All Questions Lead to Rome Quiz | General

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Rome 69 AD: After a year of civil war that had erupted when Nero was deposed, the senate declares Vespasian the new emperor. Finally a strong leader has taken power again. Order has to be restored and Rome has to be rebuilt. One of the buildings ordered by Vespasian will be the largest of its kind in the Roman Empire, one of the great works of Roman architecture and today recognised as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Which building is this?

Answer: The Colosseum

Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasian Augustus was born in 9 CE in a family that had risen to senatorial rank during the Julio-Claudian dynasty. For most of his adult life he was a successful military commander.

When emperor Nero was deposed in 68 CE a brief civil war broke out known as the 'year of the four emperors'. Between June 68 and December 69 CE three different emperors (Galba, Otho and Vitellius) took power for a short while. Finally Vespasian was declared emperor by the senate after his army had defeated Vitellius.

Vespasian founded the Flavian dynasty and ruled from 69 till his death in 79 CE. During his reign imperial power was restored and Rome rebuilt. Vespasian also restored the empire's finances. The construction of the Colosseum started under Vespasian's rule although he didn't live long enough to see it completed.

2. The Baths of Caracalla, the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum and the Pantheon are all famous landmarks of Rome. But this city has more to offer. It is the only capital in the world that has a whole country within its boundaries. I'm of course referring to Vatican City. In Vatican City we find a central square located in front of a basilica. Both are named after which famous saint?

Answer: Saint Peter

Saint Peter's Square is located in front of the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, better known as Saint Peter's Basilica. It is believed to be the burial site of Saint Peter who was one of Jesus' apostles and the first Bishop of Rome.

There has been a church on the site since the 4th century. The present one was completed on 18 November 1626.

3. Saint James, Saint John, Saint Paul and Saint Peter are all famous saints who have several cathedrals named after them. However, there's also a very famous Saint Basil's cathedral. This cathedral with its colourful onion domes is an iconic landmark of which European capital?

Answer: Moscow

The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, better known as Saint Basil's Cathedral was built by Czar Ivan IV the Terrible between 1555 and 1561 CE on the Red Square in Moscow to commemorate the defeat of the Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates.

Saint Basil, or Vasily in Russian, lived during the reign of Czar Ivan the Terrible and is one of the most highly venerated Moscow saints. Historical data are about his life is scarce and intertwined with legend. Saint Vasily the Blessed was laid to rest on the north-western side of the Cathedral.

4. Athens, Dublin, Moscow and Paris are all European capitals, but they are also cities in a state of the USA. Which state is this?

Answer: Texas

Several places in the USA are named after European cities. In Texas you can also find cities or towns called Florence, Milano, Newcastle, Odessa, Ravenna, New London and New Berlin.

5. Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas are the four American states that border Mexico. Mexico's capital, Mexico City, is founded on the ruins of Tenochtitlan. In the beginning of the 16th century this was one of the biggest cities in the world and the capital of which pre-Columbian culture?

Answer: Aztec

The origins of the Aztec people is unknown. They migrated to the Mexico valley in the 13th century CE. Eventually they settled on an island on Lake Texcoco where they founded their capital Tenochtitlan. Over the next centuries they became the dominant power in the region until their empire was destroyed by Spanish conquistadors led by Hernan Cortes (1521 CE).

6. Aztecs, Olmecs, Toltecs and Zapotecs are all examples of Native American cultures. It is generally accepted that the first inhabitants of America originate from Asia and emigrated to America via a land bridge that connected Siberia with Alaska during the last ice age. When the ice melted the continents became separated. What is the name of the strait between Siberia and Alaska?

Answer: Bering Strait

Whilst most scholars agree that the first inhabitants of America came from Asia via the Beringia land bridge there's no certainty on when and how. Some claim that the first migrations happened 15,000 - 17,000 years ago, others think this happened much earlier: 20,000 - 40,000 years ago. Also the route is in debate. There are three possible trajectories: via the Pacific coast, through an interior passage or via the eastern flanks of the Rocky Mountains.

When the ice age ended 13,500 - 12,000 years ago the sea level rose by 120 meters and the land bridge between Siberia and Alaska became submerged. The Beringia land bridge gave way for the Bering Strait.

The Strait is 85 km (53 mi) wide and named after the Danish explorer Vitus Bering who sailed it in 1728 CE.

The Bass Strait lies between mainland Australia and Tasmania, the Cook Strait between the North and South Island of New Zealand and the Strait of Magellan between mainland South America and Tierra del Fuego.

7. The Bass Strait, Bering Strait, Cook Strait and Strait of Magellan haven't always existed. At several times in our earth's history all the land mass was concentrated on one single continent. The last time this happened was approximately 300 million years ago. How is this single large supercontinent called?

Answer: Pangaea

In 1912 the theory of the continental drift was developed by German geophysicist Alfred Wegener. At first nobody believed him.

In the 1960s the theory of plate tectonics further improved the understanding of continental drift. The earth's crust consists of a number of plates that are in constant motion. The movement of these plates causes the continents to move relative to each other. It is believed that there were several supercontinents during our earth's history with cyclical breaking up and accretion.

The last supercontinent was called Pangaea, derived from the Ancient Greek words pan (entire) and Gaia (earth).

About 175 million years ago Pangaea started to break up into Laurasia (North-America, Europe and Asia) and Gondwana. About 150 - 140 million years ago Gondwana broke up into the parts we know today as South America, Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica. About 60 - 55 million years ago North America and Greenland split off from Eurasia.

8. Eurasia, Gondwana, Laurasia and Pangaea date from different phases in the geological history of our planet. If we go even further back in time we see that the solar system, of which our planet is part, formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. There are eight planets in our solar system. Which of the four listed below is NOT named after a Roman god?

Answer: Uranus

Jupiter is named after the supreme Roman deity, Mars after the Roman god of war and Neptune after the Roman god of the sea.

Uranus is named after the Greek god of the sky. His Roman counterpart is called Caelus.

9. Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus are all gas giants, whilst Mars has a rocky surface. On Mars you can find the highest mountain in our solar system. What is the name of this gigantic mountain?

Answer: Olympus Mons

Olympus Mons is the largest volcanic mountain on Mars with a height of nearly 22 km (14 mi), three times as high as Mount Everest.

The three wrong answers are also mountains on Mars.

10. Ascraeus Mons, Elysium Mons, Olympus Mons and Pavonis Mons are all volcanic mountains on Mars, but our earth also has its share of volcanoes. One of the most notorious volcanic eruptions was the one of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE that buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Who was the emperor of Rome when this disaster occurred?

Answer: Titus

Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, better known as Titus, was the son of Vespasian and his successor as Roman emperor in 79 CE. Just like his father he was a military commander for most of his adult life. He is notorious for putting down a Jewish rebellion in 70 CE and destroying the temple of Jerusalem.

He reigned for only 2 years until his death in 81 CE. His reign was marked by the Vesuvius eruption and the completion of the Colosseum.

His brother Domitian, who was the last of the Flavian emperors, Nerva and Trajan were the next three Roman emperors.

Source: Author AlonsoKing

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

All Questions Lead to Rome Trivia Quiz

Don't be misled by the title. Not all questions are about Rome. A general bunch of linked questions.

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>