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Caligula Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Caligula Quizzes, Trivia

Caligula Trivia

Caligula Trivia Quizzes

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4 Caligula quizzes and 40 Caligula trivia questions.
1.
  Caligula, a Study in Tyranny   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Caligula is not one of my favorite emperors, but he is idiosyncratic enough to be of interest. He had the shortest reign of any of the Julio-Claudian emperors, and judging from his bad behavior, deservedly so.
Tough, 10 Qns, medvedok, Apr 30 10
Tough
medvedok
1222 plays
2.
  Caligula    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Let's see how much you know about this maniac!
Average, 10 Qns, usher17, Mar 20 17
Average
usher17
1564 plays
3.
  Gaius Caesar : Caligula    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
'Caligula' was an affectionate nickname given to Gaius Caesar, but within four brief years that nickname was to strike terror into the hearts of the citizens of Rome.
Average, 10 Qns, allmine, Jan 04 15
Average
allmine
1509 plays
4.
  The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Quiz on the emperor better known as Caligula, particularly in connection with his sister Drusilla.
Difficult, 10 Qns, bleedingwhiterose, Sep 01 12
Difficult
bleedingwhiterose
1227 plays
trivia question Quick Question
During Caligula's reign, which city had the largest population of Jews outside of Jerusalem?

From Quiz "Caligula, a Study in Tyranny"





Caligula Trivia Questions
1. When Caligula became emperor, why did he travel to the isle of Pandataria?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: To bring his mother's ashes to Rome for burial

Caligula's mother, Agrippina the Elder, had been banished to the isle of Pandataria by Tiberius. She died there, and when Caligula became emperor, he reverently brought her ashes back to Rome for burial in the Mausoleum of Augustus. It would hardly be the place for a pleasure excursion, nor to build a temple.

2. Who was Caligula's father?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: Germanicus

Germanicus was the main general during Tiberius' reign and the main general who led legions in Germany.

3. What does the nickname 'Caligula' mean?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: Little Boot

As a baby, Gaius had been taken by his father on army campaigns. The legionaires doted on the child and adopted him as a kind of mascot. They dressed him in a tiny uniform, complete with little boots!

4. Which Praetorian Prefect supported Caligula's bid for power?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: Macro

Macro became Praetorian Prefect after Sejanus was deposed by Tiberius. He and Caligula became close associates and Macro supported Caligula's claim to the throne. Cassius Chaerea comes along later in the reign of Caligula, so does Cornelius Sabinus. Unfortunately, the ingratitude of tyrants came into play with Caligula, and he put Macro to death along with his entire family.

5. When did Caligula's father die?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: 19 AD

He died in Antioch, Syria, allegedly poisoned by co-pronsul Piso, when Caligula was 7 years old. He was Tiberius' most loyal general.

6. How old was Caligula when he received the title of emperor?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: 25

In Rome, in A.D. 37, he succeeded the elderly tyrant, Tiberius.

7. Caligula is particularly remembered for saying "If only all of Rome had one ________"?

From Quiz The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

Answer: neck

He had a bit of a preoccupation with necks.

8. Whom did Caligula appoint as joint consul when he became emperor in AD 37?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: Claudius

Caligula brought his reclusive uncle, Claudius, out of retirement and made him his joint consul. This was the first important political post that Claudius occupied. Both Augustus and Tiberius thought that Claudius was unfit for high office. Of course, there were many Romans unfit for high office, but they occupied these offices nevertheless. Lucius Vitellius was already a proconsul, so he did not serve in a consulship at this time. Gaetulicus was judged a traitor by Caligula and ordered to commit suicide. Petronius was governor of Syria a bit later.

9. Where was Caligula born?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: Antium

His mother was Agrippina the Elder who became a thorn in Tiberius' side and was eventually exiled.

10. How many sisters did Caligula have?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: 3

He actually made all three leave their respected husbands and move into his palace in Rome to share his bed!

11. A terrible pogrom against the Jews occurred in what city?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: Alexandria

The worst pogrom against the Jews occurred in Alexandria. When Caligula decided that he was a god, many Alexandrian Greeks were only too happy to worship him and they also attempted to place small statues in synagogues. The Jews, rightly despising idols, protested and terrible violence ensued in which thousands were killed or homeless.

12. Caligula introduced 'circuses' (that is, horse races) to Rome. In A.D. 38 they suddenly stopped. Why?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: He fell ill with a fever

As he was still a very popular Emperor, only one year after he came to power, thousands of Romans gathered day and night outside the Palace. In fact all traffic and noise of music and trade were banned within half a mile of the palace. Within one month he had gone mad!

