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Quiz about Those Who are About to Die Salute You
Quiz about Those Who are About to Die Salute You

Those Who are About to Die Salute You! Quiz


It's nineteen hundred years ago in Rome, and there's no TV... so let's go see some real blood! We're off to see the gladiators! How much do you know about the gladiators of ancient Rome?

A multiple-choice quiz by Flamis. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
Flamis
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
322,134
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
1172
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Where do we go to see the gladiators? Which of these buildings in Rome is famous for housing gladiatorial combats? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Since it's morning, you're looking forward to seeing the "venations". Out come the "venatores" and "bestiarii", some armed with long spears and others with whips and goads. What are the "venations"? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. At lunchtime there are criminals to be executed in the arena. Which method of execution would you MOST likely see used in the Roman arena? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Finally, it is time for the gladiatorial combats you came for. Below, you see the editor smiling as the gladiators enter the arena. Who is this "editor" person? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. You see that the first fight will be between a type of gladiator called "myrmillo" and another type called a "thrax". The "myrmillo" is armed with a "gladius". What sort of weapon was a "gladius"? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The next fight is between a "secutor" (or "chaser") and a "retiarius". Which weapons does the lightly armoured "retiarius" carry? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The crowd cry for blood, calling "Iugula!" ("Kill Him!") What sign did the crowd make to indicate that the defeated gladiator should die? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. You notice a slave collecting the blood from the fallen gladiator. Which property did the Romans ascribe to the warm blood of a slain gladiator?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The victorious gladiator has won many battles, and is acclaimed as a great champion. He is presented with the greatest prize of all - the "rudis". Which of these objects is the "rudis"? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. After the gladiatorial show is over we go to the vomitoria. What were the vomitoria? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Where do we go to see the gladiators? Which of these buildings in Rome is famous for housing gladiatorial combats?

Answer: Colosseum

The Colosseum was built by the Emperor Vespasian, and opened to the public by his son, the Emeror Titus, in AD 80. It was originally called the Flavian Amphitheatre, but later gained the name "Colosseum" for the gigantic statue (or colossus) of the Emperor Nero, which stood nearby. It could seat around 45,000 people, with another 5,000 standing. The Circus Maximus, used for chariot races, was even bigger, seating 200,000. A basilica was a Roman public building used for transacting business and sorting out legal matters. An insula was a Roman apartment building.
2. Since it's morning, you're looking forward to seeing the "venations". Out come the "venatores" and "bestiarii", some armed with long spears and others with whips and goads. What are the "venations"?

Answer: Animal hunts

The word "venations" means "animal hunts", but this could often be more of an "animal show" where unusual and exotic animals were paraded for the crowds. That said, many animals died for the crowds' amusement, pitted against each other, or hunted down and killed by the "venatores".

The job of those armed with whips was to goad the animals into a rage, making the show even more exciting.
3. At lunchtime there are criminals to be executed in the arena. Which method of execution would you MOST likely see used in the Roman arena?

Answer: Killing by wild beasts

Hanging as a method of execution was not used by the Romans, but appears to have been invented much later by the Anglo-Saxons in England. Stoning was not a method typically employed by the Romans, but used by the ancient Hebrews (and by modern Muslims under Sharia law). Crucifixion was used by the Romans, but because victims would take hours or even days to die it wasn't so suitable for the arena.

The favoured method for the arena was the "damnatio ad bestias" - victims were tied to posts and wild beasts let into the arena to eat them alive.

This is what is meant by "thrown to the lions". Also popular was the practice of forcing condemned criminals to fight each other unarmoured with swords to the death.
4. Finally, it is time for the gladiatorial combats you came for. Below, you see the editor smiling as the gladiators enter the arena. Who is this "editor" person?

Answer: A wealthy citizen, sponsor of the show

The term editor was short for "editor ludorum" meaning "the one who puts on the games". You might call him the "producer" or "promoter". The modern word "editor" meaning "one who prepares documents for publication" is derived from this. The trainer was called the "lanista". The gladiators paraded before the Emperor and saluted, proclaiming "Ave imperator, morituri te salutant!" which means "Hail, Emperor, those who are about to die salute you!"
5. You see that the first fight will be between a type of gladiator called "myrmillo" and another type called a "thrax". The "myrmillo" is armed with a "gladius". What sort of weapon was a "gladius"?

Answer: Short straight sword

The word "gladiator" comes from the Roman short sword called a "gladius". It was carried by a number of types of gladiator including the "myrmillo", and also by Roman legionaries. "Myrmillo" means "fish-man" because of the distinctive fin-like crest on his helmet. He also carried a tall rectangular wooden shield called a "scutum". The "thrax" had a short curved sword and a smaller, square sword. The various types of gladiators were named for their gear, often based on the various traditional enemies of Rome - the "thrax" was based on the Thracians.
6. The next fight is between a "secutor" (or "chaser") and a "retiarius". Which weapons does the lightly armoured "retiarius" carry?

Answer: Trident and net

"Retiarius" meant "net-fighter". The "dimachaerus" used two short swords. The spear and leash belonged to the "velitis" ("skirmisher") - the leash allowing him to quickly recover his spear after throwing it. The "paegniarius" ("comic-fighter") had the rather less lethal job of entertaining the crowd during intervals, using whips, clubs and shields.

There were at least 16 different types of gladiators.
7. The crowd cry for blood, calling "Iugula!" ("Kill Him!") What sign did the crowd make to indicate that the defeated gladiator should die?

Answer: They turned their thumbs

The Romans used a thumb signal called "pollice verso" which means "with a turned thumb". Historians cannot agree as to whether it was "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". In any case, the final say went to the Emperor if he was present, or else to the editor - the games' sponsor. He would give the sign - a closed fist meaning death - and then the doomed gladiator was executed where he lay by his opponent. Then the crowd shouted "Habet!" ("That's got him!"). Later, slaves would take the dead gladiators to the mortuary, where their throats would be cut to make sure they were dead.
8. You notice a slave collecting the blood from the fallen gladiator. Which property did the Romans ascribe to the warm blood of a slain gladiator?

Answer: It would cure epilepsy

The Romans had a number of strange superstitions about gladiators. It was said that if a bride on her wedding day parted her hair with a spear that had belonged to a gladiator who had died in the arena, she would be blessed with good luck. If a man had a dream about a "thrax" then he was going to marry a rich woman! The earliest gladiatorial contests were associated with funerary rites.
9. The victorious gladiator has won many battles, and is acclaimed as a great champion. He is presented with the greatest prize of all - the "rudis". Which of these objects is the "rudis"?

Answer: A wooden sword

The rudis was a sign that the gladiator had received his freedom and could retire to enjoy the money he had earned over his career. Many choose not to retire but to return to combat - or to train a new generation of gladiators in the gladiator school called the "ludus".
10. After the gladiatorial show is over we go to the vomitoria. What were the vomitoria?

Answer: Exits

There were 80 of these portals at the Colosseum, 76 for the use of the public, two for the emperor and two for gladiatorial processions. It is thought that the entire Colosseum could be evacuated in three minutes. And in case you were wondering, the word "vomitoria" is related to the word "vomitare" meaning to "spew forth", but the idea that the Roman vomitoria were rooms designed for vomiting is a fallacy.

Modern theatres and sports stadia sometimes have vomitoria (often abbreviated to "voms") to allow rapid egress of crowds after events.
Source: Author Flamis

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