Roman History Quiz: Ancient Rome | 10 Questions

Answer: Lorica Squamata

Scale armour was one of the oldest metal defences known to man and the Romans used it for some eight centuries or more. Its inspiration obviously comes probably from the appearance of fish scales or possibly from an animal called the Pangolin. Scale armour was cheaper to produce than mail or plate armour and was easily maintained by the soldier himself.

In this form scale armour lasted in Europe until well into the Middle Ages and until the late 19th century in the East.

Answer: Vespasianus

The head of the Flavian family, Vespasian emerged victorious from the conflicts that ensued out of the the power vacuum left by the death of the last legitimate Caesar, Nero. Amongst other notable deeds Vespasian began the construction of the Flavian Amphitheatre popularly known as the Roman Colosseum.

Answer: Caligula

What an interesting character dear 'little boots' was. Had sex with his sisters, declared himself to be a god, made war against Neptune, terrorised his uncle Claudius and insulted the Praetorian Guard constantly. He was just too much of an embarrasment.

Answer: Colchester

Cowardice in the face of an enemy was usually punishable by death, including the well known collective punishment of decimation. The legate Scapula together with other wounded survivors only escaped punishment because their wounds were in the front not the back. This showed that they had been engaging the enemy ... not running away!

Answer: 80

It was always assumed that 100 was the amount but the reality was that a century comprised of 80 men.

Answer: Augustus

Germanic barbarian tribes first appear in Roman history around 150BC and from then on remain a thorn in the side of both Gauls as well as Romans. One notable Roman defeat after 116BC was at Arausio in 105BC. Although the consul Marius relieved Rome of the Germanic threat in 101BC at the battle of Vercellae the German tribes continued to be a threat. Periodically Rome would have to check their advance but not always with success.

The Augustan general Varrus lost 3 legions in the Teutoburg Forest in 9AD (hence Augustus's laments!) and Germanicus fought two battles in 15 and 16AD.

The Germanic tribes were never fully subdued and in fact they evolved their battle tactics through contact with Roman military practice. In time, the later Germanic tribes of the Franks, Vandals, Alemanni, Goths etc would ultimately bring about the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Answer: York

Severus reigned for over 17 years and Rome enjoyed a short period of stability after the murder of the Emperor Commodus in AD 192 and followed by the Imperiums of two Emperors whose combined reigns amounted to less than five months!

Answer: adoptive

The Emperor Nerva adopted Trajan even though he had living relatives. Perhaps it was because Trajan was in command of Legions based near to Rome! In his turn Trajan who reigned for nineteen years, adopted his kinsman Hadrian, although it was rumoured that this move had been engineered by his wife Plotina.

Answer: Gladius

In the later Imperial period the Roman army adopted the defensive type of sword known as the Spatha. Many historians mark this changeover as the defining moment when the Roman Empire began to implode upon itself... much like - in an astronomical sense - when a giant red star now without any mass begins to shrink into a dead, dense and unshining neutron star.

Answer: none of the stone blocks are cemented

This aqueduct is a magnificent example of a cementless construction, built, it is thought, during the reign of Augustus or one of his early successors. It runs half a mile through the town of Segovia at a height of ninety feet comprised of a two storied row of 128 arches. It really is an impressive remaining artifact of the glory that was Rome. See it if you can.