13. What unusual (and highly irregular) appointment to the Senate did Caligula allegedly make?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: His horse

He did this to mock the Senate, to make the point that anyone can be a member of the Senate because the Senate just sits around and talks all day and does nothing.

14. When Caligula's 'circuses' started again, why was the emperor booed after one such event?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: The lions were underfed and the gladiators were middle-aged

When he recovered from fever he proclaimed himself a god and celebrated with a tremendous number of circuses which were intended to be more spectacular than previous ones. This took its toll on the imperial purse, which meant less fresh meat for the lions and lower prize money for the gladiators.

15. Agripinella, mother of Nero was what relation to Gaius?

From Quiz The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

Answer: sister

Nero was the last of the Julio- Claudians two emperors after Gaius.

16. During Caligula's reign, which city had the largest population of Jews outside of Jerusalem?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: Alexandria

Alexandria had the largest population of Jews outside of Jerusalem. Athens and Antioch, although large cities, were not as large as Rome or Alexandria. It is estimated that there may have been 500,000 Jews residing in Alexandria. Jews had long been residents of Rome, but their numbers were not this high.

17. When Caligula was booed he reacted swiftly to the jeering and had the ringleaders dragged away to cellars, where they were mutilated and sent into the arena to do battle. What did Caligula have done to them?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: He had their tongues cut out

The Roman crowd, used to seeing trained 'huntsmen' kill the animals were stunned into silence. Caligula on the other hand whooped and clapped until they had all been killed and dragged back to the lions' cages.

18. Caligula was capable of many atrocious acts. What did he do that particularly offended honorable, virtuous Roman patricians?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: He created a brothel in the imperial palace

Honorable, virtuous Roman patricians were particularly horrified when Caligula created a brothel in the imperial palace and forced patrician (!) ladies to come and sell their favors. This turned many Senators against Caligula. The other answers, although they would have created consternation among many Senate members, were not as atrocious as dishonoring honorable wives.

19. What family did Caligula belong to?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: The Julio Claudians

His successor was his uncle Claudius who was then followed by Nero, but that's another story.

20. How did Caligula reduce the cost of feeding the lions for the gladiatorial contests?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: He fed the lions with common criminals

The common criminals of Rome were transported from the jails to the amphitheatres at night and fed to the lions.

21. What was the name of the goddess Drusilla became?

From Quiz The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

Answer: Panthea

Pallas was the woman whose name became attached to Athene's. Persephone was the daughter of Ceres and Aradia's just someone I keep hearing mentioned on Buffy! Drusilla became Panthea meaning all the gods and goddesses.

22. Who was Caligula's uncle?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: Claudius

Claudius would again prove to be a very good emperor.

23. With all the money he squandered on the 'circuses' he soon had financial problems. How did he start to sort out this problem?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: He fined wealthy citizens after they were convicted on trumped up charges of treason

He seized vast estates and fortunes as fines and paid 'informers' who gave perjured evidence a few gold coins.

24. What was the name of the wife with whom Gaius had his daughter Drusilla the younger?

From Quiz The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

Answer: Cesonia

Livilla was his aunt who conspired with Sejanus against Tiberius. There were plenty of Julias the most famous being Augustus's daughter and he never was allowed to marry his sister. Both Cesonia and little Drusilla were killed when he was.

25. Caligula built a ramp from the imperial palace to which nearby edifice?

From Quiz Caligula, a Study in Tyranny

Answer: The Temple of Castor and Pollux

Caligula built a ramp to the Temple of Castor and Pollux. It would have been more difficult to reach the other structures. No Roman emperor would have wanted to connect his palace with the Forum, which was a market place and "city center" in ancient Rome.

26. What age was Caligula when he died?

From Quiz Caligula

Answer: 28

He was one of the youngest emperors to die. He was assasinated due to being corrupt in his political life and killing about 400 people in the political world.

27. How many boats did Caligula moor together to create a floating causeway, in a move to prove a soothsayer wrong?

From Quiz Gaius Caesar : Caligula

Answer: 4,000

The prediction by the soothsayer when he was a boy, was that he had as much chance of becoming emperor as crossing the bay and keeping his feet dry.

28. Which set of gods and goddesses did Gaius and Drusilla believe in?

From Quiz The Emperor Gaius (Caligula)

Answer: Egyptian

He liked the whole marrying-your-sister 'thing' and built an Egyptian temple in the middle of Rome just to annoy the senate.

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