February '25 Trivia Time

Hello friends!

I don’t often share personal news here, but exceptional times call for exceptional correspondence. As I mentioned in my other newsletter, I’m taking comfort in simple pleasures these days, including knitting and crocheting while binge listening to the Thursday Murder Club series. The movie adaptation is coming out on Netflix this year.

Here’s an afghan I finished (left) and another that I’m making for my son’s birthday in March (right). I’m sprinting to the finish with that one!

I hope you are able to find something to do with your hands or body to balance some of the negativity that’s relentlessly assaulting our heads and hearts.

Now, on to the quiz! This (loosely) ties Ohio River towns and culture with that of the ancient Greeks and Romans. I’m told Gladiator II was a stinker, and if you skipped it, I don’t think your quiz score will suffer. Good luck!

Note to my fantastic new subscribers:

Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new. Oh, and would you share it with someone else?

QUESTIONS

Answers in the footnotes.

1. Which Kentucky city along the Ohio River is named after the first emperor of Rome?¹

   1. Nero

   2. Augusta

   3. Julius

   4. Hadrian

2. What Indiana town takes its name from the famous site that marked the end of Sparta’s dominance in the Greek world?²

   1. Marathon

   2. Troy

   3. Thermopylae

   4. Delphi

3. The word “Sparta” reminds me of the 1960 movie Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas. Stay with me as I get you to an Ohio River connection. Spartacus (the book and movie) is about the historic slave revolt of 73 BCE. Spartacus's rebellion was the largest slave revolt in Roman history. The screenplay was written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo, who served time in a federal prison after being found in contempt of Congress in 1950. In which Ohio River city did Trumbo serve his federal sentence?³

   1. Ashland, Kentucky

   2. Cincinnati, Ohio

   3. Marion, Illinois

   4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

      

4. I’m not going to give you the obvious question about Cincinnatus being the namesake of Cincinnati. Instead, I’ll tell you that the city was was originally named "Losantiville." Now, can you tell me why?⁴

   1. The Losant family was first to settle the area. Their land lies across from the Licking River where it empties into the Ohio.

   2. It was supposed to be named Loganville, but the signmaker’s apprentice screwed up the letter “g” and it looked like an “s.” The town’s fathers let it slide after the signmaker said he would donate the sign.

   3. It’s a portmanteau combining

      1. L, for Licking River

      2. os, Greek for mouth

      3. anti, Latin for opposite

      4. ville, French for town

5. In which state would you find the Ohio River town of Rome? More than one may apply.⁵

   1. Ohio

   2. Kentucky

   3. Indiana

   4. Illinois

6. What famous Roman phrase associated with Julius Caesar means "I came, I saw, I conquered," and could describe early settlers’ ambitions along the Ohio River?⁶

   1. Alea Iacta Est

   2. Carpe Diem

   3. Sic Semper Tyrannis

   4. Veni, Vidi, Vici

7. The term "Athenaeum" derives its name from Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and refers to institutions dedicated to education, arts, or culture. What states have Athenaeums located near the Ohio River? More than one may apply⁷

   1. Illinois

   2. Indiana

   3. Kentucky

   4. Ohio

   5. Pennsylvania

   6. West Virginia

8. How many American states have cities, towns, counties, villages, townships and boroughs named “Athens?” ⁸

   1. Surprisingly, only 8

   2. At least 13 (a baker’s dozen)

   3. 27, which is more than half

9. Are any Ohio River cities named for Roman deities? C’mon, this is a 50/50 opportunity to gain a point.⁹

10. Several schools and universities in the river area have mascots inspired by Greek and Roman figures. Which of the following mascots is NEITHER Greek nor Roman?¹⁰

    1. Argonaut

    2. Gorlock

    3. Hoplite

    4. Minotaur

INTERMISSION

Pittsburgh in 50 Maps, is a book right up the 981 Project’s alley.

Whether you call it the Steel City, the City of Bridges, City of Champions, Hell with the Lid Off, or even the Paris of Appalachia, Pittsburgh’s distinctive character is undeniable. Pittsburgh in 50 Maps considers the boundaries of the city’s 90 distinct neighborhoods (plus Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood), the legacy of the steel industry, and how immigration continues to shape the city. You’ll also find the areas with the highest concentrations of bike lanes, supermarkets, tree cover, and fiberglass dinosaurs. Each colorful map offers a new perspective on one of America’s most consistently surprising cities and the people who live here.

