9 Practise your learning

When you feel reasonably confident about the order of the letters, try the following activities.

Activity 10 Session practice

Allow about 10 minutes

1. Which word from each of the following three pairs should appear first in the dictionary?

 
 
 

2. Place the names of these people in alphabetical order:

Ζευς

First in order

Θεμιστοκληϛ

Second

Ξερξηϛ

Third

Πλατων

Fourth

Ραμψινιτος

Fifth

Σωκρατηϛ

Last in order

Using the following two lists, match each numbered item with the correct letter.

  1. Ζευς

  2. Θεμιστοκληϛ

  3. Ξερξηϛ

  4. Πλατων

  5. Ραμψινιτος

  6. Σωκρατηϛ

  1. First in order

  2. Second

  3. Third

  4. Fourth

  5. Fifth

  6. Last in order

The correct answers are:
  • 1 =
  • 2 =
  • 3 =
  • 4 =
  • 5 =
  • 6 =

Discussion

This is the correct order, along with some description of the figures in question:

  • Ζευς (Zeus), father of the gods.
  • Θεμιστοκληϛ (Themistoclēs), Athenian politician and general; victor over the Persians at the battle of Salamis in 480 BCE.
  • Ξερξηϛ (Xerxēs), king of Persia, 486-465 BCE.
  • Πλατων (Platо̄n = Plato), Athenian philosopher, c. 429-347 BCE; author of numerous philosophical dialogues.
  • Ραμψινιτος (Rhampsinitos), legendary Egyptian pharaoh mentioned by Herodotus in his Histories.
  • Σωκρατηϛ (Sо̄cratēs), Athenian philosopher, teacher of Plato; put to death on a charge of impiety in 399 BCE.

OpenLearn - Getting started on ancient Greek
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