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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. As explained in the hymn, how did the witnesses of Athena's birth respond to the event?

2. How many seeds does Demeter's daughter eat before returning?

3. What characteristic does the hymn point out about Hephaistos?

4. How many mythic stories are combined in The Hymn to Demeter?

5. How is Hades first described in The Hymn to Demeter?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the reason given in The Hymn to Aphrodite for Aphrodite's attraction to mortal men?

2. How does Demeter reward the kindness of Celeus and Metanira and what is the result?

3. Who assists the poet in the beginning of The Hymn to the Moon, and what is the moon's name?

4. How are Persephone and Demeter reunited and what are the conditions of Persephone's return?

5. What does the Dioscuri refer to in the two hymns to Dioscuri?

6. What are the main characteristics of Athena?

7. Which lesson does The Hymn to Hephaistos illustrate?

8. Who is Aphrodite attracted to and what is her plan?

9. Who are the Muses and what influence do they have?

10. What happens to Demeter's daughter and how does Demeter initially respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare Zeus and Poseidon in terms of characteristics, skills, reputation, and influence. Also, explain some of the possible reasons why the hymns for both Zeus and Poseidon might have been so short. Use The Hymn to Zeus and The Hymn to Poseidon as a reference to support your analysis.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

The Hymn to Delian Apollo and The Hymn to Pythian Apollo are the final two hymns in The Homeric Hymns.

1) Explain the difficult circumstances surrounding Apollo's birth, why his mother had so much trouble, and the way that the island of Delios is rewarded.

2) Describe Apollo's search for the place to build his temple and Oracle, including his use of disguises and manipulation.

3) Explain the effects of Apollo's Oracle in Greek mythology and how the poet refers to it in The Hymn to Pythian Apollo.

4) Analyze the use of disguises in Greek mythology in general, using examples from The Homeric Hymns to provide possible reasons for why the gods chose to be disguised when approaching humans.

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This section contains 912 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample