Greek and Roman Myths, Gorgons, Graeae, Sphinx and Tyche, part 30: Medusa's curse, Perseus, the Sphinx's riddle and Fortune's wheel

Tests: 7 of 13 right · Exam: 1 of 4 right · Kind: ★ · Understood: 13 of 17 · Run: 2026-10-18, commit f3c23ea72

Lesson 524 of the books course of Mova's primary school, as Mova's small model took its tests: it had read this lesson and the ones before it and learned from their exercises. Each test shows the options in the order the student saw them, its choice, the right answer, the score of every option and why it chose.

Every question of this lesson and each of its options parsed by Mova, with trees and pragmatics: the lesson's questions in the corpora.

Test 1 · ★ · wrong ✗

Wait, so Medusa was actually fit before she got cursed?

1. Nah, she was a golden-haired priestess — score 4
2. Yeah, she was a golden-haired priestess who was cursed by Athene for breaking her vows — ← Mova's choice · score 7
3. Yeah, she was a golden-haired priestess — ✓ the right answer · score 4
4. Yeah, she was a golden-haired priestess of Athene before Poseidon came along — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 7, against 4 for the next best. Its support: lesson 524, line 2: «The three Gorgons are winged monsters with snake hair and brass hands, and Medusa was once a golden-haired priestess who broke her vow and married Poseidon.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «break» (+5); the same thing acted on «vow» (+2). The right option, 3, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 2 · ★ · right ✓

Bruh, was Poseidon the Gorgon's boyfriend, like, for real?

1. Yeah, she married Zeus — no support
2. Nah, she married Hermes — no support
3. Yeah, she married Poseidon after breaking her vows — score 6
4. Yeah, she married Poseidon — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 4 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 524, line 9: «Why: Medusa forgot her vows because she was "wooed by Poseidon, whom she loved in return", and so she married him.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «poseidon» (+4); the same action «marry» (+3). Against it: a different doer (counts against) (-1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 3 · ★ · right ✓

Who sneaked off with the old ladies' one eye, proper sneaky?

1. Perseus — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 4
2. Hercules — no support
3. Perseus, with Athene's help — score 3
4. Jason — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 4, against 3 for the next best. Its support: lesson 524, line 4: «The three old Graeae share one eye, one tooth and one grey wig, and Perseus takes them away from them to force the way to the Gorgons out of them.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same doer «perseus» (+1); a different action (counts against) (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 4 · ★ · right ✓

Was the Sphinx a mega riddler, innit?

1. Nope, just one — no support
2. Yeah, she gave one riddle — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
3. Nah, no — no support
4. Nah, she gave two riddles — score 6

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 524, line 12: «What: The Sphinx sat on a rock and propounded a riddle to "all comers", and anyone who could not answer was torn in pieces.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «riddle» (+4); a different action (counts against) (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 5 · ★ · right ✓

Mate, what did Oedipus say the riddle answer was?

1. Man, obviously, since he walks on two legs as a grown adult — no support
2. Man, obviously — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 3
3. A horse, I think — no support
4. Man, obviously, the creature that crawls, walks and then leans on a stick — no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 524, line 16: «What: Oedipus answered that the creature was man, who in old age "calls a staff to his assistance", so has three legs.», reached through a sentence linked to the one the question matched. What matched: the same light verb (be, have, do, get, go) (+2); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 6 · ★ · wrong ✗

Wicked, so did the Sphinx chuck herself off the rock?

1. Yeah, she jumped off the cliff — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. Nah, she flew away home — no support
3. Yeah, straight off the rock — ✓ the right answer · no support
4. Yeah, straight off the rock into the gorge below Thebes — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 7 · ★ · wrong ✗

Lol, was Tyche like the luck goddess, like a lucky charm?

1. Yeah, she was the goddess who ruled luck, chance and the wheel of fortune — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. Yeah, she ruled luck and chance — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. Yeah, she ruled luck, chance and the fate of every mortal — no support
4. Nah, she ruled the sea and storms — no support

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 1 with score 4, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 508, line 13: «why: Leto had to give up her baby because Hera kept "tormenting" her, so the goddess Themis took him and "carefully wrapped" him in swaddling-clothes.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «leto» (+4). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 8 · ★ · right ✓

Hang on, what was Tyche called in Rome then?

1. Fortuna — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Ops — no support
3. Luck — no support
4. Vesta — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 9 · ★ · wrong ✗

Dead cool, what were Ananke's hands made of?

1. Bronze, I think, pretty cool — ← Mova's choice · no support
2. bronze — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. solid bronze, like a statue — no support
4. marble — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 10 · ★ · right ✓

Proper nasty, where did Medusa skive off to?

1. Africa — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · no support
2. Ida — no support
3. Crete — no support
4. Ethiopia — no support

Why: No option found support in what it remembers, so it guessed: it took the first option shown. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 11 · ★ · wrong ✗

Mint, where was the Sphinx parked up?

