French History Trivia

1. The first permanent settlement of the city that is now known as Paris was called Lucotocia by the Parissi tribe who lived there. What does Lucotocia mean?

From Quiz History of Paris

Answer: Swamp

The Parisii called it Lucotocia (or Leucotecia) which means swamp because their settlement was near the Seine River. Specifically, they settled in the area where the Seine was the easiest to cross. It had the added benefit of being near both the Seine and Rhone rivers as well as being roughly halfway between Rome and Britain. The Parisii were part of an uprising led by Vercingetorix against Julius Caesar and his campaign for Gaul. In the 52 BC Battle of Lutetia, the Parisii suffered devastating losses at the hands of the Romans.

From Quiz French History in Roman Numerals

Answer: Vercingetorix

The date LII BC corresponds to the year 52 BC. The Battle of Alesia was a great victory for the Romans under Julius Caesar. Vercingetorix threw down his weapons at Caesar's feet and was taken prisoner. He was later strangled in his cell. Roman control of Gaul was not seriously challenged before the second century AD.

From Quiz Oh là là! French Glitz and Glamour

Answer: Louis XIV

Louis XIV (1638-1715), was the epitome of elegance in everything he did. He wanted to make Paris the cultural center of Europe, overtaking the other capitals, but especially London. He found his perfect counterpart in Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), his minister of finance. Louis had the vision and Colbert the marketing know-how to make it happen in the late 1660s.

From Quiz The History of Marseille

Answer: Greeks

Massalia was also the first Greek community in what is now France. It was predominantly settled by people from Phocaea. Before the Greeks arrived, however, there were other people living in the area. The Cosquer Cave has cave paintings dating back to 27,000 BC. The Cosquer Cave is now over 100 feet underwater because the Mediterranean Sea has risen over the millennia.

From Quiz The French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars

Answer: Clergy, common people, nobles

The first two estates, made up of the clergy and aristocrats of France, were given preference by Louis XVI, despite only consisting of 3% of the French population. The king did, however, attempt to work with the Third Estate,the Estate of commoners, in the first meeting of the Estates since 1614! His attempts would ultimately prove futile.

From Quiz The Real Man in the Iron Mask

Answer: Eustache Dauger

One suggestion has been that Eustache Dauger (full name Eustache Dauger de Cavoy) was the true identity of the prisoner. However, that is impossible as there is proof that he died in the Prison Saint-Lazare, an asylum run by monks. Also, at the time that "The Man in the Iron Mask" was first imprisoned, Dauger de Cavoye was already at Saint-Lazare in Paris.

From Quiz Vive la France! The Revolution

Answer: Clergy, Nobles, Everyone else

The First Estate was comprised of Clergy members, or officials of the Catholic Church. An estimated 100,000 persons were members of the Clergy. The Second Estate consisted of an estimated 400,000 people, and included anyone who held the title of nobility. The Third Estate was about 25 million people strong, and considered the "commoners." Merchants, artisans, lawyers, peasants... anyone besides nobles and clergymen was included in this Estate. The Third Estate led the Revolution to gain equal legal rights with the upper two Estates.

From Quiz Napoleon's Symbols of Power

Answer: eagle

The Council discussed several possibilites for the seal. Each member was allowed to give his opinion, and each symbol had historical significance in France. The lion was said to be able to overcome the English leopard, the cock had been a symbol of France since the Renaissance and had been adopted as a symbol of the Revolution. The elephant had been a symbol of Francis I and was incorporated in his home at Fountainebleau. Some believed that adopting the eagle might lead to conflict, because it was already used by Austria and Prussia. Napoleon was said to favor the lion. However, he eventually chose an eagle with wings spread. It had been the symbol of the Roman emperors, as well as Charlemagne.

From Quiz The War of Devolution (1667-1668)

Answer: Bourbon

The Bourbons had been in close competition with the Spanish Habsburgs, who had been dominant in Western Europe until this period.

From Quiz The French Revolution

Answer: 1789

The French Revolution began on July 14, 1789. This is also known today as Bastille Day. Today it is celebrated as a national holiday in France. In fact, the Eiffel tower itself was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Bastille Day.

From Quiz Basics of the French Revolution

Answer: King Louis XVI

King Louis XVI ruled France from 1774 until his death by the guillotine in 1793. King Louis XIV ruled France from 1643 to 1715 - a good 74 years before the Revolution. Neither Turgot nor Necker was ever king.

From Quiz Scandal: The Dreyfus Affair

Answer: Army

Dreyfus was a Captain in the French army.

From Quiz The History of Paris: Medieval Times to 1900

Answer: Maurice de Sully

Although it was begun in 1163, Notre-Dame was only finished in 1345. Between 1844 and 1864 the cathedral underwent a major restoration by Viollet-le-Duc, who added the spire and the famous gargoyles to the cathedral.

From Quiz The French Revolution

Answer: 1787

The Assembly of Notables failed to agree on reforms. As a result of this failure King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General - the closest thing France had to a parliament.

From Quiz The French Foreign Legion

Answer: 1831

On the 10th March 1831, by Royal ordinance - the "birth certificate" of the French Foreign Legion.

From Quiz French Revolutionary Symbols

Answer: It was like the headgear worn in Ancient Greece by freed slaves from Phrygia.

