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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Rooster feel about Alexandros smuggling special salve for Xeones?
(a) He feels like Alexandros should just mind his own business.
(b) He admires Alexandros' courage.
(c) He does not care.
(d) He feels that it is reckless.

2. How many sons has Arete born Dienekes?
(a) They have had one son.
(b) They have had many sons.
(c) They have had three sons.
(d) They have had only daughters.

3. What is oktonyktia?
(a) It is an eight-night training exercise.
(b) It is the final right of passage from boyhood to adult status.
(c) It is the lake near Sparta.
(d) It is the armor and shield that each soldier must carry.

4. How do the Spartans count their dead?
(a) They walk the field of battle and count the dead.
(b) 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.
(c) The senior surviving officer calls out the names of the soldiers, and who ever doesn't answer is counted as dead.
(d) They stand in formation and count off.

5. Thermopylae is described as what?
(a) Thermopylae is described as an ancient battle ground where many battles have taken place over the centuries.
(b) Thermopylae is described as a place where travelers go to use the hot mineral baths.
(c) Thermopylae is described as a holy place, dedicated to the worship of the gods.
(d) Thermopylae is described as a small fishing village where the Persians land their invasion force.

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

7. What is Xeones trying to steal when he is caught?
(a) He is trying to steal a chicken.
(b) He is trying to steal some cabbage.
(c) He is trying to steal a horse.
(d) He is trying to steal a goose.

8. How are Spartan boys punished?
(a) They are given harsh labor assignments as punishment.
(b) They are locked in small rooms, called hotboxes.
(c) They are whipped with sticks.
(d) They are starved for short periods of time and totally ignored.

9. What is othismos?
(a) Othismos is the euphoria that comes upon the victor after a battle.
(b) Othismos is one of the ancient Spartan sacrificial rites.
(c) Othismos is a field near Sparta where the Spartan boys train.
(d) Othismos is the initial collision on the battlefield and the chaos that follows.

10. To whom does Rooster become a squire?
(a) He becomes the squire of Olympieus.
(b) He becomes the squire of Leonidas.
(c) He becomes the squire of Xerxes.
(d) He became the squire of Dienekes.

11. What does Leonidas do after the Antirhion king surrenders?
(a) He slaughters both soldiers and city folk alike.
(b) He takes the survivors as slaves.
(c) He executes the enemy soldiers, but allows the people in the city to survive.
(d) He spares the lives of the survivors and those in the city.

12. What does Dienekes teach about fear?
(a) He teaches that the only thing to fear is fear itself.
(b) He teaches that fear defeats the enemies of Sparta.
(c) He teaches that fear is silly and unmanly.
(d) He teaches that fear is a very real, and dangerous thing.

13. 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) War is a great and glorious undertaking.
(c) Men who make their business warfare rather than farming perform better on the field.
(d) War is, unfortunately, unavoidable.

14. Where does Bruxieus tell Xeones and Diomache to go?
(a) He tells them to go to Athens.
(b) He tells them to go to Thessaly.
(c) He tells them to go to Sparta.
(d) He tells them to go to Rome.

15. What is the preferred weapon of Suicide?
(a) He prefers to use a longbow.
(b) He prefers to use his spear, the Eight-footer.
(c) He prefers to use his two short swords.
(d) He prefers to use his short javelins, called Darning Needles.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Polynikes do after dealing with Alexandros?

2. What does the Egyptian tell the Spartans about the Persian invasion?

3. What do the Spartans call their science of fear discipline?

4. Who is Xeones' sparring partner?

5. What does Xeones become in the Spartan army?

(see the answer keys)

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