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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In The Hymn to Ares, what word is used to describe Ares's force?

2. What type of voice does the author ask Ares to help him restore?

3. What talent of Apollo is described in the first Hymn to Hermes?

4. According to the evidence presented in the Introduction, what are some of the hymns most likely a prelude for?

5. Making it different than many of the other hymns, how does The Hymn to Ares begin?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the poet explain Hera's power?

2. What leads historians to believe that Homer either wrote or was influential in the writing of the hymns?

3. What is Artemis's skill and how is it described?

4. What other name is Herakles known as, and how is he born?

5. How is the Earth referred to in The Hymn to the Earth, and what is she praised for?

6. How is Artemis's beauty portrayed in The Second Hymn to Artemis.

7. Where is Dionysus captured in The Hymn to Dionysus?

8. What happens to the crew of the sailing ship that captured Dionysus?

9. As explained in the Introduction, what is the purpose of The Homeric Hymns?

10. Why do some historians think that Homer did not actually write his poems?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Chronicle the development of Ancient Greek lyrical poetry, the development of the Greek alphabet, how stories might have been created before it, and the different styles used to distinguish the epic poems from other writings. Include an explanation of the forms used in Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey as a comparison to the writing in other ages and how Homer's work is used to support the theory of the existence of Homeric bards.

Essay Topic 2

Using The Hymn to Hermes as an example, analyze the human element of Greek mythology and why it was necessary in order for people to relate to the stories of the gods. Include an explanation of what happens between Apollo and Hermes after the judgment, the significance or symbolism of the lyre and music, and what Hermes's wand represents.

Essay Topic 3

Nature is a major element that is explored in Greek mythology.

1) Explain The Hymn to the Earth and the ways that Earth's blessings are manifested, using the hymn to provide examples of the Earth's characteristics and qualities, as well as what the poet gives her credit for and why.

2) Analyze the metaphors that are used in The Hymn to the Sun and The Hymn to the Moon along with the different powers that both the sun and moon possess.

3) Explain the origin of Castor and Pollux and what their existence means to the Greeks and nature.

(see the answer keys)

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