Previous Quizzes

If you would like to submit a quiz question, please email it to us at quiz@greekvillage.com

Who was the daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnistra?
Actually there were 3: Iphigeneia, Electra, Chrysothemis.

Can you name the film, actor and director?
I FANELLA ME TO NOUMERO 9 (THE STRIKER WITH THE No 9), Director: Pantelis Voulgaris, Main protagonist: Stratos Tzortzoglou
You can find out more about the film and the Director from our Interview with Voulgaris.


What does the word "Boule" mean? Where is the first reference to the "Boule" to be found?
"The Boule, a basic institution of the ancient city-state in historical times, consisted of the citizens' representatives who assembled in order to confer and decide about public affairs. In the cities of Ionia it was called "Boule", "Gerousia", or "Synedrio", whereas in the Dorian cities it was called "Alia", "Apella", or "Aliaia". ... The first reference to the term "Boule" is found in Homer's epics, where it means the council of noblemen attending the king and assisting him in the exercise of the legislative, executive, and judiciary powers. The decisions of this aristocratic body were announced at the assembly of the active citizens, which consisted of the warriors and was called initially "Agora" and later "Ekklesia"."
From the Bouleuterion: Birthplace of Democracy site by the Foundation of the Hellenic World.

When were the present borders of the Greek state defined?
1947-- after the end of World War II and with the annexation of the Dodecanese.

More information can be found on the The Old Parliament: From Action to Memory site presented by the Foundation of the Hellenic World.

What was the "Doric chiton"?
This was the "basic garment worn by Greek women up to the beginning of the sixth century B.C. It was folded so that there was an overlap of material on the bodice; the cloth was secured in place (on the shoulders) by pins."

More information can be found on the informative and well-presented Greek Costume Through the Centuries by Anna Mavromatis.

What is the approximate population of the Aegean islands?
Approximately 500,000 people according to the Aegean Islands SAE site.

What are some of the traditions of Apokries/Karnavali celebrations?
King Carnival processions, dances with costume, singing and dancing, and much merriment are all part of the Greek Karnaveli. As an example, D. Papa of Cyprus writes:
Here in Limassol we have:
The arrival of King Carnival in procession.
Open air dances with many people in fancy dress.
Cantatori Singing Groups compete against each other and tour the cafes and public areas.
There is a children's parade with fancy dress and themes.
The young people spray each other with shaving foam, flour and sometimes,eggs. In the villages the children dress in fancy dress and collect money or sweets from the houses.
People make or buy wax eggs which are filled with confetti and thrown,
Finally, there is the main carnival parade, lead by King Carnival, of floats, large and small, and many dancers and paraders in bright costumes showing themes historical, humorous, political etc.

You can find out more abou the Greek Karnivale at the excellent Kozanh Apokria '98 site (in Greek).

Which region of Greece celebrates the day of "Gunaikokratia"? What is it?
The day of Gunaikokratia is celebrated on January 8 in Monokklhsia and the village Nea Petra, Thrace. Women and men exchange some of their traditional social roles on this day. The men stay home and do housekeeping and take care of the children. The women elect a female mayor, do the men's jobs, and head for the local kafeneion and drink coffee, play cards and chat.

In what year was Nikos Kazantzakis born?
1883. If you would like to see more biographical info on this famous Greek author, take a look at Nikos Kazantzakis - His life and works (Grk).

Which saint is the symbol of philanthropy? What are the traditions associated with him on New Year's day? Do you know of any other Greek New Year's day traditions?
Saint Basil is known as the donor of wishes and blessings. On New Year's Day, a special cake, Vasilopeta or "Basil's cake", is prepared. The cake is blessed and cut by the head of the household. A coin is hidden in the cake, and there is always great excitement to see to who will have the piece of cake containing the coin. The winner is believed to have extra luck for the forthcoming year.
Another custom is for a pomegranate to be broken for good luck on the house's doorstep.

