Roman Knowledge Trivia Quiz

Answer: The First Triumvirate

In 60 BC Caesar made a proposition to Crassus and Pompey. It was to make the three men powerful and rule Rome together. The alliance was unofficial and was kept secret from the public and any other audience for some time. It ended in 53 BC after Marcus Licinius Crassus had died. Shortly before the death of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar were very unfriendly towards each other due to events that had happened in the years of the alliance. Once Crassus was dead Caesar and Pompey became hostile and so the alliance ended.

Answer: Legions XVII, XVIII and XIX

All three of these legions were levied by Augustus around 41 BC and destroyed in AD 9. It was Publius Quinctilius Varus who led the 17th, 18th and 19th legions through the forest. The army consisted of three legions, six cohorts of auxiliary troops and three squadrons of cavalry which amounted to 20,000-36,000 men.

The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was an ambush set up by Germanic tribes to destroy the Roman legions in Germania.

Answer: Praefectus Castrorum

The "Praefectus Castrorum" in other words "The Camp Prefect" was third in command of a Roman legion. He was in charge of looking after the legion's equipment and building works, he had to maintain and update the status of the legion's organization and make sure that the legion was in good shape and has had the proper training requirements.

The requirements to be a "Camp Prefect" were to have served in the army for 25 years and to have become a "Primus Pilus" in the past.

Answer: No

Julius Caesar was not an emperor by the time of his death in 44 BC nor had there ever been an emperor before him.

Octavian (later named Augustus), who lived 63 BC-AD 14 was the first Roman Emperor. His reign lasted from 27 BC until AD14. Octavian was adopted by his great uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Caesar named Octavian as his rightful heir.

Answer: The Roman Peace

The "Pax Romana" was created by Augustus to keep the peace within the borders of the Roman Empire.

Legionaries and auxiliaries would patrol the borders over large distances to keep the Roman Empire stable and out of danger of a full scale invasion. The "Pax Romana" lasted from 27 BC to 180 AD.

Answer: Horace

Horace was a well-known poet in his time (and later). He lived for 57 years through the age of the "Roman Republic" and the "Roman Empire". For some of the time Horace worked he created books Odes, Satires, the Ars Poetica and others.

In 39 BC after Augustus granted amnesty, Horace became a secretary in the Roman treasury by buying the position of questor's scribe

Answer: Hastati

Hastati were the first line of defence or attack in a battle followed by the principes and triarii.

The standard hastati soldier was equipped with a sword called the gladius, two missile weapons called pilas and a shield called a scutum.

Answer: AD 1453

In AD 1453 the Ottoman Turks took the capital of Eastern Roman Empire" (Byzantine Empire), Constantinople. After Constantinople fell the Ottomans vanquished other parts of the empire and finally the Eastern Roman Empire ended.

Answer: A hippodrome

The "Circus Maximus" was the first, largest and most famous hippodrome in Roman times. It was a chariot racing stadium which could seat up to 150,000 people! It could also be used for other events like gladiator fights.

The "Circus Maximus" was constructed in the 6th century BC. It was located in Rome, between the Palatine and Aventine hills.

Answer: Aureus

The name aureus was used from the 1st century BC to the early 4th century AD, after that the aureus was permanently renamed the solidus.

A gold coin had a value of 25 silver denarii.