An introduction to the wonderful world of mythology.
By way of an explanatory quizz.


The mythology quizz

  1. She spurned the advances of Apollo, who was she?
    a. Minerva
    b. Claire
    c. Cassandra
    d. Cleo

    Daughter of Priam And Hecuba of Troy. For her beauty Apollo bestowed upon her the gift of prophecy -- provided that she gratified his desires. She refused, and althought the god decreed that she might retain the gift of phrophecy, her utterances would never be believed. Carried off to Mycenae by Agamemnon, she was later murdered by his aduterous wife Clytemnestra.

  2. He was torn to pieces by his own hounds. Who was he?
    a. Asclepius
    b. Danaus
    c. Adonis
    d. Actaeon

    A hero from Boeotia. For watching the goddess of hunting, Artemis, while she was bathing. she turned him into a stag to be torn to pieces by his own hounds. Another version says it was because he boasted that he was a better hunter.

  3. He rejected the love of Echo. Who was he?
    a. Eros
    b. Janus
    c. Kronos
    d. Narcissus

    Son of the river god, Cephissus. He rejected the love of Echo. This so angered the goddess Nemisis that she decreed that he should fall in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring. This love being unrequited caused him to pine away and die. At the spot where he died a flower grew. It bears his name to this day, the Narcissus.

  4. Greek goddess of love and fertility. Who was she?
    a. Persephone
    b. Selene
    c. Aphrodite
    d. Leda

    Goddess of love and fertility, born of the foam of the sea. It was she who promised Paris the hand of Helen Of Troy in echange for the golden apple.


    Persephone

  5. He ferried the dead across the River Styx. Who was he?
    a. Charon
    b. Diomedes
    c. Laius
    d. Hyperion

    His job was to ferry the souls of the dead across the River Styx. His fee for this service was a small coin placed in the mouth of the dead person.

  6. The father of all the gods. Who was he?
    a. Poseidon
    b. Zeus
    c. Hades
    d. Kronos

    In greek mythology, the father of gods and men, and most powerful of the immortals. he was pre-Hellenic and was worshipped as the sky deity, whose presence was marked by thunder, lightning and rain. He was the son of Kronos and Rhea; Poseidon, Hades, Dementa, Hestia and Hera were his brothers and sisters, Hera being also his wife (mmmmmm). When the world was distributed among them after the overthrow of Kronos, Poseidon obtained the sea, Hades the underworld and Zeus the heavens and upper regions, the earth being common to them all.

  7. He married a statue. Who was he?
    a. Theseus
    b. Pygmalion
    c. Sisyphus
    d. Terminus

    He fell in love with an ivory statue of his own creation. He appealed to Aphrodite to breathe life into the statue, which she did. He then married the maiden thus created.

  8. She was transformed into a reed. Who was she?
    a. Sibyl
    b. Penthesilea
    c. Syrinx
    d. Thetis

    To escape the advances of the god Pan she ran away. For this Pan turned her into a reed. He named his pipes in her honour.

  9. All were devoured who failed to answer her riddle. Who was she?
    a. Sphinx
    b. Circe
    c. Penelope
    d. Medusa

    Female monster with human head and body of lion. Sent by Hera to Thebes. She devoured all who failed to answer her riddle.

  10. He drowned crossing the Hellespont to meet his lover. Who was he?
    a.Minos
    b.Hector
    c.Leander
    d.Ixion

    He swam nightly across the Hellepont in order to meet his lover, Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite. One night a storm blew out the light by which she used to guide him and he was drowned. In her grief she threw herself into the sea after him.

  11. Killed "accidentally" by a discus. Who was he?
    a.Hyacinthus
    b.Hector
    c.Lycaon
    d.Latinus

    Beautiful youth, loved by both Apollo and Zepherus. Apollo accidentally killed him with a discus, blown aside purposely, some say, by the jealous Zepherus. In token of the god's mourning a flower of the boys name sprang from his blood.

