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The Western Experience, 8/e

Mortimer Chambers, University of California - Los Angeles
Barbara Hanawalt, Ohio State University
Theodore Rabb, Princeton University
Isser Woloch, Columbia University
Raymond Grew, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Classical and Hellenistic Greece

Multiple Choice


1	Greek philosophy began from the assumption that
		A)	the gods' behavior is rational and can therefore be understood through reason.
		B)	the universe and humans' place within it can only be understood through revelation.
		C)	numbers are the key to understanding of the structure of the universe.
		D)	there is an order in the universe that humans can discover through reason.


2	The earliest Greek philosophers in Miletus focused on determining
		A)	the proper relationship between humans and the gods.
		B)	how a person should conduct him or herself in the world.
		C)	the ideal constitution for a state.
		D)	the fundamental composition of the universe.


3	Pythagoras' assertion that mathematical relationships are the key to understanding the universe
		A)	led to his trial and death sentence in Athens.
		B)	presaged the use of mathematical models in modern science.
		C)	enabled him to create some of the most beautiful harmonies in musical history.
		D)	were based on experiments by contemporary Greek physicists.


4	The Sophists taught their students
		A)	how to achieve success in life.
		B)	how to discover moral absolutes.
		C)	to support revealed truths through reason.
		D)	how to achieve happiness by renouncing the world..


5	Socrates' primary legacy was
		A)	proving that knowledge inevitably leads to morally right choices.
		B)	educating elitists who betrayed Athens during its struggle against Sparta.
		C)	pursuing moral truths through a process of questioning and logical analysis.
		D)	showing that the truly virtuous person need not fear death.


6	Socrates' pupil Plato regarded the material world as
		A)	a reflection of the eternal forms that constitute true reality.
		B)	the only aspect of reality that is truly knowable.
		C)	composed of water, echoing Babylonian myths of a primeval flood.
		D)	an illusion caused by the play of shadows on the wall of a cave.


7	Plato's pupil Aristotle differed from his teacher in that he
		A)	taught students about his philosophy.
		B)	developed an explicit philosophy of government.
		C)	focused on understanding the material world.
		D)	regarded reason as the ultimate means of gaining knowledge.


8	Drawing on the familiar tales and characters of mythology, Greek dramatists dealt with all of the following themes EXCEPT
		A)	the nature of justice.
		B)	the frustration of love by social prejudice.
		C)	the tragedy of a strong person caught in the grip of fate
		D)	how the workings of the mind and emotions shape individual destiny.


9	Aristophanes' comedies were
		A)	pure entertainments.
		B)	social and political satires.
		C)	warm explorations of love and sexuality.
		D)	covert defenses of the status quo in Greek society.


10	Greek historians were distinguished by their
		A)	objective investigation into the causes of events.
		B)	reliance on older sources from the Near East.
		C)	partisan point of view.
		D)	focus on the economic structures underlying political events.


11	All of the following were true about respectable women in Greece EXCEPT
		A)	they were always under the control of a male.
		B)	they were either confined to the house or chaperoned.
		C)	they normally married as teenagers to much older men.
		D)	they were regarded as more self-controlled than men.


12	After the Peloponnesian War, the Greek city-states were weakened by
		A)	natural disasters.
		B)	economic depression.
		C)	chronic warfare.
		D)	Persian subversion.


13	Phillip II of Macedonia used all of the following to establish control over Greece EXCEPT
		A)	careful diplomacy.
		B)	a powerful army.
		C)	well-timed leniency.
		D)	economic pressure.


14	What made Alexander the Great great was that he
		A)	extended Greek rule over the entire civilized world between Greece and India.
		B)	created a lasting, unified empire fusing Greek, Persian, and Indian influences.
		C)	founded the city of Alexandria as a link between Egypt and Greece.
		D)	liberated the peoples of the Persian empire and returned them to self-government.


15	The successor states after Alexander's empire broke up were characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
		A)	Greek rulers.
		B)	strong armies.
		C)	large bureaucracies.
		D)	democratic governments.


16	The Hellenistic economy was characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
		A)	the scale of economic activity was far greater than heretofore.
		B)	agriculture ceased to be the dominant activity.
		C)	long-distance trade grew enormously.
		D)	economic development supported the growth of magnificent cities.


17	All of the following characterized Hellenistic culture EXCEPT
		A)	the most significant literary achievements were in scholarship.
		B)	music developed an austere simplicity that distinguished it from earlier forms.
		C)	architecture and sculpture became grandiose, emotional, and realistic.
		D)	advances were made in mathematics and science that would not be surpassed for centuries.


18	Epicureanism taught that
		A)	we should act in accordance with nature and reason in order to lead a virtuous life.
		B)	we should concern ourselves with leading pleasurable lives, avoiding physical and mental pain..
		C)	because life is transitory, we should seek the maximum possible stimulation in the time we have.
		D)	because life is transitory, we should make what contribution we can while we have the time.


19	The Stoics taught all of the following EXCEPT
		A)	we should act in accordance with nature and reason in order to lead a virtuous life.
		B)	we should be compassionate and tolerant, for all humanity is part of a universal family.
		C)	we should never give in to adversity, but instead constantly struggle to overcome it.
		D)	we should balance participation in public life with satisfaction of our private needs.


20	The mystery religions of the Hellenistic world involved all of the following EXCEPT
		A)	worship of a savior whose death and resurrection would redeem the sins of humanity.
		B)	elaborate, secret, and often wildly emotional, rituals.
		C)	sophisticated theologies combining revealed truths with philosophical rationalization.
		D)	promise of an afterlife to compensate for the rigors of life in the world.

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