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Peculiar Roman Emperors Trivia Quiz

Strange, off-the-wall, operating on a peculiar level that the peasants could not possibly have understood...the Roman emperors were busy behind the scenes. Can you identify the emperors by these brief descriptions?

A multiple-choice quiz by thejazzkickazz. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
thejazzkickazz

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
92,030

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1946

Last 3 plays: Guest 2 (4/10), Guest 47 (9/10), DeepHistory (10/10).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. His real name was Gaius Valerius and he was perhaps a slave at one time. Name this distinctive Roman emperor. Hint

Valens

Diocletian

Octavius

Nero

NEXT>

2. Who was the Roman emperor, calling himself Jovius, that divided the empire to the East and West with 4 emperors, 2 junior and 2 senior? Hint

Caligula

Aurelius

Nero

Diocletian

NEXT>

3. Who was the greedy emperor that obtained a vast fortune from blackmail, enabling him to make a capital city, humbly named after himself in the East? Hint

Nero

Diocletian

Caligula

Constantine

NEXT>

4. This mad emperor participated in the cult of Syrian sun-god El Gabal ...and dressed in a nightgown, he followed a basalt phallic statue around which he worshipped as a Baal figure. Hint

Commodus

Valens

Heliogabalus

Theodosius

5. He was the first and only African emperor of Rome...a member of the soldiery he rose in the ranks and became a favorite of Commodus. He attained the rank of Princeps after the usurper Pertinax was killed...what was his name? Hint

Antoninus Pius

Geta

Galba

Septimius Severus

NEXT>

6. Who was the captured daughter of Theodosius, managing a marriage between the great Goth king, Athnaulf, to ensure an alliance between the so called barbarians and the Roman empire? Hint

Claudia

Faustulus

Galla Placida

Agrippina

NEXT>

7. Who was the Greek scholar and philosopher that became emperor in 359? Hint

Justinian

Theodosius

Jovius

Julian

NEXT>

8. Who was the emperor, hiding in his marsh castle in Ravenna, that said "no" in sending troops to assist Theodosius as he lost his head? Hint

Tiberius

Honorarius

Nero

Valentian

NEXT>

9. Who was the emperor that banned paganism and popularized the universal concept of the "trinity" in 359? Hint

Constans

Constantine II

Maxentius

Constantius

NEXT>

10. Who was the first foreigner and barbarian that became an emperor of Rome? Hint

Maximinus Thrax

Scylla

Sulla

Honorarius

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. His real name was Gaius Valerius and he was perhaps a slave at one time. Name this distinctive Roman emperor.

Answer: Diocletian

Diocles was a Greek name from the area of Dalmatia. He was probably an illegimate child as well, becoming a competent soldier and eventually a protectores.

2. Who was the Roman emperor, calling himself Jovius, that divided the empire to the East and West with 4 emperors, 2 junior and 2 senior?

Answer: Diocletian

Diocletian was such an unusual emperor, he deserves to be twice mentioned. It is said that Diocletian appeared in public with his face painted a white-pale shade, so that he would appear spectre-like. Occasionally he would disappear in a puff of smoke through a trap door, excercising his apparent divinity.

3. Who was the greedy emperor that obtained a vast fortune from blackmail, enabling him to make a capital city, humbly named after himself in the East?

Answer: Constantine

Once in power he executed his son Crispus and wife Faustus. Constantine gained complete power and reunited the empire under his supreme control; surely his rule was the undoing of the empire...particularly his creation of the eastern capital at Constantinople which undermined the grandeur of Rome.

4. This mad emperor participated in the cult of Syrian sun-god El Gabal ...and dressed in a nightgown, he followed a basalt phallic statue around which he worshipped as a Baal figure.

Answer: Heliogabalus

Heliogabalus (Varius Avitus Bassianus) was cousin to Caracalla and claimed to be his son. The sun-god cult of which he became a priest was too much for the conservative Roman public to take, he was later murdered...only 4 years into his reign.

Answer: Septimius Severus

The Severan dynasty was begun under his reign and the rank of Princeps was passed on to his son Caracalla. Septimius was a decent emperor but had to deal with challenges from both Clodius Albinus and Pescinus Niger...both of whom he defeated.

6. Who was the captured daughter of Theodosius, managing a marriage between the great Goth king, Athnaulf, to ensure an alliance between the so called barbarians and the Roman empire?

Answer: Galla Placida

7. Who was the Greek scholar and philosopher that became emperor in 359?

Answer: Julian

He was said to be stolid, modest and uncommonly ugly. Never washed or bathed and lived like a slob, but was as courageous and virtuous as befit an emperor. With a well-discplined army Julian led them to conquer the Persians, reaching Ctesiphon and almost subduing the Persians until he was said to have been struck by an arrow from his own army.

8. Who was the emperor, hiding in his marsh castle in Ravenna, that said "no" in sending troops to assist Theodosius as he lost his head?

Answer: Honorarius

Rome fell under the reign of Honorarius (410) while he hid away in Ravenna. On the positive side, he was the emperor who cancelled the gladiatorial games...

9. Who was the emperor that banned paganism and popularized the universal concept of the "trinity" in 359?

Answer: Constantius

The son of Constantine, he opened the Hagia Sophia during his reign (the first version of the great church in Istanbul).

10. Who was the first foreigner and barbarian that became an emperor of Rome?

Answer: Maximinus Thrax

Maximinus Thrax was the first barbarian emperor, ruling from 235-238 A.D.

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

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May 01 2023 : Guest 2: 4/10
Apr 17 2023 : Guest 47: 9/10
Apr 12 2023 : DeepHistory: 10/10

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