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Virgil Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Virgil Quizzes, Trivia

Virgil Trivia

Virgil Trivia Quizzes

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"Arma virumque cano" (I sing of arms and of a man) are the opening words of Virgil's masterpiece, the epic poem "Aeneid", which follows the Trojan prince Aeneas as he flees across the Mediterranean at the end of the Trojan War, and establishes what will have become (in Virgil's time) the Roman Empire.
10 Virgil quizzes and 125 Virgil trivia questions.
1.
  Virgil's 'Aeneid'    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz will test your knowledge Virgil's magnum opus, "The Aeneid". It will progress quickly from the simple to the obscure - but don't get left behind like Dido!
Tough, 10 Qns, rk2210, Oct 07 08
Tough
rk2210
587 plays
2.
  Aeneid - Book III    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
"Aeneid 3" is Virgil's own mini-Odyssey. Aeneas and his Trojans sail away from the ruins of Troy to seek out a new homeland. But as we shall see, their journey is far from easy.
Average, 10 Qns, GPSpann, Jun 07 12
Average
GPSpann
167 plays
3.
  P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Primus    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
This is a quiz on Book 1 of the Aeneid as Vergil wrote it, so some knowledge of the original Latin is needed. Line numbers are provided for all questions.
Average, 25 Qns, eset, Jul 03 10
Average
eset
349 plays
4.
  Vergil's 'The Aeneid': The Founding of Rome    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Vergil's "The Aeneid" although filled with various short mythologies, primarily focuses on the ancestors of the founders of Rome. Let's see how well you know how each character in this epic poem fits into Roman "history".
Average, 10 Qns, algrewehou, May 24 08
Average
algrewehou
476 plays
5.
  Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Do you read Latin epics in your spare time? Do you have an unexplainable passion for Virgil? Or did you just accidentally take Latin for GCSE? Whichever it is, test your knowledge of Nisus and Euryalus here :)
Average, 10 Qns, Coopmeister, Jan 23 16
Average
Coopmeister
168 plays
6.
  Aeneid    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is an easy quiz on the Aeneid by Virgil. Enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, tapochka, Jul 30 03
Average
tapochka
765 plays
7.
  P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Secundus    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This quiz is on the second book of Vergil's famous epic. Once again, knowledge of the original Latin is recommended, line numbers provided for all questions.
Average, 20 Qns, eset, May 01 04
Average
eset
275 plays
8.
  Vergil's Aeneid Book 1    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Complete the quote from the Roman epic.
Tough, 10 Qns, jagman09, May 22 07
Tough
jagman09
330 plays
9.
  The Aeneid    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Virgil's "Aeneid" is a classic epic, both in the original Latin and in translation. This is a simple quiz on the main characters and events in the story.
Average, 10 Qns, phoebeandcole, Jul 18 07
Average
phoebeandcole
492 plays
10.
  Aeneid Trivia 2    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Part 2 of the Quizzes that test your knowledge of the great Roman epic, the Aeneid. This quiz is much more challenging than my previous one, and I highly recommend reading (in English or Latin) the actual text.
Difficult, 10 Qns, BenjiSim, Jun 20 10
Difficult
BenjiSim
489 plays
trivia question Quick Question
As Nisus and Euryalus leave, who is giving instruction to be carried to his father?

From Quiz "Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'"




Related Topics
  Literature Before 1900 [Literature] (50 quizzes)

  The Classics [Literature] (22 quizzes)


Virgil Trivia Questions
1. Book 2 and 3 of the "Aeneid" are told from the point of view of Aeneas himself, as he narrates his quest to found a new city. To whom is he telling this story?

From Quiz Aeneid - Book III

Answer: Dido

Aeneas and the weary Trojans, having traversed many seas and having endured many great storms, eventually find refuge in Carthage where they are warmly received by the Carthaginian Queen Dido. The two races unite for a feast, during which Aeneas recounts the destruction of Troy and the flight of the Trojans. As we all know, Dido and Aeneas' encounter ends in disaster, but that's another story!

2. To Nisus and Euryalus, there was a single what?

From Quiz Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: Love

'Nisus erat portae custos, acerrimus armis, et iuxta comes Euryalus, quo pulchrior alter non fuit Aeneadum* Troiana neque induit arma, his amor unus erat pariterque in bella ruebant' *this form of the genitive had stopped being used by Virgil's time, but he used it in the way we would use 'thou' - 'Nisus was the guard of the gate, very fierce in arms, and nearby his comrade, Euryalus, and none of the followers of' Aeneas was more handsome than he, nor did a more handsome man put on Trojan armour To these men there was a single love and they used to charge into war side by side'

3. "I sing of ________ and a man...".

