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Quiz about The Histories of Herodotus
Quiz about The Histories of Herodotus

The Histories of Herodotus Trivia Quiz


This quiz will test you knowledge of various parts of "The Histories" by Herodotus. Questions are based on the version translated and revised by Donald Lateiner and G C Macaulay, copyrighted 2004 by Barnes & Noble.

A multiple-choice quiz by jrrymaury. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
jrrymaury
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
289,858
Updated
Oct 26 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
217
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Question 1 of 10
1. Chapters 5-34 of Book 2 deal with what? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. According to Herodotus, how was the Great Pyramid built? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. When the Persians enter Egypt, they enter a temple to Hephaistos, who is the Hellenization of which Egyptian god? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. How does Herodotus describe Dareios conquering Babylon (which falls for the second time)? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. When was the city of Sardis burned to the ground? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. According to Herodotus, about how many times more casualties did the Persians sustain than the Athenians during the Battle of Marathon? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. When one of Xerxes' scouts looks out on Leonidas' camp, which of the following activities does he see the Spartan troops doing? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Xerxes' elite fighting force is known as "The _____."

Answer: (One Word)
Question 9 of 10
9. The Oracle at Delphi declares that King Leonidas must die so Sparta may be spared.


Question 10 of 10
10. At what time of day is the Battle of Artemision fought? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Chapters 5-34 of Book 2 deal with what?

Answer: geography of Egypt

Chapters 1-4 are an introduction. Chapters 5-34 deal with Egyptian geography. Chapters 35-98 deal with Egyptian customs. Chapters 99-146 deal with Egyptian history as told by Egyptians. Chapters 147-182 deal with Egyptian history as told by foreigners.
2. According to Herodotus, how was the Great Pyramid built?

Answer: cranes

Book 2 Chapter 125 talks of the height of the pyramid being divided into stages. It then talks about machines made of timber on each stage which lifted the stones for the pyramid to the stage where they were needed.
3. When the Persians enter Egypt, they enter a temple to Hephaistos, who is the Hellenization of which Egyptian god?

Answer: Ptah

Book 3 Chapter 37 speaks of Cambyses committing various acts of vandalism in Memphis. These acts include reopening tombs and defacing the image of Hephaistos/Ptah in the temple.
4. How does Herodotus describe Dareios conquering Babylon (which falls for the second time)?

Answer: mole

Book 3 Chapters 153-159 talk of Zopyros, a high-ranking official in Dareios' regime. He mutilates his own face, in order to appear mistreated by the Persians so he can infiltrate Babylon and gain command of their army. He arranges a plan with Dareios whereas the Persian king will send a few waves of expendable soldiers against Babylon, which Zopyros will slay. Once the Babylonians trust him, Zopyros will open the city gates, thereby allowing Dareios to easily conquer Babylon.
5. When was the city of Sardis burned to the ground?

Answer: around 500 BC

Book 5 Chapter 101 describes the incident. During the Ionian revolt against the Persians, the Ionians marched into Sardis. Most of the houses in the city were made from reeds, or at least had roofs made of reeds. To prevent the Ionians from plundering Sardis, a soldier set one building on fire; the fire quickly spread across the city from building to building.
6. According to Herodotus, about how many times more casualties did the Persians sustain than the Athenians during the Battle of Marathon?

Answer: 33

Book 6 Chapter 117 lists the casualties. Herodotus states the Persians lost about 6400 men, whereas the Athenians lost 192 men.
7. When one of Xerxes' scouts looks out on Leonidas' camp, which of the following activities does he see the Spartan troops doing?

Answer: combing their hair

Book 7 Chapter 208 talks of the scout. He sees the Spartans and their Lacedemonian allies performing athletic exercises and combing their hair. He and Xerxes both believed the Greeks were simply acting foolish, but they were in fact preparing their bodies for death and battle.
8. Xerxes' elite fighting force is known as "The _____."

Answer: Immortals

Book 7 Chapter 211 describes the entrance of the Immortals into battle. Xerxes' regular forces have not been faring so well, so he sends the Immortals to the front lines, figuring they will easily defeat the Greeks. The Immortals have this name because as soon as one was killed or rendered unable to fight, another man immediately took his place.
9. The Oracle at Delphi declares that King Leonidas must die so Sparta may be spared.

Answer: True

Book 7 Chapter 220 tells of a prediction made to the Spartans by the oracle before the Battle of Thermopylae. The prophetess there said that either Sparta would be sacked or the king would die (though not before taking many Persians with him).
10. At what time of day is the Battle of Artemision fought?

Answer: evening

Book 8 Chapters 9-11 describe the naval battle. The Athenian fleet is outnumbered by Persian ships, so they start the battle in the evening so the upcoming nightfall will end the battle and minimize casualties. In the meantime, the Athenians play on the speed and agility of their ships along with the Persians' sense of their own power to deal a heavy blow to the Persian fleet.
Source: Author jrrymaury

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