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Ancient Greek Flip-board Trivia: A Day in the Life of an Ancient Greek
In the gallery these questions could be found on the outside of square hinged boxes with the answers inside. Try your luck and quiz your friends!
What uses did the Ancient Greeks have for olive oil?
Aside from using olive oil in cooking, the Ancient Greeks used
olive oil instead of soap, since soap was an invention of the Romans.
Olive oil was also used as a skin moisturizer and it was added to clothes
during washing so that the fabric would be more comfortable.
Why did open pins go out of fashion for a period in Ancient Greek history?
Herodotus explains, after a disastrous military campaign by
the Athenian army, all the forces were put to death except one man who
managed to escape, return to Athens and tell the women about their husbands'
fate. Devastated, the women took the huge pins from their Doric peplos
and butchered the man in anger and contempt. The remaining men of Athens
were so horrified that they declared that only closed pins would be worn
on clothing and that the ionic dress should be worn by everyone in the
future, as it required only two pins. Whether the story is true is uncertain,
but there was a period when open pins went out of favor.
What is the origin of the Marathon race?
In 490 BC, King Darius led an invasion against Eretria and crushed
it, Then his army landed at Marathon, just northeast of Athens? The Athenians
and their allies marched an army of 10,000 men to meet them. Although
the Greeks were heavily outnumbered, they won a tremendous victory. A
runner was sent to Athens, 25 miles away, with the news. Right after announcing
it, he dropped dead from exhaustion. Modern marathon races are named after
this since the journey was about 26 miles.
The Ancient Greeks favorite food was probably what we would today call barbecued goat. A goat would be hunted and killed and roasted over a fire with herbs and spices.
From where in Ancient Greece did our modern word for "alphabet" come from?
Our word for "alphabet" comes from the name of the
first two letters of the Greek alphabet, "alpha," and "beta."
For what accessory are the Ancient Greeks
credited with inventing?
The Ancient Greeks invented the first real hat, the broad-brimmed
petasos.
Why were the Ancient Greek Olympic Games performed in the nude?
There are many explanations for this. One was that a runner
tripped and, to avoid losing, kept running but got tangled in his shorts
and strangled himself. Another story tells us that in 720 BC, a runner
from Megara lost his shorts half-way through a long distance race but
still went on to win. This is said to have set a new fashion for naked
running, which was followed. It is most likely that the Greeks competed
nude because they were very proud of their bodies.
Who was the first woman to be depicted in sculpture?
Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty was the first woman to be depicted in sculpture.
Since the floors were usually dirt or stone and often rough,
the furniture was often three-legged so that it was easier to balance.
Which class of people made up the police force
in Athens?
Slaves made up the police force in Athens. By the 5th
century BC there may have been 100,000 slaves in Attica, the region around
Athens. This was twice the number of free citizens. Some people became
slaves when captured in battle, some were the children of slaves, some
were abandoned Greek infants, and some were children sold into slavery
by poor families.
Why were most Ancient Greek cemeteries along
the main roads outside the city walls?
Most Greek cities placed their cemeteries outside city walls
to avoid disease and religious pollution and perhaps to save valuable
urban space. In the case of Athens, burial inside the walls was legally
banned around 500 BC.
Some Greek soldiers rode on Indian Elephants, which surprised not only the opposing soldiers, but also their horses.
The fates are believed to have invented several letters of the
alphabet:
What hair color was rare in ancient Greece?
Alpha (a), beta (b), eta (h), tau (T), iota (I)
and epsilon (e).
Blond hair was rare in ancient Greece. Men and women admired the blond look and many tried bleaching their hair to achieve the look.
Where was a popular location for men in ancient Greece to socialize?
Barber shops first became popular in ancient Greece and were an important part of the social life of many Greek males.
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