Ancient Greece Quiz
Athens, Sparta, Socrates and the 300 at Thermopylae: 15 questions on the civilisation that invented democracy.
Which Greek city-state is regarded as the birthplace of democracy?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Athens
Athens developed a system in which male citizens voted directly on laws and could be chosen by lot for public office. The reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC are usually taken as the starting point of Athenian democracy.
Only free adult men born to Athenian parents could vote, so women, slaves and foreigners, the large majority of residents, had no say at all.
In Greek mythology, which mountain was the home of Zeus and the other major gods?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus, at 2,917 metres (9,570 feet) the highest mountain in Greece, was imagined as the seat of the twelve principal gods ruled by Zeus. Its cloud-covered summit made it a natural choice for a divine palace.
The Greeks held games at Olympia in honour of Zeus, but that sanctuary lies in the Peloponnese, hundreds of kilometres south of the mountain.
Which poet is traditionally credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Homer
The two epic poems about the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus are attributed to Homer, who probably lived in the eighth century BC. They were composed orally and passed down by performers before being written down.
Later tradition described Homer as blind, but nothing certain is known about his life, and scholars still debate whether one person composed both poems.
The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens was built as a temple to which goddess?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Athena
The Parthenon was completed in 432 BC and housed a gold and ivory statue of Athena, the city's patron goddess, by the sculptor Phidias. Its name comes from Athena Parthenos, meaning Athena the Virgin.
Over the centuries the building served as a Christian church and a mosque, and in 1687 a Venetian shell blew up gunpowder stored inside it.
Which philosopher was condemned to death in 399 BC and died by drinking hemlock?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Socrates
An Athenian jury found Socrates guilty of impiety and corrupting the young. He refused offers to escape and drank the poison calmly, as described by his pupil Plato in the dialogue Phaedo.
Socrates wrote nothing himself, so almost everything known about his ideas comes from Plato and Xenophon, two of his students.
At which narrow pass in 480 BC did King Leonidas and his Spartans make their famous last stand against the Persians?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Thermopylae
Leonidas held the coastal pass at Thermopylae with a small Greek force against Xerxes' huge army until a local Greek revealed a mountain path, allowing the Persians to attack from behind. The 300 Spartans fought to the death.
Greek victory at the sea battle of Salamis later the same year, followed by Plataea in 479 BC, finally ended the Persian invasion.
The Peloponnesian War of 431 to 404 BC was fought between Athens and which rival city-state?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sparta
Athens led the Delian League and Sparta the Peloponnesian League in a 27-year struggle for dominance. Sparta won after Persian money funded a fleet that destroyed the Athenian navy at Aegospotami in 405 BC.
Thucydides, an Athenian general exiled during the war, wrote its history and is often regarded as the first scientific historian.
Which philosopher was hired by Philip II of Macedon to tutor his son, the future Alexander the Great?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Aristotle
Aristotle taught Alexander from about 343 BC, when the prince was 13, at Mieza in Macedon. Aristotle later founded his own school in Athens, the Lyceum, and wrote on everything from biology to politics.
According to Plutarch, Alexander slept with a copy of the Iliad annotated by Aristotle and kept it in a jewelled casket captured from the Persian king.
At which battle in 490 BC did the Athenians defeat the first Persian invasion of Greece?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Marathon
A heavily outnumbered Athenian army, helped only by Plataea, routed the Persian force of King Darius I on the plain of Marathon. The victory gave the Greeks confidence that they could withstand Persian power.
The modern marathon race commemorates the legend of a runner who carried news of the victory to Athens and died after delivering it.
Which Greek mathematician from Syracuse is said to have shouted 'Eureka!' after a discovery in his bath?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Archimedes
Archimedes realised that an object placed in water displaces its own volume, giving him a way to test whether a crown was pure gold. He also calculated pi with great accuracy and designed war machines to defend Syracuse.
He was killed by a Roman soldier when Syracuse fell in 212 BC, supposedly while absorbed in a geometry diagram drawn in the sand.
Which Greek writer is known as the 'Father of History' for his account of the Persian Wars?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Herodotus
Herodotus of Halicarnassus wrote the Histories in the fifth century BC, combining travel reports, folklore and interviews to explain the conflict between Greece and Persia. The Roman orator Cicero gave him the title Father of History.
Herodotus described the pyramids of Egypt and the customs of the Scythians, and critics have also called him the Father of Lies for his tall tales.