ANSWERS

1. The answer is b), Augusta. If you were tempted to say Julius (as in Caesar), that’s because he was a transitional figure between the true Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. His military conquests, political maneuvering, and eventual seizure of dictatorial power effectively dismantled the Republic's system of government, paving the way for the establishment of the Empire under his adopted heir, Augustus (Octavian).

2. The answer is b), Troy. The reasons behind Sparta’s gradual demise were internal and external (aren’t they all?) Get a load of these internal reasons:

• The Spartan political system only allowed the wealthy to have political power, which discouraged change. During the 3rd century BC, wealth had become concentrated amongst about 100 families.

• Inheritance laws reduced he number of full citizens. Full citizenship could only be inherited by blood, and in time, Spartiates were between 1/10 and 1/32 of the population, with the proportion decreasing over time; the vast majority of the people of Sparta were helots (slaves).

• Prioritizing military over economic strength. Sparta was a militarist state a lot like apartheid South Africa or the Confederate South. Instead of reaching out diplomatically, as Athens did, it became more isolated and insular over time.

Also, Abraham Lincoln worked the ferry across the Ohio River at Troy with his father in his youth.

3. If you’ve been reading my newsletter since 2023, you know the answer is a) Ashland, Kentucky. Here’s a link to that story.

4. The answer is c). Cincinnati was settled in 1788 opposite the mouth of the Licking River and named Losantiville (L, for Licking River; os, Greek for mouth; anti, Latin for opposite, and ville, French for town). When Gen. Arthur St. Clair, the first Governor of the Northwest Territory, visited the settlement in 1790, he is reported to have remarked, as he stepped off the flatboat, “What an awful name, damn it. Call it Cincinnati!”

5. Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana have towns named Rome. Illinois has a Rome, but it is not near the Ohio River.

• Ohio’s Rome is a village west of Portsmouth with a population of 83 in 2020. The locals call it Stout.

• Rome, Kentucky, is an unincorporated community southwest of Owensboro with about 12,500 in a three-mile radius. Locals call it Clearys Grocery.

• Indiana’s Rome is also an unincorporated community. It lies across the river from Stephensport, Kentucky. With a population of 1304, it was once home to a Chautauqua, attracting travelers from across the nation.

6. The only correct answer is d). Here’s what the others mean:

Alea Iacta Est (The die is cast) – Attributed to Caesar, but spoken when crossing the Rubicon, not after a victory.

Carpe Diem (Seize the day)

Sic Semper Tyrannis (Thus always to tyrants) – Famously associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar (and later with John Wilkes Booth).

7. Believe it or not, the only state with an Athenaeum near the river is Ohio. The only one located near the Ohio River is in Cincinnati, but Ohio also has The Columbus Athenaeum. Here’s a recap of the other contenders:

The Athenaeum Center for Thought and Culture (Chicago, Illinois) is nowhere near the river. It carries the legacy and history of the original St. Alphonsus Athenaeum. Today, it’s Chicago’s oldest continuously operating Off-Loop theatre and the collaborative hub for the Chicago arts and non-profit communities. Obviously, it’s far from the Ohio River.

New Harmony’s Atheneum (New Harmony, Indiana) isn’t even an Atheneum. The stunning building serves as the Visitors Center for New Harmony, and houses exhibits on the communal history of New Harmony, a large theater, and the museum shop.

The Athenaeum of Hopkinsville (Hopkinsville, Kentucky) isn’t a building. It’s a society named “The Athenaeum Society” that meets in the Carnegie Library monthly. Originally the Greek word Athenaeum referred to temples dedicated to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. In 1824 an Athenaeum Society was formed in London, seventy eight years before Athenaeum came to Hopkinsville. While it’s located about 50 miles from the Ohio River, it doesn’t count as a legitimate answer because it’s not a building. But hey, I’m not looking over your shoulder so score it as you see fit.

8. The correct answer is b). Source. Some states have more than one thing named Athens. For example, Athens, Ohio, is located in the Athens Township of Athens County.

9. YES! Named for the goddess of the dawn in Roman mythology, Aurora, Indiana, was platted in 1819 and formally incorporated in 1845. The town prospered as a river port, with its prime location between Cincinnati and Louisville. Here’s Aurora, as painted by Evelyn De Morgan.

10. The Gorlock (b), is a fabricated mythological creature created for Webster University, headquartered in St. Louis, MO. According to the school’s website, it has the paws of a speeding cheetah, the horns of a fierce buffalo and the face of a dependable Saint Bernard. “The myth of the Gorlok represents the high standards, atmosphere of fairness and good conduct that are so important to Webster University.”