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Quiz about The Sarantine Mosaic Fiction and History
Quiz about The Sarantine Mosaic Fiction and History

"The Sarantine Mosaic": Fiction and History Quiz


In creating "The Sarantine Mosaic" Guy Gavriel Kay was inspired by Byzantine history. Your task is to guess where the author's inspiration comes from and where Sarantium differs from historical Byzantium. Beware of SPOILERS!

A multiple-choice quiz by ninedin. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
ninedin
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
258,129
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
217
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. In "Sailing to Sarantium" Trakesia is an equivalent of which of the historical lands? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In "The Sarantine Mosaic", Valerius II is called "The Night's Emperor", due to his habit of working until very late. Was Justinian ever believed to be "the night's emperor", who does not sleep?


Question 3 of 10
3. During the reign of Justinian, the main controversy in the Christian church was the problem of Christ's nature and the influence of Monophysitism. Which of the faiths of the Sarantine world is an equivalent of the Monophysitic heresy? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Some characters from Byzantine history have their direct equivalents in the world of Sarantium. Below there are some pairs, linking fictional and historical characters. Which of the pairs does NOT represent a historical model and its fictional equivalent? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of the following characters is entirely Kay's creation, without any historical basis? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The role of the Hippodrome factions in Sarantine politics is much, much greater than it was in Byzantium.


Question 7 of 10
7. What is the greatest political ambition of Valerius II (just like it was for Justinian)? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Justinian and Theodora were believed to be as much a loving couple as the fictional Valerius II and Alixana.


Question 9 of 10
9. Which of the following is true for BOTH the real-life Empress Theodora and her equivalent in Kay's Sarantium, Empress Alixana? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the pairs listed below represents the heirs to the throne of a) historical Justinian and b) fictional Valerius II? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. In "Sailing to Sarantium" Trakesia is an equivalent of which of the historical lands?

Answer: Greece

Trakesia represents Greece and the center of the Greek-speaking empire. After the division of the Roman empire in 395 C. E., Greek remained the main language spoken in Byzantium, with the influence of Latin, never strong in the East, slowly declining.
2. In "The Sarantine Mosaic", Valerius II is called "The Night's Emperor", due to his habit of working until very late. Was Justinian ever believed to be "the night's emperor", who does not sleep?

Answer: Yes

In his "Secret History", Procopius makes numerous derogatory comments concerning Justinian and his wife. One of them is the suggestion that the emperor is, in fact, Devil incarnated and that he never sleeps, conversing with demons during the sleepless nights.
3. During the reign of Justinian, the main controversy in the Christian church was the problem of Christ's nature and the influence of Monophysitism. Which of the faiths of the Sarantine world is an equivalent of the Monophysitic heresy?

Answer: the Helladikan faith

In his reworking of Christian controversies Kay used the model from Greek mythology, creating a Christ-like/Phaeton-like figure of Helladikos the Charioteer, son of God, whose very existence is a source of great controversy for Sarantine theologians. The Zubir is a pagan symbol of the Odin-like forest god; Perun is one of two main gods of Kay's Persia.

The Jaddite faith is the dominant religion of the Sarantine world and an equivalent of Christianity.
4. Some characters from Byzantine history have their direct equivalents in the world of Sarantium. Below there are some pairs, linking fictional and historical characters. Which of the pairs does NOT represent a historical model and its fictional equivalent?

Answer: historical Theodoric the Great and fictional Shirvan

Theodoric the Great was the king of Visigoths, while Shirvan in the novel is a Great King of Persia. They both, actually, have their own equivalents: Theodoric is a model for Hildric, the king of the Antae and Gisel's father, while Shirvan is based on Khosrau I, the greatest of Sassanid rulers.
5. Which of the following characters is entirely Kay's creation, without any historical basis?

Answer: Kasia, the ex-slave and wife to a high-rank officer of the Legions

Leontes, with his legendary strategic talent, is most certainly based on the character of Belisarius, the greatest commander of his times. Valerius is the equivalent of emperor Justin, while the real-life model for his nephew and successor Petrus Valerius II was Justinian the Great.
6. The role of the Hippodrome factions in Sarantine politics is much, much greater than it was in Byzantium.

Answer: False

The Hippodrome factions, with their own political and religious affiliations, were of extreme importance for the politics of Byzantium. More often than not they were a source of serious trouble. It was their rebellion called the Nika riots in 532 C. E. (also portrayed by Kay in his novel) that left the city sacked and destroyed, with hundreds of people dead.
7. What is the greatest political ambition of Valerius II (just like it was for Justinian)?

Answer: The restitution of the former Roman/Rhodian empire

Justinian sent Belisarius to recapture Italy and tried to bring into life the project of the "renovatio imperii", the restitution of the empire. Despite partial success, however (like the recapture of Rome and a major part of Italy in 530s), his triumph turned out to be ephemeral and its effects short-lasting.
8. Justinian and Theodora were believed to be as much a loving couple as the fictional Valerius II and Alixana.

Answer: True

Even Procopius in "Secret History" states that the imperial couple were very close. And just like in the novel's Valerius, in real life Justinian had the law changed in order to marry ex-dancer Theodora. She maintained her influence over him as long as she lived.
9. Which of the following is true for BOTH the real-life Empress Theodora and her equivalent in Kay's Sarantium, Empress Alixana?

Answer: All the answers are false

Theodora, in fact, died c. 20 years before Justinian, while in Kay's novel Alixana outlived her husband. Both characters were of low birth, both, in fact, daughters of the bear-keepers for the circus. Also in both cases they were sympathising with heresies (remember Alixana demanding forbidden dolphins on her mosaic?).
10. Which of the pairs listed below represents the heirs to the throne of a) historical Justinian and b) fictional Valerius II?

Answer: a) Justin II, b) Leontes

Belisarius, unlike his counterpart in the novel, never became emperor; Justinian was succeeded by his nephew, Justin II. Justin I was Justinian's uncle and predecessor, not heir. Gisel is a tricky suggestion: in the novel she becomes the wife of Leontes and the empress, but not direct heiress of Valerius II!
Source: Author ninedin

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