Ancient Athens' Mythology Trivia Quiz

Answer: Theseus

Theseus was growing up only with his mother, Aethra. He still did not know that his father was the King of Athens. This action was considered a sign about his bright future. He was the second most beloved and respected hero of Greek mythology after Hercules.

Answer: Cecropia

The city was named after its first king, Cecrops I. He was the son of Gaia. He was treated as a god and had his own temple. He was wise and beloved. He was a legislator, too. He is credited with the invention of written speech, the population census, the burial of the dead, the way of building, and arbitration of the Athena-Poseidon contest for the name of the city.

He lived circa 1600 B.C.

Answer: Peacefully

The last semi-mythical king, Codrus, is supposed to have sacrificed himself to save Athens from Peloponnesian conquest. There was an oracle of Delphi that Athens would be saved, having the King been killed. The people did not want the death of the extremely popular king and decided to defend themselves. Codrus was disguised as a lumberjack and went to a forest. Seeing two Peloponnesian soldiers approaching, he insulted and challenged them.

They killed him but, when they recognised him, their army withdrew, without accomplishing their goal. Based on this legend, historians claim that monarchy was peacefully abolished.

Answer: Phaedra

Phaedra was the daughter of Minos, the legendary king of Crete, and Pasiphae. According to the myth, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son and committed suicide when her secret became known.

Answer: a snake

He lived circa 1600 B.C. and was the son of Gaia. His wife, Aglayrus, was the daughter of Actaius, the first King of Attiki. Cecrops divided the citizens of Athens into four "tribes" and Attiki into twelve independent counties. He lived in Acropolis Hill.

The legend said that the hill was created by the goddess Athena herself, who was carrying huge rocks from the Pallini region. It is said that one of the rocks slipped through her hands, and thus Lycabettus was created.

Answer: He committed suicide drowning himself.

Each year, Athens was forced to send seven young men and seven virgins for sacrifice to the Minotaur. Theseus was volunteered to be one of them. He agreed with Aegeas that, if they succeeded, he would raise the white canvases on the ship. If they failed, he would raise the black ones.

Theseus succeeded, but was so happy that he forgot to replace the canvases. When Aegeas saw the ship, he drowned himself, giving Aegean Sea its name.

Answer: An olive tree

The myth depicts the truth. Both sea and olive oil were the only serious sources of financial wealth for Athens. The Attikal land was extremely poor, full of rocks. This led to the expansionism of trade and the creation of a powerful navy. On the other hand, Aristotle and Homer show us the importance of olive oil for corporal health and brightness of spirit.

Answer: He murdered his nephew, being envious of his accomplishments.

His nephew, Talo, was even more accomplished and successful than Daedalus himself. Because Daedalus refused to accept his inferiority to his nephew, he threw Talo from the hill of Acropolis. Embarrassed, he subsequently fled to Crete, where he was forced by King Minos to make the Labyrinth.

Answer: Belt of Hippolyta

That golden belt was given to Hippolyta by her father, Ares, the God of war. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to take the belt in order to give it to his daughter, Admete. Hercules and Theseus tried to persuade Hippolyta to give it peacefully, but the goddess Hera finally persuaded the Queen of the Amazons to fight the strangers. An arrow of Hercules killed Hippolyta. During the battle, Theseus abducted an Amazon named Antiope and took her with him to Athens.

She became his first wife.

Answer: Murdered by Lycomedes, the king of Skyrus.

Initially, local king Lycomedes welcomed him, but weeks later he took Theseus for a supposed walk in the highest point of the island and then pushed him to a cliff, killing him.