The History of Lisbon Trivia Quiz

Answer: Odysseus

The legends state that Lisbon was originally called "Ulisipo" after Odysseus' Latin name, Ulysses. It was renamed Olisipo when the city became part of the Roman Empire.

Answer: Sao Jorge Castle

Sao Jorge Castle was completed in 1375 when King Ferdinand I called for a fortified building after the Moors had been defeated in Portugal two centuries earlier. Before then, Lisbon architecture still reflected Moorish culture. The castle was designed and built by Joao Fernandes and Vasco Bras.

Answer: Tariq ibn Ziyad

Prior to the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, much of that land was under control of the Visigoth Kingdom, which was in the midst of a civil war. Tariq ibn Ziyad, who had been governor of Tangiers in Morocco, invaded the area and took Lisbon. The Moors remained in control of Portugal for over 400 years.

Answer: Plague

A plague actually worked to Alfonso's advantage during the Siege of Portugal in October 1147 after Alfonso and his forces raided Lisbon when a plague wiped out large portions of the weakened Muslim population. Alfonso had at least twice unsuccessfully tried to take Lisbon in 1137 and 1140 but could not make it past Lisbon's walls. Poor weather during his planned invasion in the summer of 1147 prevented Alfonso from reaching the city and he was forced to dock in Porto, allowing Muslim forces to set up a naval blockade.

Alfonso successfully retook Lisbon for Catholic forces in October/November 1147. This event was part of the Reconquista.

Answer: England

Tensions between Lisbon and Castile had been growing for some time as Lisbon was growing economically and spreading its influence into North Africa and the Byzantine Empire. The alliance between Lisbon and England was economic at first, but during the second half of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, Portugal supported England while Castile aided France. Lisbon, now led by Ferdinand, then declared war on Castile. Soon afterward, Lisbon fell to Castile but was returned when Portugal paid a ransom.

Answer: Prince Henry the Navigator

As North Africa was falling to the Ottoman Empire, merchants in Lisbon were becoming fearful that the Turks would either conquer Lisbon next or refuse to trade with Portugal. Fortunately, Lisbon had a diverse population of Christians, Jews and Muslims who shared a common interest. Lisbon was able to spy on Ottoman merchants and learned where they were getting their supplies, which included gold and spices, from.

Henry, who didn't earn his nickname of The Navigator until centuries later, started claiming land in Africa for Lisbon.

Henry's use of trade winds and exploration style were later used by Christopher Columbus.

Answer: Battle of Alcantara

Spain had long wanted Lisbon and Portugal to be part of its kingdom as Portugal had owned resourceful lands in Africa as well as Brazil. During the ensuing war, Portugal had a large fleet but all that was diminished when Sebastian I and his crew were killed in the Battle of Alcacer Quibir in 1578. Without a clear heir to the Portuguese throne, Lisbon was thrown into chaos and Spain easily defeated Antonio of Portugal, who essentially made himself king, at Alcantara in 1580.

This is the first Battle of Alcantara that took place in 1580. The second one was against France in 1809.

Answer: John IV

John IV was formerly the Duke of Braganza. According to legend, John IV had no interest in taking throne because he became rich under Spanish rule of Lisbon. He only agreed to because all classes of people, from the wealthy to the poor, decided he should be their leader. Moreover, his wife, Luisa de Guzman, insisted.

Answer: An earthquake followed by a tsunami

The first earthquake hit at around 9:40 a.m. with two strong tremors following twenty minutes later. Many of Lisbon's buildings, specially those inhabited by the lower classes, were old and shoddily constructed. As their homes were crumbling, many people abandoned them for the safety in the land surrounding the Tagus River.

However, one of the tremors sparked a series of massive tsunami waves. Fire broke out in the areas of Lisbon the waves did not reach. Over all, about 30,000-60,000 Lisboans perished and as many as 100,000 Portuguese in total.

This was the very first earthquake in history to be studied in a highly populated, large area, which began the modern study of seismology.

Answer: Carlos I

Carlos I reigned at a time of severe political tension between those with close ties to the Catholic Church and those who were more liberal-minded. Carlos usually remained politically neutral but before his assassination, he appointed Joao Franco as premier, but he ruled too dictatorially after he failed to work well with Jose Luciano de Castro. Carlos was killed by Alfredo Costa and Manuel Buica, two republican sympathizers, in his open carriage along with his older son. His younger son, Manuel, became the last monarch of Portugal.

In 1910 Portugal became a republic, but this was overthrown by a military coup in 1926.