Weekly Wisdom Quiz

Plato, Aristotle & More!

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader,

This week we looked at the BIG names of ancient Greece:

Socrates. Plato. Aristotle.

Not to mention the playwrights of Greek tragedy…

All of these and more are also featured on our six-week video course The Essential Greeks, which is enrolling now!

This is the perfect opportunity to go deeper into the world of the Classics, and discover the history, philosophy and literature of the ancient Greeks.

Class starts on October 15th. Enroll now to get $50 off!

As for today’s edition of the Weekly Wisdom Quiz, all questions are based on articles published this week on Classical Wisdom.

A roundup of these resources is available just below the quiz, alongside the answers.

So, no more delay… Let’s get in to it!

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1. What defense did Ammonius Hermiae offer for Aristotle’s difficult prose?
A. It was written for kings, not students
B. It weeds out lazy minds
C. It was meant to imitate poetic speech
D. It was mistranslated by scribes

2. In Euripides’ version of Elektra, how is her character portrayed?
A. Calm and forgiving
B. Balanced and scholarly
C. Unstable and zealous for revenge
D. Kind and repentant

3. What was Euthyphro’s controversial legal action in Plato’s dialogue named after him?
A. Prosecuting his father for murder
B. Defending Socrates in court
C. Accusing Meletus of impiety
D. Suing the Archon for blasphemy

4. How did the poet Dante refer to Aristotle?
A. “The First Teacher”
B. “The Philosopher”
C. “The Master of Those That Know”
D. “The Divine Sage”

5. What does Socrates ask Euthyphro to define early in their discussion in Plato’s dialogue?
A. Justice
B. Piety
C. Faith
D. Virtue

6. Why are Aristotle’s surviving works often considered difficult or disjointed?
A. They were written in multiple languages
B. They were student lecture notes
C. They were edited by his enemies
D. They were meant for oral recitation only

7. Who is the sibling character In Sophocles’ version of Elektra that is NOT feautred in the other Elektra plays?
A. Iphigenia
B. Chryosthemis
C. Hermione
D. Electra’s twin brother

8. What is the central moral dilemma faced by Orestes in Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers?
A. Whether to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother
B. Whether to forgive Aegisthus for the murder
C. Whether to flee or fight in the Trojan War
D. Whether to save his sister or his mother

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Answers

1. B – It weeds out lazy minds (Aristotle: Bad Writer, but Good Philosopher?)

2. A – Unstable and zealous for revenge (The Three Elektras)

3. B – Prosecuting his father for murder (The Euthyphro Problem)

4. C – The Master of Those That Know” (Aristotle: Bad Writer, but Good Philosopher?)

5. C – Piety (The Euthyphro Problem)

6. C – They were lecture notes (Aristotle: Bad Writer, but Good Philosopher?)

7. A – Chryosthemis (The Three Elektras)

8. B – Whether to avenge his father’s death by killing his mother (The Three Elektras)

🌟 The Wisdom Scale🌟

0–4 correct: 🌀 The Questioner in the Courtyard
You’re just beginning your philosophical journey: a curious soul still circling the Athenian agora. Keep questioning everything.

3 - 4 correct: 🏛️ The Disciple of the Lyceum
You weigh every argument carefully, and your reasoning is sound. Even if your lecture notes are messy, your logic is golden.

5 - 6 correct: 🏛️ Learned Citizen
You walk among marble halls of Rome and Greece with confidence.

7 - 8 correct: 🌤️ The Philosopher of the Soul
You could debate Plato by morning and counsel Orestes by dusk. You see beyond form to essence, and you seek truth no matter where it leads.

How did it go this week? Let us know in the comments below!

All the best,

Sean Kelly

Managing Editor

Classical Wisdom

P.S. Don’t forget you can learn more about the ancients by taking part in our six-week video course The Essential Greeks. Class starts October 15th. Sign up now to get $50 off!