Quotes From Ancient History

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. During the siege of his city, a Greek 'thinker', 'scientist' and 'mathematician' was so focused on a maths problem that he had not even noticed the town walls had been breached already and a soldier had approached wanting to kill him. Absent-mindedly he shouted at the shadow leaning over him: 'Noli turbare circulos meos' 'Do not disturb my circles'. Those turned out to have been his last words. Who was he? Pythagoras Heracleitus Democritus Archimedes

2. One day in the stadium the Roman Emperor was greeted by the gladiators with the words: "Ave, Imperator, qui morituri sunt te salutant." - Greetings to you, Caesar, those who are about to die salute thee. The Emperor, who was a polite man, replied : Greetings to you as well, but was quite surprised when he saw the gladiators interpreted this as if they had been dispensed from killing each other. A misunderstanding which was soon put right. Who was this Emperor? Domitian Vespasian Claudius Nero

3. Who was the first scientist or philosopher to phrase the principle 'De nihilo nihil'- 'Nothing is born from nothing'? Lucretius Thomas Aquinas Archimedes Isaac Newton

4. 'Thalassa, Thalassa' - 'The sea, the sea' was what they shouted after a long journey over land. They were Greek troops. Their leader was Cyrus the Younger of Persia. Who was the war correspondent who reported their cry of enthusiasm in his 'Anabasis'? Pausanias Xenophon Herodotos Thucydides

5. From which Latin author did Wilfred Owen borrow the famous line 'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori'- ' It's sweet and fine to die for one's country '? Virgil Horace Catullus Tibullus

6. Authors are not always consistent in what they write. Which Latin poet claimed in his Eclogues that 'love conquers all' ('Omnia vincit amor'), but said in his Georgica, much less romantically that 'hard work' was the key to all success ('Labor omnia vincit')? Tibullus Horace Virgil Catullus

7. The idea that you survive through your art was very popular in the Renaissance and was also often expressed by Shakespeare. The idea occurs in Horace's work, but had apparently been expressed already by the Greek doctor Hippocrates. Which of these quotes is attributed to him? Vita brevis, ars longa.- Life is short, the art you produce gives it an extra span. Exegi monumentum aere perennius.- (Through my art) I have built myself a monument more permanent tha Orator fit, poeta nascitur. Orator is what you can become, poet is what you must be born. Non omnis moriar.- Because of my art, I will not die completely.

8. One-liners seem to have been part of Caesar's propaganda machine. Even at the moment of his death he produced a last famous 'quote'. Which of these is NOT by Caesar ? Vae victis.- Woe to the losers. Alea iacta est. -The die is cast. Tu quoque, Brute. - Are you too among them, my dear Brutus. Veni, vidi, vici. - I arrived, had a look at the opposition and then smashed them to pulp.

9. Who was the Greek painter who, when disturbed by a passing cobbler who criticised a painting of his, spoke the famous words: Cobbler, stick to thy last. - Ne sutor supra crepidam ? Ephoras of Ephesus Pheidias Apelles Pamphilus of Amphipolis

10. The historian Eusebius Pamphili reports that just before a decisive battle between two candidates for the Imperial Crown, Constantine, later called the Great, and Maxentius, a sign appeared in the sky and a voice told the future Emperor Constantine: 'In hoc signo vinces.' 'If you are loyal to this sign, then you will win this battle.' What sign was it? a dove with an olive branch V for Victoria a lamb putting its right front hoof on a lion a cross