Final Jeopardy: Ancient History (12-8-23)
Today’s Final Jeopardy question (12/8/2023) in the category “Ancient History” was:
Before visiting Achilles’s tomb, this man threw his spear onto the ground in Asia & declared the continent “spear-won”
The Champions Wild Card quarter-finals continue today with these three champs: Gary Hollis, a chemistry professor from Roanoke, VA; Carmela Chan, a researcher from San Diego, CA; and Jon Spurney, a writer & musician from Los Angeles, CA.
Round 1 Categories: Organ Recital – We’re Talking Baseball – Olive Me – The Ivy League – Geographic Titles – As Easy as A-B-C
Jon found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Geographic Titles” under the $800 clue on the 10th pick of the round. He was in the lead with $2,600, $400 more than Carmela in second place. Jon bet $2,000 and guessed Moscow. That was WRONG.
JFK’s thesis, then bestseller”: “Why ___ Slept” show
Carmela finished in the lead with $3,000. Jon was in second place with $3,600. Gary was last with $1,600. All clues were shown.
Round 2 Categories: Organ Recital – Classic Movie Original Dialogue? – Working on a Building – Car”eer” Opportunities – A Muse Me – Words from Arabic
Gary found the first Daily Double in “Words from Arabic” under the $2,000 clue with 9 clues left after it. He was in the lead with $12,000, $1,800 more than Carmela in second place. Gary bet $2,000 and he was RIGHT.
We’ve hit bottom with this 5-letter word from the Arabic for “opposite the zenith” show
Two clues later, Gary landed on the last Daily Double in “Working on a Building” under the $1,600 clue. He was in the lead with $14,800 now, $4,600 more than Carmela in second place. Gary bet $4,000 and he was RIGHT.
1902: Daniel Burnham completes NYC’s Fuller Building, now known by this household appliance name show
Gary finished in the lead with $21,200. Carmela was in second place with $13,400. Jon was last with $10,000. All clues were shown.
TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHO IS ALEXANDER THE GREAT?
Whether myth or not, Alexander the Great’s mother is said to have fostered in her son the notion that he was a demigod. His parents, Olympias and Philip II, believed they were related to Dionysus and Herakles. Alexander, in particular, admired Achilles and aspired to be a warrior of like stature.
From Archaeology.com: “In the spring of 334, Alexander and his army, cavalry and ships crossed the Hellespont, the narrow straight that separates Greece from Asia Minor and the Persian Empire. He jumped off the ship and threw his spear into the soil, declaring Asia “spear won.” … Alexander’s plan was to defeat the Persian Empire — an incredible ambition…. He wanted to see and conquer more than anyone, to be the Goat (Greatest of All Time), and to live on the lips of people.”
Jon got it right. He bet everything but a dollar and finished with $19,999.
Carmela thought it was Genghis Khan. She bet and lost her whole $13,400.
Gary also got it right. He bet $5,601 and won the game with $26,801.
A triple stumper from each round:
WE’RE TALKING BASEBALL ($1000) He said, “Nice guys finish last”, and proved it; he took over the Cubs in 1966 & managed them to last place
ORGAN RECITAL ($2000) Virgil Fox was the longtime virtuoso on the organ at this NYC church on the West Side Drive of the same name
8 years ago: Only ONE of the players got this FJ in “Religion in America”
The Dakotas and Minnesota are the 3 states with the largest % of residents identifying as this denomination show
IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE SHOW OR COMPLAINTS, PLEASE SEND YOUR FEEDBACK DIRECTLY TO JEOPARDY!
We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made from Amazon.com links at no cost to our visitors. Learn more: Affiliate Disclosure.
Good game, sharp players, multiple leaders.
That JFK DD was tough, but I did know the name of that book.
I did not expect them to know the baseball guy. He was known as “The Lip” and hobnobbed with Sinatra’s crowd. Sports is one of those categories in which a knowledgeable player can run the table if the others are clueless.
I got FJ. It’s weird – wasn’t intuitive, but it came to me like that.
I was transferred to rehab today. Hope for one week. It’s looking good!!
We all came up with Genghis Khan for FJ, but Alexander the Great was likely the greatest general in any age.
This is another easy/bad Final. I did not know for sure the answer is ‘Alexander the Great’, but that was the only name I could think of, so I backed into the correct answer. I have been hating these recent Finals.