The Roman Empire Quiz

1. According to tradition, in which year was Rome founded?

1. 264 BCE
2. 476 BCE
3. 509 BCE
4. 753 BCE

2. Julius Caesar was assassinated on the 'Ides of March'. What date is that?

1. March 1
2. March 15
3. March 25
4. March 5

3. What was the Roman Colosseum primarily used for?

1. Chariot racing
2. Public speeches and legal proceedings
3. Religious ceremonies
4. Theatrical performances and gladiatorial combat

4. At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire covered approximately how much of Europe?

1. About a third of Europe
2. All of Europe
3. Most of Europe south of the Rhine and Danube, plus North Africa and the Middle East
4. Only Italy and Spain

5. What language did educated Romans write and speak?

1. Ancient Greek
2. Etruscan
3. Latin
4. Oscan

6. Who was the first Roman Emperor?

1. Augustus (Octavian)
2. Julius Caesar
3. Mark Antony
4. Tiberius

7. What were Roman 'legions'?

1. Basic units of the Roman army, typically 5,000-6,000 soldiers
2. Collections of Roman laws
3. Political assemblies of senators
4. Roman engineering corps

8. Which Roman engineering achievement carried fresh water into cities?

1. Aqueducts
2. Hypocausts (underfloor heating)
3. The Cloaca Maxima (sewer system)
4. The Via Appia (roads)

9. What was the Roman Republic's Senate?

1. A council of aristocratic advisers that held significant political power
2. A group of religious leaders advising the state
3. An elected parliament representing all citizens
4. The Roman equivalent of a supreme court

10. What was the Pax Romana?

1. A peace treaty between Rome and Carthage
2. A period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire (27 BCE–180 CE)
3. A religious peace between pagans and Christians in Rome
4. Rome's agreement not to expand further

11. In which year did the Western Roman Empire officially fall?

1. 395 CE
2. 410 CE
3. 455 CE
4. 476 CE

12. Gladiators in Rome were mostly:

1. Free Roman citizens seeking glory
2. Professional soldiers rewarded with games
3. Slaves, prisoners of war, or convicted criminals trained to fight
4. Volunteers from the Roman upper class

13. Which Roman road is considered the 'queen of roads'?

1. Via Appia
2. Via Aurelia
3. Via Egnatia
4. Via Flaminia

14. Emperor Constantine made Christianity the Empire's favoured religion in 313 CE with what decree?

1. The Edict of Milan
2. The Edict of Thessalonica
3. The Nicene Creed
4. The Theodosian Code

15. What were Roman 'insulae'?

1. Islands conquered by Rome
2. Isolated Roman outposts on frontiers
3. Multi-storey apartment blocks housing Rome's urban poor
4. Sacred islands in Rome's rivers

16. Who was Marcus Aurelius and why is he notable?

1. A philosopher-emperor who wrote Meditations while leading the empire through wars
2. Rome's greatest general, who conquered Britain
3. Rome's last emperor, who surrendered to the Visigoths
4. The emperor who persecuted Christians most severely

17. What did the Romans call the North African coast and what was Carthage?

1. Africa Proconsularis; Carthage was a rival empire Rome destroyed in the Punic Wars
2. Libya; a Roman province from the Republic's founding
3. Mauritania; a trading post
4. Numidia; a Greek colony

18. What was the significance of Mount Vesuvius's 79 CE eruption for history?

1. It created a new island in the Mediterranean
2. It destroyed Rome itself
3. It ended Roman control of southern Italy
4. It preserved Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash, giving us extraordinary evidence of Roman daily life

19. What were the 'Twelve Tables' in Roman law?

1. The first written Roman legal code (450 BCE), displayed publicly in the Forum
2. The laws governing gladiatorial combat
3. The twelve provinces of the Roman Empire
4. The twelve scrolls of Roman history by Livy

20. How did Julius Caesar rise to become dictator of Rome?

1. He assassinated the previous dictator
2. He was appointed by the people through a popular vote
3. He was elected by the Senate
4. He won a civil war against Pompey and the Senate's forces after crossing the Rubicon river in 49 BCE