Roman History from Augustus to Constantine Quiz

Answer: Augustus

The legendary Romulus was the first ruler of Rome, circa 753 B.C.E., and he was not an Emperor but a king. Many mistakenly think that Julius Caesar became the first Emperor but he never put on the purple. Caligula was the third Emperor (we'll get to him later)

Answer: Play his lyre as Rome burned

Legend has it that Nero, the fifth Emperor, was the one who fiddled while a fire was raging in Rome. Caligula was assassinated in 41 C.E., because of the crazy things he ordered, lasting only four years. This murder was the first in a pattern: the majority of emperors were assassinated.

Answer: Conquering Judea (modern-day Israel)

Vespasian left his son Titus, a future Emperor, to conquer Jerusalem while he went to Rome. Tiberius was the Emperor who lived in solitude on an island. Germany was conquered and lost during Augustus's reign and never reconquered. Zenobia's rebellion occurred in 260 C.E. in reign of Gallerius, almost 200 years later.

Answer: Pertinax

The golden age of Rome started with the rise of Nerva and ended the the accession of Commodus. Pertinax was the emperor after Commodus, and although he was a great Emperor, he was assassinated by the Praetorian Guard before he could restore the Empire back to the golden age. That is why he is not included as one of the "good" or "adoptive" Emperors.

Answer: False

It was the Praetorian Guard who sold the Empire to Didius Julianus in 193 C.E.

Answer: Decius

The Goths attacked during the reign of Decius (249 C.E.), and rampaged through the Roman Empire, getting within 50 miles of Rome. They were not beaten back until the reign of Claudius Gothicus, nineteen years later.

Answer: Shapur I captured Valerian and humiliated him in front of Rome

Their were many embarrassments during the times of Valerian and Gallienus, but the capture of Valerian was the most humiliating. The Persians captured Valerian, and advanced on Roman soil, while Goths, Franks and Alemani were still at large. If not for the rules of Claudius Gothicus and Aurelian, Rome would likely have been lost forever. None of the other options is completely accurate.

Answer: Licinius

In Diocletian's tetrarchy, there were two Emperors, both called "Augustus", who ruled Rome. Under them, two Caesars served liked princes, with their own lands and power, but answerable to the Augustus's. Unfortunately, this system broke down with the death of Diocletian.

When Maximinus and Severus, the next leaders, were appointed as Caesars, the system collapsed when Maxentius and than Licinius became Emperors ("Augusti") immediately.

Answer: 6

Here's what happened:

Gallerius and Severus were Emperors ("Augusti") with Constantine and Maximinus as Caesars.

Then a rebellion ensued in Rome in which Severus was killed and Maxentius, the son of Maximian (a previous Augustus who had abdicated) became Augustus. At the same time, Constantine declared himself Augustus. And, Maximian came out of retirement and declared himself Augustus too.

Both Constantine and Maxentius felt they needed Maximian to help them, and the three effectively formed an alliance against the dangerous Gallerius, who only had the weak Maximinus as an ally. So, Gallerius appointed Licinius as Augustus. Maximinus, who felt insulted at his more modest post, declared himself Augustus as well.

That made Maximian, Maximinus, Maxentius, Galerius, Licinius, and Constantine all emperors at the same time.

Eventually, Galerius and Maximian died, while Constantine killed Maxentius, Licinius defeated Maximinus, and Constantine vanquished Licinius, leaving him as the sole Emperor circa 324 C.E.

Answer: Made Rome a Christian Empire

Constantine never defeated Goths, expanded the Empire to the size of Trajan's, or freed the Roman slaves.

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