or phantom of the deceased, representing the soul that survived after death.

Question 3

In Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, and Hebrew, the words for which two things are related?

Accepted Answer

In these languages, the words for "breath" and "wind" are often related, as both concepts are connected to the idea of air and life force.

Question 4

_______, such as those at funerals and weddings, will traditionally frighten a ghost.

Accepted Answer

A loud noise is traditionally believed to frighten ghosts in various cultures and folklore.

Question 5

Which philosopher was among those who claimed that death was the soul's end as well as the body's?

Accepted Answer

Epicurus believed that death was the end of both the body and the soul, and thus should not be feared.

Question 6

Odysseus travels to the land of the dead in the Odyssey in order to consult _______.

Accepted Answer

Odysseus travels to the land of the dead to consult the prophet Tiresias for guidance on how to return home to Ithaca.

Question 7

How did Tiresias become blind?

Accepted Answer

According to myth, Tiresias was struck blind by Hera after he sided with Zeus in a dispute over whether men or women experience more pleasure during sex.

Question 8

How did Elpenor die, according to his own ghost?

Accepted Answer

Elpenor died by falling off the roof of Circe's palace and breaking his neck, as he was drunk and not careful.

Question 9

How did Anticlea die, according to her own ghost?

Accepted Answer

Anticlea, the mother of Odysseus, died of grief over her son's long absence, as she reveals to Odysseus when he encounters her spirit in the Underworld in Homer's "The Odyssey."

Question 10

Whose ghost famously tells Odysseus that he would prefer "to serve as a hireling to another, a man who is / landless and hungry himself, than here to be ruler / of all the shriveled-up dead"?

Accepted Answer

Achilles' ghost tells Odysseus this in the Underworld in Homer's "The Odyssey," expressing his preference for life, even in a lowly position, over ruling the dead.

Question 11

Which of the following serve as judges of the dead in later accounts of the underworld?

Accepted Answer

Rhadamanthys, Minos, and Aeacus are all judges of the dead in later accounts of the underworld.

Question 12

Who was famous for tricking Death, and even escaped from the underworld to live a second life ?

Accepted Answer

Sisyphus is a figure from Greek mythology who was known for his cunning and deceit. He tricked Death and managed to escape from the underworld, earning him a second life.

Question 13

Why does Odysseus end up making a rapid departure from the underworld?

Accepted Answer

Odysseus fears that Persephonê might send a destructive Gorgon, which prompts him to make a rapid departure from the underworld.

Question 14

Which of the following statements are true of Orpheus?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements are true...

Question 15

After his death, Orpheus was killed by _______.

Accepted Answer

Orpheus was killed by the Thracian Bacchae, who were followers of Dionysus, in a fit of frenzy.

Question 16

According to the Orphic cosmogony, in the beginning was _______.

Accepted Answer

In Orphic cosmogony, Chronos, or "time," is considered the primordial entity from which the universe and other deities emerged.

Question 17

Who distracted Dionysus Zagreus with toys and tore him limb from limb?

Accepted Answer

The Titans distracted Dionysus Zagreus with toys and then tore him limb from limb according to the myth.

Question 18

The origin and nature of Orphic teachings seem to be connected with the equally obscure doctrines of _______.

Accepted Answer

Orphic teachings are often associated with Pythagorean doctrines, as both involve beliefs in the immortality of the soul and reincarnation.

Question 19

In Plato's myth about Er, the destiny that each soul chose was confirmed by the third of the fates, _______.

Accepted Answer

In Plato's myth about Er, Atropos is the third of the Fates who confirms the destiny chosen by each soul.

Question 20

Who was famous for violating a cloud in the shape of Hera, and creating the father of the Centaurs by spilling his seed on the ground?

Accepted Answer

Ixion was punished by Zeus for his transgressions, which included attempting to seduce Hera. Zeus tricked him with a cloud in the shape of Hera, and Ixion's union with it led to the birth of Centaurus, the father of the Centaurs.

Quiz 12: Myths of Death: Encounters With the Underworld