First Times for Emperors! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Commodus

While all of these were sons of emperors who themselves ascended the throne, only Commodus and Caracalla were born to the purple, with Commodus reigning 20 years before Caracalla.

Titus was born while his father Vespasian was just a praetor, and Volusianus was 21 when his father Gallus was proclaimed emperor.

Answer: Didius Julianus

Didius Julianus was a senator in Rome when Pertinax was murdered by the Praetorian guard, and the throne announced to be auctioned off by them. His wife and daughter convinced him to join in, so he ran across the city to the Praetorian camp, only to find the gates closed. For six hours he shouted his bids to the men on the wall, winning the auction when he promised each men 25.000 sesterces, about 8 years' wages per man.

Answer: Gordian II

Gordian II was actually named emperor alongside his father, Gordian I. Since the father was very old at the time (80 years old), the Senate recognized both as caesar at the same time. They both ruled for 22 days, when Gordian II fell in battle and his father killed himself, which also means Gordian II holds the record for the shortest reign of all Roman emperors.

His father comes in at a close second, reigning for a few hours more than his son.

Answer: False

Septimus Severus was indeed the first emperor to rise up from a non-senatorial rank, but he was born an equestrian, not a plebeian.

Answer: Little boots

Little Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus accompanied his father on military campaigns and was often dressed in a specially-made, child's size soldier's outfit. The legionnaires considered him to be their mascot and nicknamed him "little boots".

He hated the nickname as an adult, so calling him that would most likely have you swiftly executed!

Answer: Diocletian

Diocletian reigned for 21 years, and managed to bring the Empire back from the brink of collapse, mostly due to the vast reforms he instituted to the state.
After abdicating, he lived in peace in what is now Split in Croatia, growing vegetables in his huge palace grounds.

Answer: Theodosius the Great

Constantine the Great is often heralded as the first Christian emperor, and even venerated as a saint in some creeds. However, the stories of his conversion are apocryphal, and he never gave up the title of Pontifex Maximus.

Theodosius was the first never to be called Pontifex Maximus as his predecessor Gratian had relinquished the title, probably in 383.

Answer: First emperor who did not set foot in Rome during his reign

Macrinus was stationed in the Eastern provinces when he arranged for Caracalla's murder and his own proclamation; but the unrest the Romans were facing meant he never had the opportunity to return to Rome during his reign.

He did, in a way, reduce the pay for soldiers, but only for new recruits. Veterans were allowed to keep their existing salaries (they still got upset, as they feared their own pay would be cut later on).

Macrinus also brokered peace with the Parthians, but he was far from the first to do so. Even as early as the reign of Augustus, peace was made between the Romans and the Parthians.

Answer: Hadrian

Some busts of Nero also has him wearing sideburns or a neckbeard, but it was not a permanent fixture.

Hadrian is always portrayed with a full beard, for all of his adult life. The reason is said to be either because of his love for all Greek, including fashion, or to hide facial blemishes.

Answer: True

There are many stories surrounding Valerian's captivity; the more sensational ones have him reduced to a lowly slave, held in a cage and used as a footstool by the Sasanid ruler. Other sources claim he lived out his life in relative comfort and treated as an honored guest (albeit an involuntary one).