Though a similar hat is worn by fishermen in the South of France, the reason was for its resemblance to the freed slaves. Curiously enough, though, they are done by a Belgian artist, the Smurfs, or Schtroumpfs in French, wear this sort of headgear, but of course in its blue version. I could not find the reason for this.

From Quiz General French History

Answer: 1534

No settlement then

From Quiz History of Burgundy

Answer: Vercingetorix

Boduognat was the leader of the Nervii; Ambiorix of the Tungri. And Asterix, well Asterix is of course a well-known cartoon character.

From Quiz Aspects Of Burgundy's Religious History

Answer: Bernadette Soubirous

From Quiz France: Roman Empire - Modern Times

Answer: Gaul

Gaulish soldiers, often included in auxiliary legions, were respected soldiers in the Roman armies.

From Quiz L'Histoire de la France Moderne

Answer: Nephew

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the son of Louis Bonaparte, himself briefly King of Holland between 1806 and 1810, and Hortense de Beauharnais Bonaparte, who was the stepdaughter of Napoleon I. Louis was the first Napoleon's brother, which didn't save him from being deposed from his throne for being too lenient on his subjects. Louis-Napoléon, who had spent much of his life in exile following the downfall of Napoleon I, considered himself the rightful leader of France and made several efforts to rally support. The 1848 revolution brought him his chance, and he became President. Although his term should have lasted only four years, a coup d'état in December 1851 meant he remained in power, this time as Emperor, a position he held until 1870.

From Quiz The French Revolution

Answer: La Fronde

Once the young Louis XIV saw the Louvre under attack by the Parisian mob, he vowed to move the court from Paris for two reasons: 1) protection from the mobs and 2) so he could keep an eye on the nobility whose power he was slowly stripping away. Despite mob involvement, the Fronde was primarily a struggle within the aristocracy, a bit like the War of the Roses in late medieval England.

From Quiz The Palace of Versailles

Answer: 16 miles SW

The palace was a day's coach ride from the {capital;} Louis XIV moved from Paris for safety reasons. While living in the Louvre as a young boy, an uprising frightened him as an attempt was made to storm the palace.

From Quiz French History

Answer: Louis XIV

Louis XIV built Versailles on the site of a small hunting lodge built by his father. The court was previously in Paris; as a boy, Louis was frightened by an uprising during which an attempt was made to storm the palace. When grown up, Louis wanted to get away from Paris and from potential danger. He thought Versailles was the answer.

From Quiz NonParisian French History

Answer: Cathars

The Cathars, who appeared in southern France in the 11th century, considered themselves to be Christians following the early teachings of the Church and with a dual belief in both a good god and a bad god. They also believed both in the ultimate salvation of all human beings and in the equality of women. By the beginning of the 13th century, the Cathars were firmly anchored throughout the independent Languedoc region in the central part of the Mediterranean coast, an area largely controlled by the Count of Toulouse. Both peasants and the nobility widely followed the religion. After early attempts to halt the progression of what the Catholic Church considered to be heretics, Pope Innocent III launched the Albigensian Crusade, so-named because Albi was one of the strongholds of the faith. King Philippe Augustus of France authorized his barons to participate, with Simon Montfort taking the lead. The Pope's promise that participating nobles would receive the lands they conquered fueled their zeal. Estimates are that over 500,000 men, women and children were killed during the next twenty years, with entire towns massacred. The Crusade ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1229, under which most of the area passed to the King of France, but an Inquisition was started almost immediately to root out remaining Cathars.

From Quiz History of Paris

Answer: St. Denis

Denis was not well received by the Roman authorities and he was beheaded sometime around 250 AD. The site of his execution was Mercury Hill, which is now called Montmartre or Martyr's Hill. According to legend, St. Denis picked up his decapitated head and walked to the Vicus Cattulliacus, a covert Christian cemetery, where he died. The Basilica of St. Denis was built over his grave in 1144 and still stands today.

From Quiz French History in Roman Numerals

Answer: The Arabs

The date DCCXXXII corresponds to the year 732. The Battle of Tours ended the Islamic invasion of Gaul. Charles Martel, a leading general and the majordomo of the Frankish kingdom, was assisted by Odo of Aquitaine. After Martel's death, his son, Pepin I the Short was offered the position of King from the Pope in exchange for his help at defeating the Lombards, who threatened the Papal States.

From Quiz Oh là là! French Glitz and Glamour

Answer: Candles

In 1667, Paris became the "Ville Lumière", City of Light, after Louis decreed that it should be lit at night. Until then, public activities ended after dark, while now night life became possible. Lanterns were posted at strategic crossing points, and the candles inside were lit every night after the lamps were lowered with pulleys. The roads were also paved with cobblestones to keep the king (and others) from muddying their shoes.

From Quiz The History of Marseille

Answer: Pytheas

Pytheas was born in Massalia around 350 BC. He became the first person to ever visit the Arctic on a scientific expedition. Although today he is credited for developing theories about the existence of the Midnight Sun and Polar Regions, these things were already known in Pytheas' day. He did, however, develop a theory on how the moon affects Earth's tides.

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Last Updated Apr 13 2024 5:45 AM

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