1. What artifacts are displayed at the New Acropolis Museum?
   1. Classical artifacts from all over Greece
   2. Artifacts excavated on or near the Acropolis
   3. Only artifacts related to the world-famous Parthenon
   4. Only “new” artifacts related to the Acropolis and discovered in the last 25 years
2. Which of the following collections is not on display at the New Acropolis Museum?
   1. Artifacts excavated on the slopes of the Acropolis
   2. Remains of archaic temples like the Hekatompedon
   3. Mycenaean artifacts discovered by Heinrich Schliemann
   4. Sculptures that adorned the Parthenon
3. Which was the first temple to grace the top of the Acropolis?
   1. The Archaic Temple
   2. The Hekatompedon
   3. The Erechtheon
   4. The Temple of Athena Polias
4. Which temple marked the most sacred spot on the Acropolis?
   1. The Erectheon
   2. The Parthenon
   3. The Temple of Athena Nike
   4. The Temple of Olympian Zeus
5. An archaic statue on display at the New Acropolis Museum is named “Moschophoros.” What does that name signify?
   1. A general term for statues of young maidens
   2. The Calf-bearer
   3. A nickname for the god Apollo
   4. The winner of an Olympic contest
6. The exquisite “Sandalbinder”—the epitome of Classical sculpture—differs from the Archaic style primarily:
   1. in its natural, spontaneous pose
   2. in the “ordinariness” of its subject matter
   3. in the utter realism of its representation
   4. All of the above
7. The “Parthenon” is a Greek word for:
   1. The messenger god Parthenias
   2. The house of the virgin
   3. The holy of holies
   4. Victory
8. Who was the British noble who carted off so many of the Parthenon sculptures 200 years ago?
   1. Sir Julian Devries
   2. Earl Mountbatten
   3. King Henry VIII
   4. Lord Elgin
9. The subject of the entire Parthenon frieze reliefs was:
   1. The Panathenaic Procession
   2. The Gigantomachy—god’s vs Titans
   3. The Amazonomachy—Greeks vs Amazons
   4. The Trojan War
10. The pediment sculptures of the Parthenon portrayed:
    1. The Athenian victory at Marathon
    2. The labors of Herakles
    3. Scenes from the life of Athena
    4. The first kings of Athens

1) b
The purpose of the New Acropolis Museum is to house all of the artifacts discovered on the top or around the slopes of the Acropolis itself. Because the old museum was so small and inadequate, many of the Acropolis artifacts were housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens or kept in museums around the world—most notably, the British Museum in London. With this new, spacious, and majestic museum, the Greek authorities are unifying all the Acropolis artifacts in this one place and requesting that all foreign governments now holding such artifacts repatriate them.

2) c
The Mycenaean Collection is on display at the National Archaeological Museum at another location in Athens. It is one of the richest and most spectacular archaeological collections in the world. However, since these finds were excavated at Mycenae on the Peloponnese, they do not fall within the purview of the New Acropolis Museum.

3) d
The Temple of Athena Polias (Athena of the city) was the earliest temple we know of. Built soon after the decline of the Mycenaean settlement of the Acropolis, in the 8^th Century b.c., this temple was small and made of wood rather than stone. The bronze acroterion representing a gorgon (on display at the New Acropolis Museum) is the only artifact that remains of this temple.

4) a
The Erechtheon was the spiritual center of the Acropolis. The Parthenon, while imposing and ornate, essentially served as the city treasury. Athens kept its gold, silver, and jewels there. But the Erechtheon housed the modest, olive-wood statue of Athena that was Athens’ holiest relic. Like the first temple on the Acropolis (the Temple of Athena Polias) and the temple that succeeded it (the Archaic Temple—eventually destroyed by the Persians), the Erechtheon (the last of the series of temples to occupy this sacred spot) not only give shelter to the cult statue but also commemorated the tombs of Athens’ first kings and watched over the sacred olive tree that Athena gave Athens in her contest with Poseidon.

5) b
The Calf-bearer. The statue depicts a young man carrying a calf on his shoulders, probably on the way to sacrifice. This beautiful statue is a prime example of Archaic sculpture. It is highly stylized and not intended to be a realistic representation. The beard is blocky. The proportions aren’t quite right. There is a standard pose (full frontal posture, left leg slightly forward) and that intriguing Attic (or Archaic) Smile so commonly portrayed on statues of this period.

6) d
The Sandalbinder, from the parapet surrounding the Temple of Athena Nike, depicts Nike bending to adjust her sandal—whether to remove her shoes before entering the temple or replacing them on her way out. It is a simple act, unremarkable. The sculptor has caught the goddess doing something very human. She isn’t slaying a giant. She isn’t flying above the earth. She is fiddling with her shoes. And yet, she is beautiful. Her garment drapes and clings. Her body, though twisted, is balanced. Her posture borders on the awkward but, in the end, epitomizes grace. Nike adjusts her sandals—the most ordinary of tasks—and manages to be a goddess as she does so. This is Classical Sculpture at its essence. Nothing formulaic or stiff. Nothing symbolic or posed. Nothing even very heroic. Natural. Realistic. Human. Graceful. Spontaneous. Beautiful.

7) b
Parthenon means “house of the Virgin.” The goddess Athena was revered for several qualities: her martial skills, her wisdom, and her sexual purity. She was never paired sexually with god or mortal (as were so many of the other gods). Rather, as the champion of reason and peace, she is also seen as the enforcer of sexual modesty and temperance.

8 ) d
Lord Elgin is the Englishman Greeks love to hate. While Greece was languishing under foreign occupation (the Ottomans), Lord Elgin was made Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1779-1803). While in that role, he proceeded to cart off as many of Athens’ treasures—particularly the statuary of the Parthenon—as he could get his hands on. His claimed motive was to preserve the artifacts from the shocking disregard shown by the Ottomans. In his defense, it should be remembered that the Ottomans had used the Parthenon and Propylaia as storage sheds for supplies of gunpowder. The Parthenon stores had blown up in 1687 and destroyed much of the central sections of the building. The so-called “Elgin Marbles” now reside in the British Museum in London and are the objects of intense international debate as Greece pressures the British to repatriate these important artifacts.

9) a
The Parthenon frieze reliefs (running around the entire perimeter of the temple’s cella, at ceiling level) tell one long story—a procession of people and animals moving up to the Acropolis during the Panathenaia: the holiest day of Athens’ year. On this day, the entire city turns out to walk the Sacred Way, singing, bringing sacrificial offerings, and led by a young girl who carries the new robe she and her friends have woven to dress the statue of the goddess. 115 blocks of stone, with almost 400 distinct figures, are used to tell the tale. This series of carvings has been called, “the most perfect creation of classical sculpture.”

10) c
The pediment sculptures (that filled the triangular space under the roof at each end of the Parthenon) tell the story of the contest between Athena and Poseidon (for patronage of the city) and the birth of Athena (who lept, fully grown, from the forehead of Zeus). Since the Parthenon was intended to honor Athena (the “virgin goddess”), it was only appropriate that she star in the major sculpture groupings that adorned the temple.