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The Roman Empire IV Trivia Quiz

Greetings again! When we last stopped, the empire had just entered the second century AD. See how much you know about Imperial Rome's third dynasty, the Antonines.

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

Author
Kserkso

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
282,784

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
655

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. After Domitian was murdered, the senate appointed the elderly Nerva to the office of princeps. Nerva had dismissed the praetorian prefect Titus Petronius Secundus - one of the chief conspirators against Domitian, and replaced him with a former commander. Who was this? Hint

Casperius Aelianus

Parthenius

Publius Cornelius Nigrinus

Cispius Daelianus

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Question 2 of 10

2. Where was Nerva born? Hint

Aosta, Italy

Samarobriva, Germany

Italica, Spain

Narni, Italy

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Question 3 of 10

3. Nerva died in 98 AD after a relatively short reign. Everyone agrees that the best thing he did was his choice of heir. Where was his succesor born? Hint

Lugdunensis, Gaul

Italica, Hispania

Narni, Italy

Athens, Greece

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Question 4 of 10

4. One of the following historians claims Trajan was a pederast (that is, had a sexual relationship with an adolescent boy). Which of these was it? Hint

Tacitus

Dio Cassius

Adrianus Belus

Heto the Greek

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Question 5 of 10

5. Trajan's most famous war was the one with Dacia. Who was the last Dacian king at the time? Hint

Burebista

Tzuran

Cotiso

Decebalus

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which city was later renamed after Trajan, thus getting the nomen Trajanopolis? Hint

Hatra near Mosul

Selinus in Cilicia

Jeriho in Judea

Bursa in Asiana

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Question 7 of 10

7. Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus was to succeed Trajan. Yet his succesion wasn't swift. Trajan probably never named an heir but his wife claimed that on his death bed he uttered the words "Aelius Caesar" referring to Hadrian as emperor. What was the name of Trajans wife? Hint

Pompeia Plotina

Faustina the Elder

Domitia Paulina

Aurelia Galeria Lucilla

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Question 8 of 10

8. What were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis in ancient Greece called? Hint

Persephone Mysteries

Eleusinian Mysteries

Demeter Mysteries

Hadrian Mysteries

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Question 9 of 10

9. While in Anatolia, Hadrian met a young boy who was destined to become his eromenos - his pederastic beloved. What was the boy's name? Hint

Lepistius

Nazenus

Antinous

Bastius

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Question 10 of 10

10. Hadrian died in 138 on 10th July in his villa at Baiae at age 62. However, the man who had spent so much of his life traveling had not yet reached his journey's end. He was buried first at Puteoli, near Baiae, on an estate which had once belonged to Cicero. Soon after, his remains were transferred to Rome and buried in the Gardens of Domitia, close by the almost-complete mausoleum. Upon the completion of the Tomb of Hadrian in Rome in 139 by his successor Antoninus Pius, his body was cremated, and his ashes were placed there together with those of his wife Vibia Sabina and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138. Antoninus also had him deified in 139 and given a temple on the Campus Martius.

True

False

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Casperius Aelianus

Publius Cornelius Nigrinus was the governor of Syria. Parthenius was Domitian's freedman and Cispius Daelianus is made up.

2. Where was Nerva born?

Answer: Narni, Italy

Statues of Nerva can be found today at Gloucester and Narni, to be more accurate at Cocceio Nerva street.

3. Nerva died in 98 AD after a relatively short reign. Everyone agrees that the best thing he did was his choice of heir. Where was his succesor born?

Answer: Italica, Hispania

Of course, we are speaking about Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan.

4. One of the following historians claims Trajan was a pederast (that is, had a sexual relationship with an adolescent boy). Which of these was it?

Answer: Dio Cassius

"I know, of course, that he was devoted to boys and to wine, but if he had ever committed or endured any base or wicked deed as the result of this, he would have incurred censure; as it was, however, he drank all the wine he wanted, yet remained sober, and in his relation with boys he harmed no one", writes Cassius.

5. Trajan's most famous war was the one with Dacia. Who was the last Dacian king at the time?

Answer: Decebalus

Hunted, his army defeated, surrounded by Roman detachments seeking his head, Decebalus, together with his two children, was finally cornered and rather than being captured as a prisoner to be exhibited at Rome, committed suicide by cutting his own throat, as depicted on Trajan's Column.

6. Which city was later renamed after Trajan, thus getting the nomen Trajanopolis?

Answer: Selinus in Cilicia

Late in 116, Trajan fell ill and set out to sail back to Italy. His health declined throughout the spring and summer of 117, and by the time he had reached Selinus in Cilicia which was afterwards called Trajanopolis, he suddenly died on August 9.

Answer: Pompeia Plotina

Domitia Paulina was Hadrian's mother. Faustina the Elder was Pius Antonin's wife, while Aurelia Galeria Lucilla was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius and the wife of Lucius Verus.

8. What were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone based at Eleusis in ancient Greece called?

Answer: Eleusinian Mysteries

Hadrian was the greatest traveller of all emperors. The climax of his tour was the destination that the hellenophile Hadrian must all along have had in mind, Greece. He arrived in the autumn of 124 in time to participate in the Eleusinian Mysteries. By tradition at one stage in the ceremony the initiates were supposed to carry arms but this was waived to avoid any risk to the emperor among them.

At the Athenians' request he conducted a revision of their constitution - among other things a new phyle (tribe) was added bearing his name.

9. While in Anatolia, Hadrian met a young boy who was destined to become his eromenos - his pederastic beloved. What was the boy's name?

Answer: Antinous

Sources say nothing about when Hadrian met Antinous. However, there are depictions of Antinous that shows him as a young man of 20 or so. As this was shortly before Antinous's drowning in 130, Antinous would more likely have been a youth of 13 or 14. It is possible that Antinous may have been sent to Rome to be trained as page to serve the emperor and only gradually rose to the status of imperial favorite.

Answer: True

To be continued ...

Source: Author Kserkso

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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