The Eternal City Trivia Quiz

Answer: 40%

Perhaps the most famous Roman slave (although he lived in Roman-conquered Greece, not Rome herself) was Spartacus. Trained as a gladiator, he eventually escaped, along with a seventy other gladiators. From there, Spartacus' forces grew, until he threatened the very city of Rome with an army of 90,000. However, he died in battle in 71 B.C.

Answer: Ptolemy

The boy's full name was Ptolemy XV Philopator Philometor Caesar. But fortunately, he was generally called by his nickname, Caesarion, which is Greek for 'little Caesar'. He was the son of Cleopatra and, though historians have argued the point for two millenia, Julius Caesar himself seemed to believe Caesarion to be his son. Caesarion was killed by Caesar Augustus when he was seventeen years old.

Answer: Dionysus

Bacchus was the god of wine, fertility, and the general drama that surrounds those subjects. Hermes is the Greek name for Mercury, who was the gods' messenger. Heracles was not properly considered a god at all, merely a hero, who performed twelve great feats in exchange for immortality. Mithras was neither a Greek god nor a Roman one.

He was actually the Persian sun god, though his worship became popular for a time among the Romans, particularly soldiers.

Answer: One year

Of course, this wasn't non-negotiable. Famously, one consul, Gaius Marius, remained in office for seven years. When after his death, his nephew, also named Gaius, was elected consul, some people worried that they might have another Marius on their hands.

However, Marius's nephew did not repeat his uncle's strategy of re-election; instead, he simply marched his army across the Rubicon and declared himself dictator. His full name was Gaius Julius Caesar.

Answer: The first Roman roads built in Britain

Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 BC, opening the door to future Roman conquerors, long before the time of Vespasianus (69-79), and it was Emperor Claudius who established permanent Roman presence in Britain. However, one of Claudius's invading legions was led by Vespasian, before the man became emperor.

Answer: King Pharnaces of Pontus

Ptolemy XV was not yet born, and anyway, he was the son of Cleopatra and his father was believed to be Caesar himself. Neither was Sulla alive in 47 B.C., in his case because he had died years before, an adversary of Caesar's uncle, Marius. Pompey was one of Caesar's prominent enemies--the commander of the opposite side during the civil war--but it was not Caesar who defeated him in the end.

He was murdered in 48 B.C.

Answer: Tiber River

The Po is one of the largest rivers in Italy and is the home of the city of Turin, but not Rome. The ancient Romans considere the Rhine to be the very edge of civilization, beyond which were wild lands full of barbarians and strange beasts. Lastly, the River Thames is not in Italy, but rather flows through England.

Answer: Three names

The first name, or praenomen, had much the same significance of American first names: to distinguish and identify an individual member of a family. The second name, or nomen, identified to which clan a person belonged. The third name, or cognomen, specified the particular branch within a clan. Lastly, some Romans had additional nickname, or agnomen, which was often based on some physical trait or famous accomplishment.

Answer: Sanitation

Roman engineers built extensive aqueducts throughout the city of Rome, providing water uncontaminated by human and animal refuse. However, some people believe that the use of lead pipes caused poisoning. Also, the Romans implemented sewage systems that greatly reduced the transmitting of infectious diseases.

Answer: 16

Legionaries were recruited between the ages of seventeen and twenty. They were organized into centuries, units of a hundred men led by centurions. Centuries were then grouped into cohorts, battalions with six hundred legionaries. Lastly, cohorts were placed in legions, regiments of six thousand men, which were the main fighting unit of the Roman army.