Roaming in Roman Numerals Trivia Quiz

Answer: XLI

DXV is 515 in Arabic numerals, the most common system used in the western world. DLVI equals 556. By subtracting DXV from DLVI, you have a remainder of 41 or XLI in Roman numerals. Roman numerals originated, where else, but in Ancient Roman and continued to be used by man until well into the Middle Ages. That's an impressive length of time to be bamboozling people.

Answer: XXXIII

XCIX is 99 in Arabic numerals, while III equals 3. Dividing 99 by 3 gives you an answer of 33 or XXXIII. (I am going to be SO confused by the time I've finished this quiz). Even though Roman numerals began too be replace by the Arabic system of notation from the Middle Ages, they are still used in various classifications today.

Not many, fortunately. The names used in denoting a ruling monarch, for example, such as King Henry VIII (8th), the name on some clock faces and so on. If you look around, you will occasionally still see this old system.

The foundation dates of some old buildings is another example of the old Roman system of notation.

Answer: CDXX

CV is 105 in Arabic numerals and IV equals 4. Multiplying one by the other equals 420 in Arabic numerals or CDXX in the Roman format.

Just to refresh your memory when converting Roman to Arabic notation, 1 or 2 or 3 becomes I, II or III; 5 becomes V; 10 becomes X; 50 becomes L; 100 becomes C; 500 becomes D and 1000 becomes M.

Answer: MCDXXVII

MCCXLI equals 1241 in our normal system of numbering. CLXXXVI equals 186. 1427 or MCDXXVII is your answer for this one. Oh my head.

If you wished to write 3 in Roman numerals - bearing in mind that 1 equals 1, you would write III, and 2 of course would then be II.

Answer: LXVI

X becomes 10 in Arabic numerals, while DCLX becomes 660. Ten percent of 660 then is 66 or LXVI in Roman numerals.

Writing the number 5 in the Roman style becomes V. Writing 4 then is not IIII as you would think, but IV, because putting the I before the V means that your number is one less than 5. Putting a I after a V means that you have written VI or 6. Seven then becomes VII and 8 becomes VIII.

Answer: CCXVI

DCCXV in the Roman format is 715 in our modern system, while CMXXXI is 931. Taking 715 from 931 gives you 216 or CCXVI in the old Roman system.

Ten in the Roman style equals X. Nine then is not, as you would once again think written as VIIII, but instead becomes IX, because putting the I before the X lessens it by one value, while putting I, II or III after the X changes that into XI (11) XII (12) or XIII (13).

Answer: CLXVII

DCLXVIII equals 668 in the Arabic system while IV is our four. Dividing 668 by 4 equals 167 or CLXVII in the older system. And I need a cup of tea.

Writing the number 14 can be a tussle for a while until you are familiar with Roman numerals. Because X = 10 and V = 5, the number 15 we use changes into XV in the Roman. So, if you remember that the number 4 is IV in Roman notation, then 14 becomes 10 plus 4 or X plus IV = XIV. This follows through to 24 (XXIV), 34 (XXXIV), but not 44. Forty, if you remember, is actually XL (one ten before L (50) - so 44 thus becomes XLIV.

Answer: CCCLIV

LIX equals 59 in our modern system of notation while VI equals 6. Multiplying these two numbers gives a result of 354 or CCCLIV in both systems.

The number 500 is written as D in Roman notation. 400 then become CD, because the C in front of the D lessens it by 100, while placed after the D as DC, DCC or DCCC increases that value to either 600, 700 or 800.

Answer: MMMCM

MMMDCCC equals 3800 in todays numbering system, while C equals 100. Adding these two numbers together gives us 3900 in the Arabic notation or MMMCM in the older notation.

The number 1000 is written as M in Roman notation. 900 then become CM, because the C in front of the M lessens it by 100, while placed after the M as MC, MCC or MCCC increases that value to either 600, 700 or 800. However if you wanted to write 1900, you wouldn't write it as MDCCCC but as MCM.

Answer: MDCCLXX

Last one, thank goodness. Captain Cook in his sturdy little ship "Endeavour" spotted the east coast of Australia in MDCCLXX in Roman numerals. He named it New South Wales and claimed it in the name of Great Britain. Although the Dutch had discovered the western coast of this nation more than a century earlier, they weren't even remotely interested in settling it, as the areas on which they landed (several times) were so dry and barren, they were well and truly deterred. The east coast, on the other hand, is lush and green and beautiful. Parts of Western Australia are also lush and lovely, but the Dutch simply missed them. And this, boys and girls, is the reason why you don't wear clogs to school today.

The Roman system of notation didn't have a value for zero. They used the word "nulla" or "nihili" instead or the letter N when trying to convey it. Neither did the ancient Greek. They tended to argue "how can nothing be something" and that led on to all kinds of philosophical debates. This first developed slightly in Babylon, then India, before cementing itself as a concept in the Arabian nations, and that system of notation we use today.