1. a hill — no support
2. a cave — no support
3. a rock by Delphi — ← Mova's choice · score 6
4. a rock near Thebes — ✓ the right answer · score 6

Why: It took the question to ask where. It chose option 3 with score 6, tied with another option at 6 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 524, line 5: «The Sphinx asks Oedipus her riddle, he answers "man", and she throws herself off the rock; then the goddesses Tyche and Ananke, luck and necessity, are describ…», reached through the remembered sentence the question matched. What matched: it fills the role the question asks for (+3); the same doer «sphinx» (+2); the same place «rock» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 6. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 12 · ★ · right ✓

Hold up, who sent the Sphinx to bother the Thebans?

1. Hestia — score 5
2. Hera — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 6
3. Persephone — score 5
4. Demeter, goddess of the harvest — score 5

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 2 with score 6, against 5 for the next best. Its support: lesson 524, line 14: «Why: Hera sent the Sphinx to the Thebans as a punishment, because she was "displeased with the Thebans" for their offences.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «send» (+4); the same thing acted on «sphinx» (+1); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Test 13 · ★ · wrong ✗

Gutted for the old ones, what did the Graeae share?

1. one eye, one tooth, one wig and a cloak — ← Mova's choice · score 4
2. one tooth and one wig — ✓ the right answer · score 4
3. one eye, one tooth and one wig — score 4
4. one eye and one wig — score 4

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 1 with score 4, tied with another option at 4 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 524, line 4: «The three old Graeae share one eye, one tooth and one grey wig, and Perseus takes them away from them to force the way to the Gorgons out of them.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «share» (+2); the same doer «three old graeae» (+1); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). The right option, 2, scored 4. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 1 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which gate of the House of Dreams admits deceptive and flattering visions?

1. the gate made of bronze — ← Mova's choice · score 2
2. the gate formed of ivory — ✓ the right answer · no support
3. the gate formed of horn — no support
4. the gate formed of ivory, guarded by Morpheus — no support

Why: It took the question to ask who or what does it. It chose option 1 with score 2, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 48, line 18: «The castle: «the hollow-sounding drawbridge», «the spiky portcullis» (a heavy gate that drops down), «men-at-arms in casquet and corselet of steel» (helmets an…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «heavy gate» (+1); it fills the role the question asks for (+1). The right option, 2, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 2 · formal language · right ✓

Under what circumstances was Medusa transformed by the goddess Athene?

1. after a dispute with Zeus — no support
2. after she broke her vow of celibacy with Poseidon — ← Mova's choice · ✓ the right answer · score 7
3. after she lost a contest with Athene at dawn — no support
4. after she broke her vows with a mortal man — score 7

Why: It took the question to ask which statement is true. It chose option 2 with score 7, tied with another option at 7 (the first shown, or the one claiming less beyond what it knows, wins). Its support: lesson 524, line 7: «What: As her punishment for breaking her vows, Medusa's hair was changed into "venomous snake[s]" by the goddess Athene.», reached through the same lesson line as the sentence the question matched. What matched: the same action «break» (+5); the same thing acted on «vows» (+2). · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 3 · formal language · wrong ✗

What did the Sphinx do after the correct solution of her riddle was given?

1. she threw herself from the cliff top — ← Mova's choice · score 7
2. she precipitated herself from the rock and was dashed to pieces — score 0
3. she precipitated herself from the rock into the abyss below — score 0
4. she precipitated herself from the rock — ✓ the right answer · score 0

Why: It took the question to ask what is done. It chose option 1 with score 7, against 0 for the next best. Its support: lesson 524, line 5: «The Sphinx asks Oedipus her riddle, he answers "man", and she throws herself off the rock; then the goddesses Tyche and Ananke, luck and necessity, are describ…», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same thing acted on «sphinx» (+3); it fills the role the question asks for (+2); the same action «throw» (+1); the same doer «sphinx» (+1). The right option, 4, scored 0. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

Exam question 4 · formal language · wrong ✗

Which attribute of Tyche was symbolised by the infant Plutus held in her arms at Thebes?

1. power over riches, prosperity and the fortunes of cities — no support
2. power over riches and prosperity, shown with a child in arms — ← Mova's choice · score 3
3. control of the harvest and crops — no support
4. power over riches and prosperity — ✓ the right answer · no support

Why: It took the question to ask what it is done to. It chose option 2 with score 3, the only option with support. Its support: lesson 450, line 5: «He cuts off his own hand with a small knife, runs home, and shows his arm as proof that he saw Likho.», reached through the option's own match among the sentences about the question's things. What matched: the same action «show» (+2); the same circumstance (+2). Against it: a different thing acted on (counts against) (-1). The right option, 4, found no support in what it remembers. · the question and its options parsed, with trees and pragmatics

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