I’ve just started the first few Greek lessons on Duolingo so am fast becoming in the know about ‘water in the couscous’…
Questions
Once given the nickname of ‘Little Moscow’ when a communist mayor was elected in 1934, which city in Greece is served by Alexander the Great Airport? One of its sights is an aqueduct of Roman origin that also goes by the name ‘Kamares’, though the present structure dates to the 16th-century Ottoman period.
KAVALA
Commemorated in the scientific name for the fire-tailed rainbow skink, who competed against Zeuxis in a famous painting contest? While Zeuxis had fooled the birds with his bunch of grapes, when that painter tried to open a curtain to see his rival’s effort he discovered that the curtain itself was the painting.
PARRHASIUS
Not requiring the use of pins, what type of cloak in ancient Greece could be worn over a chiton or peplos? Men were expected to wrap it so that the left shoulder was covered, while women could use it as a veil and had more scope to choose their own personal style.
HIMATION
Because the excess material for a chiton or peplos had to go somewhere, the ancient Greeks had different ways of doing this. One such was a ‘blousing’, or hanging it in loose folds above a ‘zone’, a name for a type of belt or girdle. Not to be confused with the apoptygma which was higher up, what is the name of this pouch-like area that could usually be found around the bosom?
KOLPOS
Most famous as the place where the Venus de Milo was found, it was also the site of a 416 BC siege that resulted in an Athenian victory during the Peloponnesian War. Having its capital at Plaka, the island of Melos is the southwesternmost in which group?
CYCLADES
Coming up against the Thebans under the leadership of Epaminondas at the 371 BC Battle of Leuctra, which Spartan king saw his forces utterly defeated and lost his life during the process?
CLEOMBROTUS
Born in the Tuscan spa resort of Monsummano Terme though he soon moved to France, Yves Montand had a small amount of screen time as Grigoris Lambrakis in “Z”. What was the French actor’s birth name?
IVO LIVI
Played by Jean-Louis Trintignant in “Z”, which magistrate during the trial that followed Grigoris Lambrakis’ assassination later became president in 1985? Born in Thessaloniki, he stayed in the role until 1990.
CHRISTOS SARTZETAKIS
Used as the site of a concentration camp by Italian authorities during World War II, Lazaretto Island can be found a short distance off the coast of which major Greek island?
CORFU
Who was the father of Pleione, a nymph featured in Greek mythology who got married to Atlas and gave birth to the Hyades and Pleiades?
OCEANUS
Greece’s national motto of “Eleftheria i thanatos” translates into which three English words, this also being the name given to a 1913 speech delivered in Connecticut by Emmeline Pankhurst?
FREEDOM OR DEATH
At which cave in Macedonia that is open to the public has the earliest evidence of human ancestors in the Balkans been found? It was discovered by accident in 1959 and came to more prominent attention when a namesake skull was found in 1960.
PETRALONA
Whittipedia 