From Quiz Vergil's Aeneid Book 1

Answer: Arms

The opening section parallels both the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey". The 'arms' parallels the opening quote of "The Iliad": 'Sing, Muse, sing the rage of Achilles,' while the man refers to Odysseus in Homer's "Odyssey".

4. The hero of "The Aeneid" is the Trojan hero Aeneas. Who was his lovely mother?

From Quiz Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: Venus

His mother was none other than the Roman goddess of love. His father was Anchises, a Trojan prince, who was later crippled because he slept with a goddess. Granted, Venus disguised herself as a Phrygian princess and seduced him.

5. Who is the main character?

From Quiz The Aeneid

Answer: Aeneas

Jupiter is the king of the gods, Juno is the queen of the gods and Turnus is one of Aeneas' many enemies. Aeneas is the star of this epic, and the poem is even named after him, hence "The Aeneid".

6. Aeneas had two wives; one was Trojan, the other Italian. What was his Trojan wife's name?

From Quiz Vergil's 'The Aeneid': The Founding of Rome

Answer: Creusa

Creusa was his wife who played a minor yet pivotal role as she died early in the story during the sack of Troy with little explanation as to who she was.

7. Where is Aeneas at the begining of the book? (ln 1-2)

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Secundus

Answer: Carthage

Although this book focuses on the fall of Troy, it is told through the eyes of Aeneas, as he tells the story to Dido and her court.

8. The famous first words of the epic are "Arma virumque cano." To what/whom does "virum" refer? (ln 1)

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Primus

Answer: Aeneas

Though Aeneas' name is not actually used until line 92, he is the focus of the epic from the very beginning.

9. Venus, the goddess of love, was the mother of Aeneas, but who was his father?

From Quiz Aeneid

Answer: Anchises

Now the story goes that Venus had the power to make the gods desire humans(which was not good). So Jupiter (Zeus) made Venus fall in love with Anchises, in order to teach her a lesson. Adonis was in fact another mortal lover of Venus; Ascanius was the son of Aeneas, and Iulus was another version of his name.

10. When Aeneas's ship gets caught in storm and death seems imminent, he cries out, 'Bravest Danaan, -blank-, why could I not go down when you had wounded me, and lose my life on Ilium's battlefield?' Which Greek hero is Aeneas addressing?

From Quiz Aeneid Trivia 2

Answer: Diomedes

Diomedes is the hero Aeneas battled with. Interestingly enough, he reappears near the end of the epic expressing his best wishes for Aeneas's success.

11. Whilst 'other creatures throughout all the lands were easing their cares and their hearts, forgetting their labours, in sleep' what were the foremost leaders of the Trojans doing?

From Quiz Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: having a council

'cetera per terras omnes animalia somno laxabant curas et corda oblita laborum: ductores Teucrum primi, delecta iuventus, consilium summis regni de rebus habebant, quid facerent quisve Aeneae iam nuntius esset.' - 'other creatures throughout all the lands were easing their cares and their hearts, forgetting their labours, in sleep: the foremost leaders of the Trojans, a select group of young warriors, were having a council about important matters of state, what they should do or who might now be a messenger to Aeneas.'

12. "Is there such great _______ from divine minds?"

From Quiz Vergil's Aeneid Book 1

Answer: Wrath

This is referring to Juno's great anger that Aeneas will keep the Trojan name alive.

13. Aeneas certainly was not a philanderer, but he did have three famous consorts throughout his career. What are their names, and what is the correct chronological order?

From Quiz Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: Creusa, Dido, Lavinia

Creusa was Aeneas' first wife, who was left behind during the sack of Troy. Dido was his short-lived love in Carthage, but he soon moved on to woo Lavinia in Latium (in modern Italy). Amata was never closely associated with Aeneas; she was the wife of King Latinus of Latium.

14. What is the name of Aeneas' father?

From Quiz The Aeneid

Answer: Anchises

Evander travelled with Aeneas until he died. Aeneas then saw him again when he travelled to the underworld.

15. With this Trojan wife, Aeneas had a son. This son plays a major role in the campaigns which Aeneas faces later in the book. What is this son's name?

From Quiz Vergil's 'The Aeneid': The Founding of Rome

Answer: Ascanius

Ascanius, also called Iulus, is displayed as a young man coming of age as he is destined to be the ruler of the land later to be known as Troy.

16. In line 3, who is the "regina"?

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Secundus

Answer: Dido

Dido is the queen of Carthage.

