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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the name of the half helot friend of Xeones?
(a) His name is Paraleio.
(b) His name is Alexandros.
(c) His name is Polynikes.
(d) His name is Dekton.

2. What happens to the parents of Xeones?
(a) They also escape, but are separated and spend years searching for him.
(b) They escape with him.
(c) They are killed trying to defend their home.
(d) They are captured and sold into slavery.

3. What does agoge boua mean?
(a) Agoge boua means training platoon.
(b) Agoge boua means honorable death.
(c) Agoge boua means battle rage.
(d) Agoge boua means eight-nighter.

4. Who is Suicide?
(a) He is a fierce warrior from Syria.
(b) He is a farmer.
(c) He is a young fighter from Scythia.
(d) He is an old statesman who sits on the senate.

5. How old are Xeones and Diomache when they separate?
(a) He is fifteen and she is twelve.
(b) He is twelve and she is nine.
(c) He is nine and she is twelve.
(d) He is twelve and she is fifteen.

6. Who is Xeones' sparring partner?
(a) Alexandros is Xeones' sparring partner.
(b) Polynikes is Xeones' sparring partner.
(c) Rooster is Xeones' sparring partner.
(d) Xerxes is Xeones' sparring partner.

7. What do the Spartans do when they reach the field of battle?
(a) They send some men to sneak around and flank the enemy.
(b) They immediately retreat.
(c) They calmly go about getting ready for battle, and wait for the enemy.
(d) They charge recklessly into the melee.

8. What point does the author illustrate in these battle scenes about ancient warfare?
(a) War is a bloody business, and not for the faint of heart.
(b) Men who make their business warfare rather than farming perform better on the field.
(c) War is, unfortunately, unavoidable.
(d) War is a great and glorious undertaking.

9. According to Xeones, each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one what?
(a) Each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one helot.
(b) Each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one horse.
(c) Each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one spear.
(d) Each Spartan soldier goes into battle with at least one Darning Needle.

10. Who sacks the city-state that was the birthplace of Xeones?
(a) The Carthagians sack the city-state.
(b) The Argives sack the city-state.
(c) The Persians sack the city-state.
(d) The Spartans sack the city-state.

11. How do the Spartans count their dead?
(a) They stand in formation and count off.
(b) The senior surviving officer calls out the names of the soldiers, and who ever doesn't answer is counted as dead.
(c) They walk the field of battle and count the dead.
(d) They each have half of a twig with their names on them, and the other half is in a basket. After the battle, they all match their halves to the others in the basket and count the remaining twigs.

12. By what warrior code are young Spartans raised?
(a) They are raised according to the Lykurgan warrior code.
(b) They are raised according to the code of Hammurabi.
(c) They are raised according to Bushido.
(d) They are raised according to the code of Chivalry.

13. What does Xeones become in the Spartan army?
(a) He becomes an archer.
(b) He becomes a spearman.
(c) He becomes a general.
(d) He becomes a swordsman.

14. Where is Rooster's mother's city?
(a) His mother's city is Sparta.
(b) His mother's city is Messenia.
(c) His mother's city is Antirhion.
(d) His mother's city is Athens.

15. What causes Xeones to continue the story?
(a) Xeones decides to finish the story.
(b) Dmaratos, a deposed Spartan king, reminds him of his duty to Apollo.
(c) Dmaratos, a cruel Persian soldier, threatened to beat him if he did not continue.
(d) Xerxes told him that he would kill him if he did not continue.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Polynikes do when he catches Alexandros handling his shield improperly?

2. Why do the Antirhions lose the battle?

3. What is the name of the city-state where Xeones is from?

4. How do the soldiers show their disfavor when Polynikes is scolding Alexandros?

5. Xeones tells of an exercise that the people in the baggage train practice where they serve as punching bags for the Spartan heavy infantry. What is this exercise called?

(see the answer keys)

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