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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. Who is the father of Hermes, according to the first Hymn?

2. Who is Hera's husband?

3. What does Hermes steal from Apollo?

4. As stated in the hymn, who does Ares lead?

5. How is the sailing ship that captures Dionysus described?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What happens during and after the "trial" of Hermes?

4. What is Herakles known for and what prayer does the poet make at the conclusion of The Hymn to Herakles?

5. According to The Hymn to the Earth, how do the Earth's blessings manifest?

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

7. What are the varying lengths of the hymns?

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

9. How long ago was the collection of The Homeric Hymns formed, and how many songs were compiled?

10. What is one of the theories for why some of the hymns are so short?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe The Hymn to Hephaistos, the characteristics of Hephaistos, how he uses his intellect, the ways that he helps men with their work, and the lessons that can be learned from his story.

Essay Topic 2

Explain how and why myths were written to be entertaining using the hymns to provide examples. Also, analyze the possible results of the myths and their effectiveness if they were not designed to be as entertaining, or could not maintain a person's interest.

Essay Topic 3

The Hymn to Hermes is the longest hymn of the collection.

1) Describe Hermes's birth, childhood, and characteristics.

2) Explain how Hermes invents the lyre.

3) Describe the theft of Apollo's cattle and the response of Maia, Apollo, and Zeus to Hermes's crime.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample