Life as a Roman Senator Trivia Quiz

Answer: 15-17

Around the age of 16 a young male Roman became a man, truly adult, virile, and able to participate in public life and fighting fit. Vade! (Or, in Latin: Go!)

Answer: toga virilis

The 'toga virilis' literally means the 'toga of manhood', from 'vir, viri' - 'man'. So it's the toga of manliness, or the toga a man wears when becoming a citizen. This marks the transition from boyhood to manhood.

Answer: military service

Military service. Hup-two, three, four! After becoming a man, every citizen owed his country 10-20 years of military service. If you were rich, you served for 10 years; if not, 20. This used to be determined by if you had a horse or not, because a horse meant wealth.

Answer: run for quaestor

You start by running for quaestor. A quaestor was a treasurer. Comes from "quiero" - 'to ask, inquire'. A quaestor inquired into public funds, and kept track of all money that cames in and went out. First step in a political career.

Answer: Yes

Indeed, indeed. Once you get elected to quaestor, you are elected to the senate for life, even after you're finished with your one-year term as quaestor.

After quaestorship, you go into a pro-quaestorship where you govern a small province for a year. Inspiring!

Answer: race of honor

Race of honor. Once you are in the race of honor, you are part of the senate for life. There are four offices to the race of honor ...

Answer: aedile

Aedile is the office of a public works administrator. It comes from aedes, aedis - building. They take care of the city, and hand out jobs. Why? Because government officials, believe it or not, couldn't do business. So they hired business folk to work on public projects for them.

It was possible to become a senator without having held the office of aedile, but it was often an advantage.

Answer: praetor

A praetor is a judge. He judges all affairs.

Answer: Polybius

Brutus was the first consul, the founder of the Republic out of the infamous Rape of Lucretia, which MAY or may NOT have happened. *Wiggles eyebrows*

Cicero was a consul, and very famous orator. His most famous speeches are the "Catilinarian Orations", denouncing Lucius Catiline. Very vicious; I'm translating them in class. He calls him sewage at one point...

Caesar, the famous Caesar, not of the salad, became the first Roman dictator for life. Sulla and Cincinattus were also some famous Roman dictators. Not much to say which do not know. Et tu, Brute?

Polybius is a historian, the most reliable but not the most brilliant ...

Answer: all of these

Plebeians achieved "equality" with patricians in 287 BC. They could run for consul, and to do that, they could run in the cursus honorum. The tribune of the plebs was obviously a plebeian-exclusive office.

Hope you've enjoyed this quiz! Vale! (Be well!)