Who's Who: Within the Roman Empire Quiz

Answer: Octavian

Octavian was the great-nephew, heir, and adopted son of Julius Caesar. After Caesar was assassinated, the eighteen-year-old Octavian inherited his wealth, power, and the right to be called "Caesar". Octavian ruled for forty-one years, living simply to try and avoid the issues which led to his great-uncle's demise.

He was given the title, "Caesar Augustus", which means "Respected One".

Answer: Romulus

Even though some would point out the fact that the existence of Romulus may be legendary, there is no doubt that he gave his name to the city of Rome. According to the story, both Remus and Romulus, twin sons of Mars and Rhea Silvia, began to plow the boundaries of their new city.

They, however, began arguing over which of the seven hills was the best location for their new city and who would then led the city once it was completed. When the disagreement seemed unsolvable, Remus was killed, either by his brother or one of his supporters. Romulus went on to become the first king, perhaps legendary king, of the city.

Answer: Constantine

Prior to the rule of Constantine, Christians who lived within the Roman Empire were periodically persecuted. Constantine became a Christian after having a dream which he believed helped him to win a battle. A year later he signed the Edict of Milan, which, among other provisions, stated that Christians in the Roman Empire would no longer be persecuted. Constantine also built a new capital city, which he named after himself - Constantinople - in the eastern part of the Roman Empire.

Answer: Spartacus

Spartacus was a slave who was trained as a gladiator. Gladiators fought for the entertainment of the Roman people - sometimes to the death. More than anything, Spartacus wanted to return to his home. In an attempt to do so he led a rebellion of what grew to be over 70,000 people against Rome.

The rebellion was finally ended about a year after it began. Although no one knows for sure what happened to Spartacus, historians agree that he possibly died on the battlefield. That was probably lucky compared to 6,000 of his followers who were crucified by the Romans.

Answer: Virgil

Considered to be one of Rome's greatest poets, Virgil wrote the "Aeneid", an epic that told the story of Aeneas, who led the survivors of the Trojan War to Italy. After arriving in Italy they settled in Latium. The legend continues to recount that Aeneas was an ancestor of Remus and Romans, who are credited with founding the city of Rome.

Answer: Paul

Paul was actually a Roman citizen who was first known as Saul of Tarsus. After he received a vision on the road to Damascus, Saul ceased his religious persecution of Christians, and became Paul, one of the most important missionaries of the early Christian church. Known for writing letters to keep in touch with his many churches, Paul is credited with writing 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament.

Answer: Cicero

Cicero held many political offices as he attempted to climb the ladder of success in Roman politics during the Republic. He became very well known and popular as a lawyer after winning a particularly difficult law case; afterwards, he was even elected to the office of consul, the highest position in Rome's Republican government.

After Cicero refused to join an alliance with Julius Caesar, he was exiled from Rome for a year; after Caesar's death, Cicero worked to try and reinstate the Republic. It was too late, however, and he was eventually killed when Marc Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus took control of Rome.

Answer: Marc Antony

A close friend of Julius Caesar's, Marc Antony was a member of the Second Triumvirate that helped to stabilize Rome after the death of Julius Caesar. His marriage to Cleopatra and subsequent move to Egypt, however, signaled his downfall. His brother-in-law, Octavian, was able to convince the Senate that Marc Antony was more interested in being an Egyptian than a Roman.

After being defeated at the Battle of Actium, Marc Antony committed suicide.

Answer: Nero

While it is probably true that Nero was behind the setting of the Great Fire of Rome, he almost certainly did not play his fiddle and watch the city burn. After being told by the Senate that there wasn't room in crowded Rome for any new building projects, Nero had the city set on fire, cleared away the rubble, and built a new palace complex for himself.

Answer: Julius Caesar

A member of a wealthy patrician family, Julius Caesar was educated with the idea of eventually assuming a role in government. After forming the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus, Caesar made a name for himself as a general leading his army in Gaul. Upon his return to Rome, he began to reform Roman government, which was hopelessly outdated, to govern such a growing empire.

He revised the Roman calendar; the month of July is named after him today. Many Romans believed Caesar planned to become king, and assassinated him on the Ides of March.