Which playwright wrote the tragedy Oedipus Rex, in which a king discovers he has killed his father and married his mother?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Sophocles
Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex around 429 BC for the drama competition at the Athenian festival of Dionysus. Aristotle later praised it in the Poetics as the model tragedy, with its plot built around a shocking reversal and recognition.
Sophocles is said to have written more than 120 plays, but only seven survive complete, including Antigone and Electra.
Which oracle, located at a sanctuary of Apollo, was the most important in the Greek world?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Delphi
At Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, a priestess called the Pythia delivered answers believed to come from Apollo himself. City-states consulted the oracle before founding colonies or going to war.
The Greeks considered Delphi the centre of the world and marked the spot with a carved stone called the omphalos, meaning navel.
Which Athenian statesman led the city during its Golden Age and oversaw the building of the Parthenon?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Pericles
Pericles dominated Athenian politics from about 461 BC until his death in 429 BC, strengthening democracy and funding a building programme on the Acropolis. He died of the plague that struck Athens early in the Peloponnesian War.
His funeral oration, as recorded by Thucydides, remains one of the most quoted speeches of antiquity in praise of democracy.
At which battle in 338 BC did Philip II of Macedon crush the combined armies of Athens and Thebes?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Chaeronea
Philip's victory at Chaeronea in Boeotia ended the independence of the Greek city-states and left Macedon in control of Greece. His 18-year-old son Alexander commanded one wing of the army and helped break the Theban line.
The elite Theban Sacred Band was wiped out, and a stone lion still stands at Chaeronea over the grave of its fallen soldiers.
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All History quizzes →About the Ancient Greece Quiz
The ancient Greeks gave the world democracy, drama, the Olympic Games and the first works of philosophy and history still read today. A jury of Athenian citizens sentenced Socrates to drink hemlock in 399 BC, 300 Spartans held the pass at Thermopylae, and a mathematician from Syracuse leapt from his bath shouting Eureka.
These 15 questions cover the gods of Olympus, the Persian Wars, the great philosophers and playwrights, the rivalry between Athens and Sparta, and the rise of Macedon under Philip II. Every answer comes with an instant explanation and a bonus fact. It is a good fit for students, mythology fans and anyone who wants to test what they remember from history class.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
What does the Ancient Greece Quiz cover?
Greek mythology, the Persian Wars, Athenian democracy, philosophers such as Socrates and Aristotle, playwrights, the oracle at Delphi and the rise of Macedon under Philip II.
Is this quiz suitable for students?
Yes. The early questions match what most school courses teach, and the later ones on Herodotus, Pericles and the Battle of Chaeronea reward a deeper interest.
Do the questions include Greek mythology?
A few do, including the home of the gods and the goddess honoured by the Parthenon, but the focus is on real history from Homer to Alexander the Great.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- Which Greek city-state is regarded as the birthplace of democracy?
Athens Athens developed a system in which male citizens voted directly on laws and could be chosen by lot for public office. The reforms of Cleisthenes in 508 BC are usually taken as the starting point of Athenian democracy. Only free adult men born to Athenian parents could vote, so women, slaves and foreigners, the large majority of residents, had no say at all. - In Greek mythology, which mountain was the home of Zeus and the other major gods?
Mount Olympus Mount Olympus, at 2,917 metres (9,570 feet) the highest mountain in Greece, was imagined as the seat of the twelve principal gods ruled by Zeus. Its cloud-covered summit made it a natural choice for a divine palace. The Greeks held games at Olympia in honour of Zeus, but that sanctuary lies in the Peloponnese, hundreds of kilometres south of the mountain. - Which poet is traditionally credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey?
Homer The two epic poems about the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus are attributed to Homer, who probably lived in the eighth century BC. They were composed orally and passed down by performers before being written down. Later tradition described Homer as blind, but nothing certain is known about his life, and scholars still debate whether one person composed both poems. - The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens was built as a temple to which goddess?
Athena The Parthenon was completed in 432 BC and housed a gold and ivory statue of Athena, the city's patron goddess, by the sculptor Phidias. Its name comes from Athena Parthenos, meaning Athena the Virgin. Over the centuries the building served as a Christian church and a mosque, and in 1687 a Venetian shell blew up gunpowder stored inside it. - Which philosopher was condemned to death in 399 BC and died by drinking hemlock?
