FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Those Darn Etruscans
Quiz about Those Darn Etruscans

Those Darn Etruscans ... Trivia Quiz


Much about the Etruscans is still a mystery. However, some historians believe that they - and not the Greeks or Romans - are the true founders of European history.

A multiple-choice quiz by ponycargirl. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. History Trivia
  6. »
  7. Ancient History
  8. »
  9. Roman History

Author
ponycargirl
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
319,285
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
686
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 198 (5/10), SEB712 (8/10), Guest 95 (6/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. In what modern region of Italy did the Etruscans originally settle? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The Etruscans eventually dominated which coast of Italy? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Today there is still some discussion regarding the origins of the Etruscans. If they were not indigenous to the area, from what area did they probably migrate? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. There is considerable evidence that shows the Etruscans built the city of Rome.


Question 5 of 10
5. According to early Roman history, in what year - the date commonly given for the beginning of the Roman Republic - were the Etruscan kings overthrown once and for all? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. An Etruscan monarch who ruled Rome was known as a: Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Etruscan religion consisted of a belief in: Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The ancient Etruscans left behind a written language.


Question 9 of 10
9. The Roman love of this activity in the hippodrome probably had its origin in Etruscan culture. Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What was one of their most important trade items that helped the Etruscans to guarantee the success of the early Romans? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Oct 25 2024 : Guest 198: 5/10
Oct 13 2024 : SEB712: 8/10
Sep 28 2024 : Guest 95: 6/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In what modern region of Italy did the Etruscans originally settle?

Answer: Tuscany

The Etruscans were the first major civilization in this area, preceded by the Alpennini (1350-1150 BC) and Villanovan (1170-700 BC) cultures.
2. The Etruscans eventually dominated which coast of Italy?

Answer: Western

The Etruscans eventually dominated the western coast of Italy. Their influence extended well past Rome and the Tiber River. Joining together in a confederation of twelve city-states (The League of Twelve Peoples), they eventually controlled so much of Italy that Cato said in the second century B.C. that nearly the whole of Italy was under Etruscan rule.
3. Today there is still some discussion regarding the origins of the Etruscans. If they were not indigenous to the area, from what area did they probably migrate?

Answer: Lydia

Dionysius, a Greek historian, cited two theories on the origin of the Etruscans. He said they either came from Lydia, or were indigenous to Italy. Herodotus reported that they came from Lydia, and modern scholars tend to agree. Linguists have found similarities between the Lydian and Etruscan languages.
4. There is considerable evidence that shows the Etruscans built the city of Rome.

Answer: True

In 390 B.C. the Gauls took the city of Rome, and much of its previously written history was lost. Although some historians speak of an "Italic" founding of Rome, there are many ancient sources that emphasize the Etruscan/Roman connection. The Etruscans usually built settlements on a hill and surrounded them with a wall. Roman mythology focuses on the building of the city on the Palatine Hill, with Remus and Romulus working together at first to build a wall around the city.

Some sources even say that the name Rome itself is Etruscan in origin. Even though it is obvious that the ancient Romans were influenced by many people, it is the Etruscans who laid the foundations for the success and future grandeur of the city.
5. According to early Roman history, in what year - the date commonly given for the beginning of the Roman Republic - were the Etruscan kings overthrown once and for all?

Answer: 509 B.C.

Early Roman historians claimed the Etruscans were expelled from Rome in 509 BC. However, in reality it appears that the Etruscans completed several building projects after that date. Perhaps the reason for this mix-up stemmed from that fact that the new masters of the city wanted to take credit for projects they really did not complete - the "Cloaca Maxima" or "Great Sewer", which was built to drain the site of the Roman Forum, and the "Capitoline Jupiter", a temple to honor Jupiter that was built on the Capitoline Hill.
6. An Etruscan monarch who ruled Rome was known as a:

Answer: Tarquin.

Many characteristics of Roman government were introduced by the Etrusans. An official called a "lictor" stood before the king with a "fasces", a bundle of rods bound together with an ax. This symbolized that the Tarquin had absolute power - even the power to behead his subjects.

The list of the seven legendary kings of Rome includes two leaders called Tarquins, Tarquinius Priscus and Tarquinius Superbus. According to legend, Tarquinius Superbus was the most repressive king Rome had ever known.

In 509 BC the monarchy was overthrown, and the Republic began. After that, Romans tended to look at rule by a king as suspect and undesirable. "Rex" (king) became the symbol of the type of rule to avoid.
7. Etruscan religion consisted of a belief in:

Answer: polytheism.

Etruscans, like the Romans, were polytheistic and adopted their religious beliefs from several different places. Many of their beliefs were Indo-European in origin (remember they came from Lydia, which was in modern Turkey, and the site of the Indo-European Hittite civilization); Tin or Tinia was the sky god, Uni was his wife, and Cel was the earth goddess. Contact with the Greeks also brought the worship of the deities that would become Artemis, Minerva, and Bacchus.
8. The ancient Etruscans left behind a written language.

Answer: True

Unfortunately, the Romans were not interested in the Etruscans, and their literary works were not translated or preserved. Short tomb inscriptions represent most of what is left of their writing. The Etruscans used a 27-letter alphabet based on the Greek alphabet, so it is fairly easy to translate.
9. The Roman love of this activity in the hippodrome probably had its origin in Etruscan culture.

Answer: Chariot racing

The Etruscans not only passed down chariot racing to the Romans, but there is also evidence that the gladiatorial games might have originated with them.
10. What was one of their most important trade items that helped the Etruscans to guarantee the success of the early Romans?

Answer: Iron

Although the Etruscans were not the earliest iron workers in Italy (the Villanovan culture was), their wealth was based on iron working. Rome, built on the Tiber River, had natural access to trade, and many people who did not know how to make iron came to Rome to acquire it.
Source: Author ponycargirl

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Roman History:

Over a span of a thousand years, the ancient Romans created a vast empire, and made amazing contributions to the world as we know it today.

  1. Masada Average
  2. Tales of the Ides of March Average
  3. Justinian and Theodora Average
  4. Henry's Roman Holiday Average
  5. Republican Government in Ancient Rome Average
  6. Tales of the Saturnalia Average
  7. More Tales of the Saturnalia Average
  8. Pompey and the Pirates Tough
  9. Caesar and the Pirates Average
  10. Rome's First Family Average
  11. The Founding of Rome: The True Story Average
  12. Those Darn Etruscans ... Average

10/31/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us