17. What Trojan actually managed to escape the Greeks and reach the Italian mainland before Aeneas?

From Quiz Aeneid Trivia 2

Answer: Antenor

Antenor sails up the Timavus river and settles in the city of Padua.

18. Nisus and Euryalus go to ask the leaders to let them go and ambush the Rutuli. Where does Nisus say that they have noticed a place for an ambush?

From Quiz Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: at a fork in the road

'locum insidiis conspeximus ipsi, qui patet in bivio portae quae proxima ponto' - 'we have ourselves noticed a place for an ambush which lies open at a fork in the road from the gate which is nearest to the sea'

19. "So great a task it was to found the Roman _________."

From Quiz Vergil's Aeneid Book 1

Answer: Race

This is talking about how hard it was to found the race and having to get through all the hardships faced. It ends the prologue.

20. Aeneas was traditionally held to be the founder and progenitor of the Roman race. At one point in the Aeneid, our hero has a Nostradamic vision of all the future Romans. Where does this encounter occur?

From Quiz Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: The Underworld

In the Underworld, Aeneas glimpses the souls of his future descendants, as they await the right moment to drink of the river Lethe (forgetfulness). Upon drinking from this river, the souls forget their past lives and they return to the land of the living. It's an interesting take on metempsychosis.

21. Aeneas's Trojan son, besides playing an important role in this story, also plays a role in the genealogy of Roman history. Which famous figure is his descendant?

From Quiz Vergil's 'The Aeneid': The Founding of Rome

Answer: Julius Caesar

As Ascanius's alternate name is Iulus, Virgil describes that Julius Caesar derived his name from such.

22. The words 'armato milite' in line 20 are in what case?

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Secundus

Answer: ablative singular

This is a wierd part because, although there were obviously many soldiers hidden in the body of what would later become known as the Trojan Horse, Vergil literally says that they filled the belly with 'soldier'.

23. Who is the first person to speak? (ln 37)

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Primus

Answer: Juno & Iuno

"Mene incepto desistere victam, nec posse Italia Teucrorum avertere regem?" (She is whining that Aeneas is going to found Italy and there isn't a single thing she can do to stop him.)

24. When Aeneas arrives at Carthage he meets Dido, who, though in love with Aeneas, cannot give way to her feelings because she vowed to her dead husband to remain faithful to him. What was the name of her dead husband?

From Quiz Aeneid

Answer: Sychaeus

Pygmalion was actually the brother of Dido, who killed Sychaeus in order to lay his hands on Sychaeus' money. Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, ended up killing Priam. Silvius was the son of Aeneas and Lavinia.

25. What is the name of Dido's evil brother?

From Quiz Aeneid Trivia 2

Answer: Pygmalion

Pygmalion murders Dido's husband, Sychaeus, on a sacrificial altar. His ghost appears to Dido in a dream and tells her to flee.

26. Nisus says that the road will not deceive them (he and Euryalus) as they go. How do they know their way around so well?

From Quiz Nisus and Euryalus - Virgil's 'Aeneid'

Answer: from their frequent hunting

'nec nos via fallet euntes: vidimus obscuris primam sub vallibus urbem venatu adsiduo et totum cognovimus amnem.' - 'Nor will the road deceive us as we go: we have seen the outskirts of the city from down in the dark valleys in (our) frequent hunting and we have got to know the whole river'

27. "Three and four times blessed, those whose lot it fell to die under the high walls of Troy before the face of the _________!"

From Quiz Vergil's Aeneid Book 1

Answer: Fatherland

Aeneas is lamenting that he thought he would die in a storm and not fighting for his city, Troy.

28. Which goddess is protecting Turnus?

From Quiz The Aeneid

Answer: Juno

Juno is the queen of the gods and tries to help Turnus whenever she can, although this sometimes annoys the other gods.

29. Aeneas had another wife in this story. She is Italian royalty who ultimately is the cause of tension between the Rutulians and the Trojans. What is this woman's name?

From Quiz Vergil's 'The Aeneid': The Founding of Rome

Answer: Lavinia

Upon his arrival in Hesperian Italy, Aeneas seeks his bride-to-be foretold by fate only to find his right to her hand challenged by a Rutulian betrothed to her by her parents. Her name was Lavinia.

30. Who speaks the words 'timeo Danaos et dona ferentis"? (ln 49)

From Quiz P. Vergili Maronis Aeneidos Liber Secundus

Answer: Laocoon

This phrase is most likely the precurser of our age-old saying 'beware of Greeks bearing gifts'.

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