Socrates An Athenian jury found Socrates guilty of impiety and corrupting the young. He refused offers to escape and drank the poison calmly, as described by his pupil Plato in the dialogue Phaedo. Socrates wrote nothing himself, so almost everything known about his ideas comes from Plato and Xenophon, two of his students. - At which narrow pass in 480 BC did King Leonidas and his Spartans make their famous last stand against the Persians?
Thermopylae Leonidas held the coastal pass at Thermopylae with a small Greek force against Xerxes' huge army until a local Greek revealed a mountain path, allowing the Persians to attack from behind. The 300 Spartans fought to the death. Greek victory at the sea battle of Salamis later the same year, followed by Plataea in 479 BC, finally ended the Persian invasion. - The Peloponnesian War of 431 to 404 BC was fought between Athens and which rival city-state?
Sparta Athens led the Delian League and Sparta the Peloponnesian League in a 27-year struggle for dominance. Sparta won after Persian money funded a fleet that destroyed the Athenian navy at Aegospotami in 405 BC. Thucydides, an Athenian general exiled during the war, wrote its history and is often regarded as the first scientific historian. - Which philosopher was hired by Philip II of Macedon to tutor his son, the future Alexander the Great?
Aristotle Aristotle taught Alexander from about 343 BC, when the prince was 13, at Mieza in Macedon. Aristotle later founded his own school in Athens, the Lyceum, and wrote on everything from biology to politics. According to Plutarch, Alexander slept with a copy of the Iliad annotated by Aristotle and kept it in a jewelled casket captured from the Persian king. - At which battle in 490 BC did the Athenians defeat the first Persian invasion of Greece?
Marathon A heavily outnumbered Athenian army, helped only by Plataea, routed the Persian force of King Darius I on the plain of Marathon. The victory gave the Greeks confidence that they could withstand Persian power. The modern marathon race commemorates the legend of a runner who carried news of the victory to Athens and died after delivering it. - Which Greek mathematician from Syracuse is said to have shouted 'Eureka!' after a discovery in his bath?
Archimedes Archimedes realised that an object placed in water displaces its own volume, giving him a way to test whether a crown was pure gold. He also calculated pi with great accuracy and designed war machines to defend Syracuse. He was killed by a Roman soldier when Syracuse fell in 212 BC, supposedly while absorbed in a geometry diagram drawn in the sand. - Which Greek writer is known as the 'Father of History' for his account of the Persian Wars?
Herodotus Herodotus of Halicarnassus wrote the Histories in the fifth century BC, combining travel reports, folklore and interviews to explain the conflict between Greece and Persia. The Roman orator Cicero gave him the title Father of History. Herodotus described the pyramids of Egypt and the customs of the Scythians, and critics have also called him the Father of Lies for his tall tales. - Which playwright wrote the tragedy Oedipus Rex, in which a king discovers he has killed his father and married his mother?
Sophocles Sophocles wrote Oedipus Rex around 429 BC for the drama competition at the Athenian festival of Dionysus. Aristotle later praised it in the Poetics as the model tragedy, with its plot built around a shocking reversal and recognition. Sophocles is said to have written more than 120 plays, but only seven survive complete, including Antigone and Electra. - Which oracle, located at a sanctuary of Apollo, was the most important in the Greek world?
Delphi At Delphi, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, a priestess called the Pythia delivered answers believed to come from Apollo himself. City-states consulted the oracle before founding colonies or going to war. The Greeks considered Delphi the centre of the world and marked the spot with a carved stone called the omphalos, meaning navel. - Which Athenian statesman led the city during its Golden Age and oversaw the building of the Parthenon?
Pericles Pericles dominated Athenian politics from about 461 BC until his death in 429 BC, strengthening democracy and funding a building programme on the Acropolis. He died of the plague that struck Athens early in the Peloponnesian War. His funeral oration, as recorded by Thucydides, remains one of the most quoted speeches of antiquity in praise of democracy. - At which battle in 338 BC did Philip II of Macedon crush the combined armies of Athens and Thebes?
Chaeronea Philip's victory at Chaeronea in Boeotia ended the independence of the Greek city-states and left Macedon in control of Greece. His 18-year-old son Alexander commanded one wing of the army and helped break the Theban line. The elite Theban Sacred Band was wiped out, and a stone lion still stands at Chaeronea over the grave of its fallen soldiers.
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