What are the Parthenon Marbles? Where are they currently located?
"When the Parthenon was built between 447BC and 432BC, three sets of sculptures, the metopes, the frieze and the pediments, were created to adorn it. Of these, the metopes and the frieze were part of the structure of the Parthenon itself. They were not carved first and then put in place, high up on the Parthenon, but were carved on the sides of the Parthenon itself after it had been constructed.... Not all of the Parthenon Marbles, however, survive down to the present day. There were originally 115 panels in the frieze. Of these, ninety-four still exist, either intact or broken. Thirty six are in Athens, fifty-six are in the British Museum and one is in the Louvre. Of the original ninety-two metopes, thirty-nine are in Athens and fifteen are in London. Seventeen pedimental statues, including a caryatid and a column from the Erechtheion are also in the British Museum. So the Parthenon Marbles are almost equally divided -- half in London and half in Athens."

from the informative & well-organized Parthenon Marbles site. (Grk, Eng)

How many members does the Greek Parliament contain?
300. Find out more at the Greek Parliament web site (in Greek).

What does the name Dionysus mean?
The name of Dionysus means he who gives the wine. Want to find out more?
Take a look at Dionysus for wine references from the ancient Greek mythographers.

Who was Domenikos Theotokopoulos? El Greco -- one of the great prophets of modern art in his use of daring perspective, distortions and his use of light and colour. (from "View of Toledo", c. 1600)

In what year did the Greek government legislate Demotic Greek as the official language of Greece?
1977.

From where is the name Cyprus thought to be derived?
The name Cyprus is generally thought to be derived from the latin name for copper (cuprum). Copper was discovered on the island in the 3rd middlenium. There is also a theory that it was the mineral that took its name from the island from which it was extracted in such great quantities.

Want to learn more about the history of Cyprus?

When were the monasteries at Meteora built? What does the word "Meteora" mean?
The Monastary of the Transfiguration on the Great Meteoron was built between 1356-1372 and expanded in the 16th century. The Greek adjective meteoros means "in the air".

Can you name the location in Greece where this photo was taken and the year the canal was built?
This is a photo of the Corinth Canal which separates the Peloponnese from mainland Greece. Nero ordered the preliminary work on the canal but the canal was really built from 1883-1893.

Who were the founding Greek stoics? What was their philosophy of life?
Zeno of Citium and Chrysippus of Soli.
"With them philosophy is the science of the principles on which the moral life ought to be founded. The only allowable effort is towards the attainment of knowledge of human and divine things, in order to thereby regulate life. The method to lead men to true knowledge is provided by logic; physics embraces the doctrines as to the nature and organization of the universe; ethics draws from them its conclusions for practical life. Regarding Stoic logic, all knowledge originates in the real impressions of things on the senses, which the soul, being at birth a blank slate, receives in the form of presentations."
from the The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy on the Greek Philosophy page.

Can you name the film, main actors and director?
Stella; Melina Mercouri & Giorgos Fountas; Michalis Cacoyannnis.

How many years did it take Odyssea to return to Ithaka?
Odysseus spent 10 years fighting at Troy and another 10 years getting home.

Which Aegean island has the tallest mountain?
Samothraki. The mountain is Fengari with a height of 1,600m.

Which statue was built in commemoration of the Greek victory over the Egyptian navy in 306 B.C.?

The Nike (Victory) of Samothrace. The Winged Victory, considered the finest extant Hellenistic Greek sculpture, portrays the goddess of victory with her wings spread and her clothing rippling in the wind. The marble figure was created by a Rhodian sculptor between 220 and 190 B.C., was discovered on the Aegean island of Samothrace in 1863 and sent to the Louvre Museum in Paris.

On which Greek island are the Mycenean lion statues found?

They are really relief sculptures and are found on the island of Delos. The Acropolis of Mycenae had two "gateways" into the fortress city. The western entrance is the famous "Lion Gate". The gateway and extensions to the walls were apparently made by Atreus (Agamemnon's father) about 1250 B.C.

These lions are also located on Delos. They were made of Naxion marble and date from the 7th century B.C.

In which region of Greece was Aesop born?
Answer: Scholars agree that Aesop was born about the year 620 B.C. However, Sardis (the capital of Lydia), the island of Samos, Mesembria (an ancient colony in Thrace) and Cotiaeum (the chief city of a province of Phrygia) all appear to contend for the distinction of being his birthplace.

If you wish to read Aesop's fables on the 'Net: