A Crown of Swords Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peter the Great

Peter I Romanov (1672-1725), known as Peter the Great, was almost 7 ft (over 2 m) tall. Crowned Tsar of All Russia in 1682, at the age of 10, after years of family conflict, he finally became the sole ruler in 1696, and Emperor in 1721. Peter single-handedly turned Russia from a semi-medieval country into a force to be reckoned with, politically and culturally.

His trips to Europe convinced him to do away with many of the long-standing Russian traditions - such as men's custom of wearing robes and long beards - and quelling protests to his reforms quickly and forcefully.

He also moved the capital of his empire from Moscow to St Petersburg, the city he had built on the shores of Lake Ladoga, and named after his patron saint. Peter the Great's military successes in the Great Northern War against the Swedish king, Charles XII, paved the way for Russia's ascent to the status of European great power.

As his heir, Alexei, had died in prison after having rebelled against his father, and he had no other surviving male children, Peter was succeeded by his second wife, Catherine I.

Their daughter Elizabeth then became Empress upon Catherine's death. Though Peter the Great was a controversial figure in many respects, there is no denying his pivotal role in the development of modern Russian culture.

Answer: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

Born in Italy from Emperor Henry VI, of the German house of Hohenstaufen, and Norman princess Constance of Hauteville, Frederick II (1194-1250) was crowned king of Sicily when only 3 years old, with his mother acting as regent. He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1220, but - unlike his predecessors - spent very little time in Germany, electing the Sicilian city of Palermo as his capital. Frederick II was one of the most learned men of his time: he spoke six languages (including Arabic), wrote poetry and a treatise on falconry, and promoted science, literature and art.

The Sicilian School of poetry that arose at Frederick II's court in Palermo produced some of the earliest examples of literature in an Italo-Romance language. He was also a very tolerant monarch for his time, and his religious skepticism led to allegations of blasphemy, paganism and heresy. During his decades-long conflict with the Church, which tried to undermine his authority in Northern Italy, he was excommunicated four times, and even called Antichrist. Frederick II's line ended a few years after his death, with the execution of his grandson Conradin in 1268.

Answer: Mehmed II the Conqueror

Though the Byzantine Empire had been in a decline for over two centuries, it was Mehmed II (1432-1481) who finally brought about its end by conquering Constantinople in 1453. The son of Sultan Murad II, Mehmed was a born military leader. The conquest of the great imperial capital (which was renamed Istanbul and rebuilt as a Turkish city) was only the first of a long series of military successes that led him to conquer most of Turkey and Southeast Europe, and earned him the appellative of Fatih (Conqueror). On the other hand, Mehmed II also encouraged cultural and scientific activity, and laid he foundations for the development of the Ottoman Empire by creating a strong centralized government structure.

In addition to his martial qualities, Mehmed II was a very learned man, who wrote poetry and spoke several foreign languages. According to historical sources, when he died at the age of 49 (possibly poisoned by his eldest son and heir, Bayezid), there was great rejoicing in Europe.

Answer: Edward III of England

Like his grandfather, Edward I, and unlike his weak, ineffectual father, Edward II, Edward III Plantagenet (1312-1377) embodied the medieval ideal of the warrior king. His reign lasted 50 years, during which England built up its military power at the expense of France, in spite of the ravages of the Black Death. Crowned at 14, a few years later Edward overthrew Roger Mortimer (the lover of his mother, Isabella of France), who had been England's de facto ruler after Edward II's assassination.

The Hundred Years' War started during Edward III's reign, after the king's unsuccessful claim to the French throne. Edward III's main interest was warfare, and under his rule England saw some important military victories against France, such as the battles of Crécy and Poitiers.

He had 13 legitimate children with his wife, Philippa of Hainault, and was succeeded by his grandson, Richard II, the son of his eldest son and heir, Edward the Black Prince, who had died one year before his father.

Answer: Louis XIV of France

Though Louis XIV of Bourbon, the Sun King (1638-1715), is not as often associated with warfare as other monarchs, military power was the cornerstone of his very long reign (72 years). Born to his parents, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, after 23 years of marriage, he became king at the age of 4, growing up under the threat of the revolt of the nobility known as the Fronde.

His mother, who was regent until he came of age (assisted by her advisor, Cardinal Mazarin), instilled into him a firm belief in the absolute power of a monarch's rule - which Louis deployed in full force as an adult. Among his many achievements (such as the building of the spectacular Palace of Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris) was his reform of the army, which was re-organized into a professional, well-trained force that was completely devoted to him.

Many wars were fought under Louis XIV's rule, establishing France as the leading European power, as well as expanding its reach outside Europe by acquiring numerous colonies (including Louisiana, named after him). Married in 1660 to Maria Theresa of Spain, he had many mistresses and illegitimate children. Louis XIV was succeeded by his great-grandson, Louis XV, as he had outlived both his son, the Grand Dauphin Louis, and his grandson, Louis, Duke of Burgundy.

The epithet of "Sun King" probably originated by Louis XIV's choice of the sun (associated with Apollo, the Greek god of the arts) as his personal emblem.

