Alexander the Great Trivia Quiz

Answer: Burning of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Legend says he was born on the same day as the Temple to Artemis at Ephesus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) was burned down. No one knows for sure, but it was definitely in the summer of 356 BC.

Answer: Olympias

While Philip was away at war for as much as three years at a time, it was Olympias who was left behind in Pella to administer Macedonia. Later when her son left for Asia, it was Olympias who again managed Macedonia and the west for a third decade. After Alexander's death, it was Olympias whom the Macedonians recalled from her retirement in Epirus to return to Pella as the Guardian of the Two Kings. Olympias became the first and only Macedonian woman to rule the Empire and the example of excellence for generations of Macedonian Queens who followed her over the next three centuries.

Answer: Assassinated

A man named Pausanias rushed forward from the crowd and stuck a dagger in Philip's chest. During his escape, Pausanias tripped and fell and was killed on the spot.

Answer: Thebes

The Macedonians, stormed the city, killing almost everyone in sight, women and children included. They plundered, sacked, burned and razed Thebes, as an example to the rest of Greece.

Answer: 'My son, you are invincible '

That was all that Alexander wanted to hear, and he departed in the spring of 334 B.C.

Answer: Aristotle

Answer: A Serpent

Olympias, maintained that it was not her husband, Philip, who impregnated her, but rather a serpent. This is very interesting because a serpent is closely identified with the god, Zeus Ammon.

Answer: Bucephalaus

Alexander's horse Bucephalaus was a magnificent black stallion that had a white blaze on his forehead.

Answer: His own shadow

Alexander had noticed Bucephalas was afraid of his shadow on the ground. After turning the horse into the sun and away from the shadow, Alexander quickly quieted the mount and proceeded to ride the horse. From that day on, Bucephalas was Alexander the Great's horse who would carry Alexander into most of his battles over the ensuing years.

When Bucephalas finally died in 326 B.C., Alexander had a state funeral for him and built a city in India where he died, naming it Bucephala.

Answer: 334 B.C.

Answer: Darius' Mother and Wife

Alexander not only captured Darius' throne tent, he also found himself with Darius' complete entourage. There were 3,000 talents of gold - one talent was 27kg of metal (60 lbs) - the amount of weight that a man could carry for a whole day). Also inside were Darius' mother, Sisygambis, Darius' wife, Stateira and several other princesses and noblewomen.

Answer: Cut it with his sword

The legend behind the ancient knot was that the man who could untie it was destined to rule the entire world. Alexander simply slashed the knot with his sword and unraveled it.

Answer: Assassinated

When he finally caught up to him, he found the Persian king dead in his coach, assassinated by his own men. Alexander had the assassins executed and gave Darius a royal funeral.

Answer: India

The greatest of Alexander's battles in India was against Porus, one of the most powerful Indian leaders, at the river Hydaspes in July 326 B.C. Alexander's army crossed the heavily defended river in dramatic fashion during a violent thunderstorm to meet Porus' forces. The Indians were defeated in a fierce battle.

Answer: Elephants

They fought with elephants, which the Macedonians had never seen before.

Answer: The Makran

The Makran Desert is an inhospitable, pitiless landscape of rock, dust, sand and baking heat along the southern coast of Iran. It has again been suggested that Alexander chose the Makran Desert route home as a punishment to his army who had rebelled in India.

Answer: Hephaestion

Alexander's sexual preference was complex. It is generally accepted that he had a preference for men, but he had a wife with whom he conceived a child, so it is likely that he slept with women too. It is widely thought that Alexander had an Oedipal attraction to his mother.

Answer: Babylon

Alexander took ill in Babylon, and died a few days later.

Answer: 32

On June 10, just a month short of his birthday in 323 B.C., Alexander the Great died at the age of 32.

Answer: Poison

It seems hard to believe that a 33-year-old man could die of natural causes that spring up out of the blue. We will probably never know the truth, even though new theories are still coming out. We do know that on the 7th of June, 323 B.C., the Macedonians were allowed to file past their leader for the last time and finally, three days later, he succumbed to the illness.