Ancient Dreams and Visions

Weekly Wisdom Quiz

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,

What if our dreams could predict the future… Or even shape it?

This week, we explored the fascinating paths by which the ancients searched for knowledge: from Cicero and skeptical inquiry, through to prophetic revelation…

And the mysterious language of dreams.

Members can discover more about that by reading an exclusive extract from The Ancient Interpretation of Dreams by Mirjam E. Kotwick, Associate Professor of Classics at Princeton University.

Discover how some of history’s most important events were decided from what the ancients saw when they slept…

Not a Member? Sign up today to support the Classics and unlock ALL of our resources, including exclusive podcasts, in-depth articles, and more.

Now, it’s time once more for the Weekly Wisdom Quiz!

As always, all questions are based on articles and resources published this week here at Classical Wisdom. A full roundup of them is available just after the quiz, alongside the answers.

Are you ready?

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1. Which philosopher explained dreams partly as distortions of sensory data within the body?

a) Socrates
b) Zeno
c) Aristotle
d) Parmenides

2. Which ancient philosopher argued that if horses could draw gods, they would depict them as horses?

a) Cicero
b) Xenophanes
c) Democritus
d) Pyrrho

3. Where was the Temple of Apollo at Delphi located?

a) Mount Parnassus
b) Mount Athos
c) Mount Olympus
d) Mount Helicon

4. The Hippocratic text On Regimen explains dreams as revealing...

a) Future political events
b) The internal state of the body
c) The structure of the cosmos
d) The will of Zeus

5. Why were no oracle sessions held at Delphi during winter?

a) Pilgrims could not travel safely
b) The sanctuary closed for repairs
c) Apollo was believed to have gone north to the Hyperboreans
d) The Pythia fasted for the season

6. Democritus believed the universe consisted of...

a) Four elements
b) Mathematical ratios
c) Divine forms
d) Atoms moving through empty space

7. Which author wrote a treatise on dream interpretation in the fifth century BCE?

a) Herodotus
b) Hesiod
c) Thucydides
d) Antiphon

8. According to Vittorio Bufacchi at our recent Stoicism Vs Skepticism event, the political danger of dogma arises when people...

a) Reject philosophy
b) Refuse to vote
c) Impose their dogmatic beliefs on others
d) Question traditional institutions

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Answers

1. C) Aristotle – The Ancient Interpretation of Dreams

2. B) Xenophanes – Should We Question Everything?

3. A) Mount Parnassus – The Delphic Oracle

4. B) The internal state of the body – The Ancient Interpretation of Dreams

5. C) Apollo was believed to have gone north to the Hyperboreans – The Delphic Oracle

6. D) Atoms moving through empty space – Should We Question Everything?

7. D) Antiphon – The Ancient Interpretation of Dreams

8. C) Impose their dogmatic beliefs on others – Why Are We So Desperate to Be Certain?

The Wisdom Scale:

🌙 0 - 2 Correct: Wandering in the Mist : Like a traveler approaching Delphi for the first time, the answers remain shrouded in mystery.
🏛️ 3 - 4 Correct: Seeker of Delphi : You stand at the threshold of the Temple of Apollo, pondering riddles and inscriptions. Wisdom beckons.
🦉5 - 6: Voice of the Oracle : The words of Apollo seem to flow through you. Dreams reveal their meanings, riddles unravel, and fellow seekers eagerly await your counsel.
🏔️ 7 - 8 Correct: Oracle of Ancient Wisdom : You have reached the summit of Mount Parnassus. The Delphic maxims are second nature, and dreams yield their meanings to you.

So, how did it go? As always, let us know in the comments below!

All the best,

Sean Kelly

Managing Editor

Classical Wisdom