The Roman Empire Quiz

Question 1

According to tradition, in which year was Rome founded?

Accepted Answer

753 BCE

Answer

509 BCE

Answer

476 BCE

Answer

264 BCE

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

March 15

Answer

March 1

Answer

March 5

Answer

March 25

Question 3

What was the Roman Colosseum primarily used for?

Accepted Answer

Theatrical performances and gladiatorial combat

Answer

Public speeches and legal proceedings

Answer

Religious ceremonies

Answer

Chariot racing

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Most of Europe south of the Rhine and Danube, plus North Africa and the Middle East

Answer

About a third of Europe

Answer

All of Europe

Answer

Only Italy and Spain

Question 5

What language did educated Romans write and speak?

Accepted Answer

Latin

Answer

Ancient Greek

Answer

Etruscan

Answer

Oscan

Question 6

Who was the first Roman Emperor?

Accepted Answer

Augustus (Octavian)

Answer

Julius Caesar

Answer

Mark Antony

Answer

Tiberius

Question 7

What were Roman 'legions'?

Accepted Answer

Basic units of the Roman army, typically 5,000-6,000 soldiers

Answer

Political assemblies of senators

Answer

Roman engineering corps

Answer

Collections of Roman laws

Question 8

Which Roman engineering achievement carried fresh water into cities?

Accepted Answer

Aqueducts

Answer

The Via Appia (roads)

Answer

The Cloaca Maxima (sewer system)

Answer

Hypocausts (underfloor heating)

Question 9

What was the Roman Republic's Senate?

Accepted Answer

A council of aristocratic advisers that held significant political power

Answer

An elected parliament representing all citizens

Answer

The Roman equivalent of a supreme court

Answer

A group of religious leaders advising the state

Question 10

What was the Pax Romana?

Accepted Answer

A period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire (27 BCE–180 CE)

Answer

A peace treaty between Rome and Carthage

Answer

Rome's agreement not to expand further

Answer

A religious peace between pagans and Christians in Rome

Question 11

In which year did the Western Roman Empire officially fall?

Accepted Answer

476 CE

Answer

395 CE

Answer

410 CE

Answer

455 CE

Question 12

Gladiators in Rome were mostly:

Accepted Answer

Slaves, prisoners of war, or convicted criminals trained to fight

Answer

Free Roman citizens seeking glory

Answer

Professional soldiers rewarded with games

Answer

Volunteers from the Roman upper class

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Via Appia

Answer

Via Flaminia

Answer

Via Aurelia

Answer

Via Egnatia

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

The Edict of Milan

Answer

The Nicene Creed

Answer

The Edict of Thessalonica

Answer

The Theodosian Code

Question 15

What were Roman 'insulae'?

Accepted Answer

Multi-storey apartment blocks housing Rome's urban poor

Answer

Islands conquered by Rome

Answer

Sacred islands in Rome's rivers

Answer

Isolated Roman outposts on frontiers

Question 16

Who was Marcus Aurelius and why is he notable?

Accepted Answer

A philosopher-emperor who wrote Meditations while leading the empire through wars

Answer

Rome's greatest general, who conquered Britain

Answer

Rome's last emperor, who surrendered to the Visigoths

Answer

The emperor who persecuted Christians most severely

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

Africa Proconsularis; Carthage was a rival empire Rome destroyed in the Punic Wars

Answer

Libya; a Roman province from the Republic's founding

Answer

Mauritania; a trading post

Answer

Numidia; a Greek colony

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

It preserved Pompeii and Herculaneum under ash, giving us extraordinary evidence of Roman daily life

Answer

It destroyed Rome itself

Answer

It ended Roman control of southern Italy

Answer

It created a new island in the Mediterranean

Question 19

What were the 'Twelve Tables' in Roman law?

Accepted Answer

The first written Roman legal code (450 BCE), displayed publicly in the Forum

Answer

The twelve provinces of the Roman Empire

Answer

The laws governing gladiatorial combat

Answer

The twelve scrolls of Roman history by Livy

Question 20

How did Julius Caesar rise to become dictator of Rome?

Accepted Answer

He won a civil war against Pompey and the Senate's forces after crossing the Rubicon river in 49 BCE

Answer

He was elected by the Senate

Answer

He was appointed by the people through a popular vote

Answer

He assassinated the previous dictator