  12. She threw the apple of discord at the wedding of Pelius and thetis. Who was she?
    a.Persephone
    b.Eris
    c.Daphne
    d.Penelope

    When she threw the golden apple of discord, inscribed "To the fairest", among the wedding guests at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis-she herself having not been invited-the honour of possesing it was claimed simultaneously by Hera, Athena and Aphrodite; Zeus decreed that that judgement should lie with Paris. Hera promised him, should he decide in favour of her, the rule of Asia; Athena offered glory in war, and Aphrodite offered the hand of the most beautiful woman on earth. Aphrodite won, and his reward was the hand of Helen, wife of Menalaus. The result was the Trojan war. Paris fought with the forces of Menalaus before the city was defeate, but was saved by Aphrodite. It is said that he killed Achilles, but himself to have been wounded by Philoctetes with a poisoned arrow. He then returned to his wife, Oenone, who refused to treat his injuries of which he later died. She in sorow and regret, took her own life.

  13. A horse that flies?
    a.Beron
    b.Pegasus
    c.leithe
    d.Grecian star

    Winged horse, the offspring of the dying Gorgon, Medusa, killed by Perseus. Pegasus carried the thunderbolt of Zeus. He was the mount of Bellerophon when he slew the Chimaera and was regarde by the ancients as a symbol of poetic genius. Springs of water shot up from the strike of his hoof.

  14. The river of oblivion. What was it's name?
    a.Nile
    b.Tiber
    c.Lethe
    d.Darna

    This was the river that flowed through the underworld. The dead drank of it's waters and forgot forever their life on earth.

  15. Killed by a boar whilst hunting. Who was he?
    a.Achates
    b.Ajax
    c.Hymen
    d.Adonis

    A beautiful youth, son of Cinyras, king of Cyprus. He was killed by a boar whilst hunting, the anemnone springing from his blood. Another version suggests that as a child he was hidden by Aphrodite in a box which she gave to Persephone for safekeeping in the underworld. When later, she wanted the return of the child, Persephone refused to give it up. Zeus intervened and decreed that Adonis was to spend 6 months of the year with Aphrodite away from the underworld.

  16. She was abandoned by Thesius on Naxos. Who was she?
    a.Penelope
    b.Ariadne
    c.Selene
    d.Andromache

    Daughter of Minos of Crete. She fell in love with Theseus when he came to visit. She gave him the clue of thread which enabled him to find his way out of the Labyrinth after he had slain the Minotaur. When he left Crete he took Ariadne with him, but sometime later abondoned her on Naxos. According to Homer she was killed by Artemis. Another version suggests she married Dionysus.

  17. Half woman, half bird. Who was she?
    a.Siren
    b.Pax
    c.Antigone
    d.Laminia

    A nymph, half woman, half bird. The enchantment of her song lured sailors to their doom. Odysseus overcame this by plugging his mens ears and having himself tied to the ships mast.

  18. He almost set the earth on fire. Who was he?
    a.Thersites
    b.Phaethon
    c.Polydorus
    d.Tithonus

    Son of Helios. He talked his father to letting him drive the chariot of the sun. Whilst driving he lost control and nearly set fire to the earth. For this he was killed by Zeus.

  19. She lost this important race to her cousin. Who was she?
    a.Artemis
    b.Pax
    c.Diana
    d.Atalanta

    She was a huntress and an athlete. Not overly keen on marriage, she demanded that all would be suiters should compete with her in a foot race, unsuccessful competitors being put to death. One day her cousin, Milanion challened her. During the race he threw before her 3 golden apples which he had obtained from Aphrodite. Stooping to pick them up, she lost the race.

  20. By her own wish, she was changed into a laurel. Who was she?
    a.Eos
    b.Doris
    c.Daphne
    d.Maia

    To thwart the advances of Apollo, she was, by her own wish transformed into a laurel.

  21. Deprived of the power of speech by Hera. Who was she?
    a.Echo
    b.Rea
    c.Hygeia
    d.Hestia

    She was deprived of the power of speech by Hera, except to repeat the last words uttered by someone else. She fell in love with Narcissus, but when her love was not returned she pined away untill only her voice remained.

  22. The Greek god of sleep was?
    a.Lycaon
    b.Laius
    c.Hypnos
    d.Latinus

    Greek god of sleep, identified by the Romans with Somnus. Son of Nyx (night) and brother of Thanatos (death). He lived in the underworld and never saw the light of day. Unlike his brother he came softly and was welcome by mortals. he is depicted as a winged youth, touching the foreheads of the weary with a branch, or pouring a narcotic liquid into their eyes.

  23. And as long as man shall live, he will look for the truth as to his beginings no matter where it takes him, and when all that fails, he will build webs of the most beautiful fantasy.
    It is the way we are.