Answer: William I of Prussia

William I of Hohenzollern (1797-1888), the first German Emperor (Kaiser), was known for his polite, gentlemanly nature - unlike his domineering right-hand man, Otto von Bismarck, who was nicknamed the Iron Chancellor. As a second son, William did not expect to ascend to the throne of Prussia, and devoted most of his life to his military career.

As a young man, he fought in the Napoleonic Wars, including the decisive battle of Waterloo (1815), and later achieved the rank of general. William became king in 1861, at the age of 64, when his older brother, King Frederick William IV, died after years of physical and mental disability. With the help of Otto von Bismarck, his Minister President, he strengthened the army, and, as commander in chief, was able to conduct a number of successful wars (including the one against France in 1870). During the latter conflict, the southern German states joined the North, and the German Empire was born on 18 January, 1871.

As a young man, William was prevented from marrying Polish princess Elisa Radziwill, with whom he had fallen in love, and his subsequent marriage to Augusta von Sachsen-Eisenach-Weimar was not a happy one. William I also survived several assassination attempts, and died at almost 90 years of age.

His son, Frederick III, who was married to princess Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, became Emperor after him, but died after only 100 days on the throne. Their son, William II, brought about the end of the Empire after Germany's defeat in World War I.

Answer: Kublai Khan

A grandson of the feared Genghis Khan, Kublai (1215-1294) inherited a divided empire when he was crowned Great Khan of the Mongols in 1260, after years of civil war. Strongly attracted to Chinese culture, in 1271 he founded the Yuan dynasty, establishing its capital at Khanbaliq (part of modern-day Beijing). By 1279, he had conquered all of China; he then proceeded to strengthen his vast empire, building durable infrastructure and promoting art, science and education.

At the height of Kublai Khan's power, the Mongol empire stretched from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and included Korea, Burma, parts of Vietnam, Central Asia and most of the Middle East. Kublai's attempted invasions of Japan and Java, however, were unsuccessful, and resulted in huge financial losses. Venetian merchant Marco Polo, who had left Venice in 1271 with his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo, was welcomed to Kublai Khan's court, and spent 17 years there, possibly appointed a government official.

His experience is told in "The Book of The Wonders of the World", also known as "The Travels of Marco Polo" (c. 1300). Kublai is also the subject of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" (1797), which mentions his summer capital, Shangdu (Xanadu).

Answer: Philip II of Spain

The son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his wife, Isabella of Portugal, Philip II of Habsburg (1527-1598) was known as "The Prudent". Under his rule, which began in 1556, Spain reached the height of its power - in spite of the debacle of the Spanish Armada 1588, when the English fleet led by Sir Francis Drake defeated the Spanish fleet that was trying to invade England.

However, other wars (such as the Italian wars and the conflict with the Ottoman Empire, which culminated with 1571's Battle of Lepanto) were successful, and consolidated Spain's preeminent position in Europe. Philip married four times: his second wife was Mary I Tudor, which made him king of England and Ireland for a time.

After her death he proposed to her half-sister, Elizabeth I, but then ended up marrying French princess Elisabeth of Valois. Philip II's reign gave impulse to literature and the arts; his huge empire encompassed territories in all the known continents, from the recently discovered Americas to Southeast Asia (where the Philippine Islands were named after him). Philip II was succeeded by Philip III, his son by his fourth wife, Anna of Austria (who was also his niece).

Answer: Saladin

An-Nasir Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (1137-1193), sultan of Syria and Egypt and founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, was known in the West as Saladin. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, he was born in Tikrit, in modern-day Iraq (also the birthplace of notorious dictator Saddam Hussein). Thanks to his military brilliance in his campaigns against the Crusaders, he rose quickly in the ranks of the Fatimid government in Egypt, and later conquered Syria.

His capture of Jerusalem, following the decisive battle of Hattin (1187), prompted the Third Crusade, during which Saladin faced the Christian armies led by Richard I of England, Philip II of France and Leopold V of Austria. Even though he was the leader of the enemy forces, Saladin earned the respect of his adversaries because of his loyal and honourable behaviour, which led him to avoid unnecessary violence in most circumstances.

He was also extremely generous, and before his death gave away most of his wealth to the poor. Saladin was buried in a mausoleum in Damascus, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany donated the marble sarcophagus that can be seen beside the original wooden one.

Answer: Henry VII of England

Unlike the other rulers featured in this quiz, Henry Tudor (1457-1509) was not a conqueror, though he won his throne through military action. The scion of a noble Welsh family, Henry put an end to the bloody struggle between the houses of York and Lancaster known as the War of the Roses by defeating Richard III of York in the battle of Bosworth (1485), and then claiming the crown by right of conquest.

His maternal ancestry supported his claim to the throne, as his mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the fourth son of Edward III.

His marriage to Elizabeth of York (the eldest daughter of Edward VI) in 1486 unified the houses of York and Lancaster, as represented by the Tudor Rose, which became one of the heraldic emblems of England.

After his ascent to the English throne, Henry had to deal with several rebellions, but his reign was by and large peaceful. Henry's last years were blighted by the untimely death of his heir, Prince Arthur, and his wife, within a year of each other.

He was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII - famous for his six wives, as well as the split from the Roman Catholic Church.