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THE ILIAD • QUIZ

The Iliad — Pre-Reading / Background Quiz

A ready-to-use 10-question background quiz introducing students to Homer’s Iliad, the Trojan War, Achilles, epic poetry, the gods, honor, and heroism. Includes a free printable student PDF and teacher answer key.

By Richer Resources Publications Editorial Team

 

The Iliad — Pre-Reading / Background Quiz


This short pre-reading quiz gives teachers a quick way to assess what students already know before beginning Homer’s Iliad. The questions introduce several people, ideas, and conventions students will encounter in the poem.

Directions: Choose the best answer. Each question is worth 1 point. Total: 10 points.

1. The Iliad begins:
A. At the start of the Trojan War
B. Near the end of the Trojan War
C. After Troy has fallen
D. During Odysseus’s voyage home

2. The central Greek warrior of the Iliad is:
A. Hector
B. Achilles
C. Priam
D. Paris

3. The Greeks in the Iliad are also called:
A. Achaeans
B. Persians
C. Romans
D. Phoenicians

4. Troy is defended by:
A. The Trojans
B. The Achaeans
C. The Spartans alone
D. The Olympians alone

5. An invocation in an epic traditionally calls upon:
A. A king
B. A Muse
C. An enemy
D. An army

6. An epic simile is:
A. A long, developed comparison
B. A list of warriors
C. A prayer to a god
D. A prophecy

7. In Homeric society, a warrior’s honor and reputation are:
A. Unimportant
B. Important measures of status
C. Private matters only
D. Forbidden topics

8. The gods in the Iliad:
A. Never intervene
B. Regularly affect human events
C. Appear only in dreams
D. Remain neutral throughout

9. The Iliad tells the story of:
A. The entire Trojan War
B. A short period centered on Achilles’ anger
C. The founding of Rome
D. Odysseus’s full journey home

10. A major question to consider while reading the Iliad is:
A. What does heroism require?
B. Who invented writing?
C. How was Rome founded?
D. Why did Athens defeat Sparta?

Free Printable Student Quiz

Students and teachers may download a free printable version of this quiz. The PDF includes the same 10 questions shown above in a print-ready classroom format.

Teachers may also request the separate answer key.

Look below for the student quiz and teacher answer key. 

Free PDF by Email

Available free to educators by email.

Explore The Iliad Explore The Iliad Abridged

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