Who's Who: Ancient People Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hammurabi

Although Hammurabi's law code was not the earliest one written, it was very comprehensive and covered many aspects of life in ancient Babylon. Strict accountability was expected, as is evidenced by the "eye for an eye", "tooth for a tooth" laws. Altogether, there were 282 regulations, along with punishments for breaking the law.

Answer: Alexander

By the time of his death, Alexander had conquered lands which included Greece to the north, Egypt to the southwest, and Asia to the east. During his conquests he founded many cities; some sources say over seventy! Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 332 BC, still thrives today.

Answer: Solomon

Solomon was the son of King David, and was considered to be one of the wisest men in the ancient world. Also called Solomon's Temple, the First Temple was dedicated to Yahweh, the monotheistic Hebrew God, and housed the Ark of the Covenant. It is believed the First Temple stood for about four hundred years before being destroyed by the Chaldeans under King Nebuchadnezzar.

Answer: Imhotep

Imhotep, an architect, healer, and engineer, designed the earliest form of pyramid, the step pyramid, for his pharaoh, Zoser. He served as the chief vizier of Zoser and was a high priest of the sun god, Ra. In later years he was given the divine status of a minor deity and his cult center was located at the ancient city of Memphis.

Answer: Tutankhamun

Tutankhamun had little to do with his fabulous tomb being undisturbed; the fact of the matter is that he was a relatively insignificant pharaoh. His tomb, quickly forgotten, and buried under workmen's huts and rubble, was almost obscured by the building of another tomb for a pharaoh in the following dynasty.

The discovery of the tomb in 1922 uncovered a wealth of information about life and death in ancient Egypt.

Answer: Darius

Darius the Great was known for his fairness and tolerance of the people he conquered. As long as conquered people acknowledged Persian rule and kept the peace, they were left alone to follow their own beliefs.

Answer: Abraham

Abraham and his people were living outside the great city-state of Ur at the time God spoke to him. Filled with faith, he led the Israelites to Canaan, which is approximately the country of modern-day Israel, and taught them monotheism, the belief in one God.

Answer: Qin Shi Huangdi

The Great Wall was constructed to help keep invaders out after Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor, unified the warring states; the wall, however, was not completed for some time. Over the centuries it was expanded and rebuilt when necessary. Eventually, using both nature and man-made features, the wall complex covered approximately 13,171 miles.

Answer: Confucius

The teachings of Confucius emphasize strong family loyalty and relationships, ancestor worship, and respect for one's elders; he even suggested that the best government could also be run in this manner. His principles, based largely on the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), are still popular today.

Answer: Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar, with the help of Hebrew slaves, made the rebuilt city of Babylon a showplace of the ancient world. Legend has it that the Hanging Gardens was built for his homesick queen. It reportedly was a terraced ziggurat, filled with plants from her homeland, with an irrigation system that kept the plants alive in the hot Mesopotamian climate.