Off With His (or Her) Head! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Pompey the Great

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) was a great military leader, who was part of the first triumvirate along with his "buddies" Marcus Licinius Crassus and Gaius Julius Caesar. (I say buddies because after Crassus died, Pompey and Caesar were in civil war for control of Rome).
During the war, Pompey sought refuge with King Ptolemy XIII of Egypt; the son of Pompey's friend. Unfortunately, Ptolemy had Pompey beheaded and so Pompey the Great became Pompey the End.
Lesson: Don't trust your friends' kids.

Answer: Wen Tianxiang

Wen Tianxiang was born in 1236 in the Jiangxi Province of China. He took several jobs in the Song government. Then in 1278, he was captured by the Yuan armies of Kublai Khan. They told him to take a job in the Yuan forces, and persuade the Song army to surrender. He refused and landed himself in prison, where he wrote his famous poetry: "Songs of Righteousness" and "Passing Lingdingyang". Unfortunately, a few years later he was beheaded.

Lesson: By making yourself useful in prison you are remembered as less of a criminal.

Answer: Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine of Aragon with untold ambition: she eventually worked her way up to King Henry VIII's mistress, then wife, and then ... queen. Anne Boleyn wouldn't settle for anything less than queen, and eventually (after making himself head of the church) Henry VIII got a divorce and married her.

She was the mother of Elizabeth I. Because she had no sons, Henry tired of her and had her beheaded for high treason.

Lesson: If you aspire to become queen of England, be sure to have a son.

Answer: Metacomet

Metacomet was born in 1639 and became chief after his older brother Wamsutta died. He married Wootonekanuske making Weetamoo, chief of the Pocasssets his ally. In 1675, King Philip's war started in an attempt to push the Europeans out of America. He was killed in 1676 and his head was cut off. His wife and kid were sold as slaves.

Lesson: By marrying the sister of someone powerful, you get them as your ally (usually).

Answer: Mary Stuart

Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots) was born in Scotland to James V and Mary de Guise. Her father died six days after she was born, and soon Mary was crowned Queen of Scotland. At age five, she was sent to France to train to be a French princess since she was betrothed to the dauphin, Francis. After their marriage, Francis died and Mary left France, no longer the French queen, but a queen nevertheless.

She returned to Scotland and married twice more. Eventually, she fled to her cousin Queen Elizabeth I in England. Liz kept her prisoner for nearly 19 years, before having Mary beheaded for plotting against her. Guess family isn't all its cracked up to be.

Lesson: Blood ties won't save you.

Answer: Anne Palles

Anne Palles was accused of being a witch after certain mysterious deaths and accidents. A woman whom Anne's husband had fallen in love with died, and another woman with whom Anne's husband danced and flirted with became sick and died, too. A farmer who had forced Anne's son to join the army had his crop destroyed.

When Karen Gregers Madsens was interrogated, she said that Anne Palles and several others were witches. During interrogation, Palles confessed to being a witch and meeting Satan. In 1692. she was condemned to death but instead of being burned alive, she was to be beheaded and then burned.

Lesson: if all your enemies die it might look like than more than a coincidence.

Answer: Bernard de Tremelay

Bernard de Tremelay was born in the Jura region of France. He was elected the Grand Master of the Templars in 1151. King Baldwin III of Jerusalem gave him the city of Gaza, which he redid for the Templars.

In 1153 began the Siege of Ascalon. Egyptian soldiers burned down the Templars siege tower. Bernard and about forty others were killed by the Egyptians; their bodies were put on display. The city fell despite the Templars' efforts.

There are some different accounts of this story, the one I used here was by William of Tyre.
Lesson: Maybe running into the thick of thins isn't always the best choice.

Answer: Charles I

Charles I was born in Fife in 1600. He became King of England and Scotland on the death of his father, James I of England.

Charles' Anglican beliefs and his wife's Catholic beliefs conflicted with the people's Puritan beliefs of the time. He frequently disagreed with Parliament over money and eventually dismissed them. The people of Scotland opposed his single rule and pretty soon, civil war broke out. The Royals were defeated.

Charles was executed in 1649. It is said he wore two shirts that day to stop himself from shivering- he didn't want anybody to think he was scared.

Lesson: Brave to the end, that's the way to go.

Answer: Kathryn Howard

Kathryn Howard was King Henry VIII's fifth wife. No one is sure about her age at their marriage, but she was younger than 20.

Prior to and during her marriage, Kathryn is said to have had relationships with Henry Manox, Francis Dereham, and Thomas Culpepper, a dangerous thing for a queen.

Kathryn's uncle, the Duke of Norfolk was happy when Kathryn married the king, because it meant that his position rose.

When her affairs were discovered she was charged with high treason and beheaded. Her uncle abandoned her and begged for mercy. He rests beside her cousin, Anne Boleyn.

Lesson: Sometimes you don't know other people's ulterior motives.

Answer: Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette official name was Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen. She was the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. At the age of 14, she married Louis Auguste, the dauphin (later King Louis XVI). Louis was more interested in other things than governing so Antoinette often spent time gambling, and running up huge debts. The French did not like her.

Eventually, the people began to revolt. They captured Marie and her family, and she and her husband were beheaded. She is famous for allegedly saying "let them eat cake" about starving peasants.

Lesson: Maybe cake isn't always the best way (too bad).