FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about An Ancient Battle for Britain
Quiz about An Ancient Battle for Britain

An Ancient Battle for Britain Trivia Quiz

Beginning in 43 AD, Roman armies engaged the ancient Britons. By 47 AD the Romans had completed their conquest of southern England. This quiz examines the differences between Roman and Celtic forces that virtually assured a Roman victory.

A multiple-choice quiz by uglybird. Estimated time: 6 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. History Trivia
  6. »
  7. UK History
  8. »
  9. Romans in Britain

Author
uglybird
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
191,558
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
2146
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. During the first century AD, both Britons and Romans supported and richly rewarded a permanent warrior class. Emperor Claudius sent to Britain a Roman army comprised entirely of professional soldiers. In contrast to the fully professional Roman army, which of the following characterizes the typical soldiers of ancient Britain? Hint


NEXT>

Question 2 of 10
2. Legionnaires were privileged members of Roman society, and those seeking to join had to meet certain standards. In order to join a Roman legion in the 1st century AD, which of the following prerequisites was NOT required? Hint


NEXT>

Question 3 of 10
3. Even the auxiliary units supporting the Roman legions received benefits not available to British fighters despite the fact that requirements for joining the auxiliaries were less stringent than those for entering the legions. Which of the following benefits that the 1st century Roman legionnaires enjoyed did the Roman auxiliaries not receive? Hint


NEXT>

Question 4 of 10
4. The Roman soldiers were generally better equipped than their Celtic counterparts. In the conflict between British and Roman forces in the 1st century, which of the following troops wore little or no body armor? Hint


NEXT>

Question 5 of 10
5. The Roman army enjoyed a tactical advantage in most circumstances. Celtic Britons relied heavily on their elite warriors. Which of these was favored by the Celtic aristocrat-warrior of the 1st century AD? Hint


NEXT>

Question 6 of 10
6. Roman legions included variously equipped soldiers. The success in battle of the Roman army depended particularly on one group. Which component of the 1st century Roman army was most effective? Hint


NEXT>

Question 7 of 10
7. During the period of Roman dominance, Roman armies proved to be consistently vulnerable to one type of assault. What tactic proved most effective for the ancient Britons fighting against the Romans in the 1st century AD? Hint


NEXT>

Question 8 of 10
8. The Romans were in largely hostile territory and faced logistical challenges in supplying their troops. In their conflict with Rome in the 1st century, the Britons enjoyed an advantage in supplying their soldiers.


NEXT>

Question 9 of 10
9. The Celtic tribes in Britain realized that they faced a well organized and determined force. Which of the following best characterizes the response of the Celtic tribes to the Roman invasion of 43 AD? Hint


NEXT>

Question 10 of 10
10. Roman legions were supplied with a variety of resources. Which of the following did the Romans utilize in their campaign against the Britons in the 1st century AD? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. During the first century AD, both Britons and Romans supported and richly rewarded a permanent warrior class. Emperor Claudius sent to Britain a Roman army comprised entirely of professional soldiers. In contrast to the fully professional Roman army, which of the following characterizes the typical soldiers of ancient Britain?

Answer: They were levied from the farms.

 Four legions totaling 20,000 troops supplemented with an equal number of Roman auxiliaries made up the army that invaded Britain. Both auxiliaries and legionnaires were trained, professional soldiers. Warrior-aristocrats led the British fighters, the bulk of whom were soldier-fighters.
2. Legionnaires were privileged members of Roman society, and those seeking to join had to meet certain standards. In order to join a Roman legion in the 1st century AD, which of the following prerequisites was NOT required?

Answer: All were required

 Roman legions provided an exceptional opportunity for soldiers while operating as a supremely effective tool for the expansion and defense of the empire. Roman citizenship conferred important legal, social, political and economic privileges. Citizenship effectively coupled the interests of the individual legionnaire to those of the Empire.

The literacy requirement assured an ample supply of administrative talent - so necessary for the governance of the conquered territory.
3. Even the auxiliary units supporting the Roman legions received benefits not available to British fighters despite the fact that requirements for joining the auxiliaries were less stringent than those for entering the legions. Which of the following benefits that the 1st century Roman legionnaires enjoyed did the Roman auxiliaries not receive?

Answer: All benefits were provided to both

 Few careers in ancient (or for that matter modern) times virtually guaranteed opportunity for advancement, regular monetary wages and retirement benefits. On retirement, Roman auxiliaries received Roman citizenship allowing their sons to join the better paying and more prestigious legions.

This provided a pathway by which families could become incrementally Romanized and at the same time it assured a steady stream of recruits for the Roman legions.
4. The Roman soldiers were generally better equipped than their Celtic counterparts. In the conflict between British and Roman forces in the 1st century, which of the following troops wore little or no body armor?

Answer: Celtic foot soldiers

 Roman tactics depended on closing with the enemy force. In close quarters the disciplined and tightly packed Roman lines, protected by their body armor, could wield their short swords to devastating effect.
5. The Roman army enjoyed a tactical advantage in most circumstances. Celtic Britons relied heavily on their elite warriors. Which of these was favored by the Celtic aristocrat-warrior of the 1st century AD?

Answer: Chariot

 The Celtic charioteers were probably too small in number to inflict major damage on the well-disciplined Roman army even at times when the terrain favored their use.
6. Roman legions included variously equipped soldiers. The success in battle of the Roman army depended particularly on one group. Which component of the 1st century Roman army was most effective?

Answer: Armored infantry with short swords and javelins

 Calvary or infantry charges against Roman infantry were subjected first to a withering barrage of javelins. As previously mentioned, short swords, armor and disciplined, tightly packed lines strongly favored the Romans once combatants closed with one another.
7. During the period of Roman dominance, Roman armies proved to be consistently vulnerable to one type of assault. What tactic proved most effective for the ancient Britons fighting against the Romans in the 1st century AD?

Answer: Ambush

 The Romans under Augustus suffered one of their most crushing defeats when Germanic fighters ambushed troops under the command of Quinctilius Varus. The demoralized Augustus revised Rome's long policy of expansion, never following through on plans to invade Britain.

When Claudius, seeking to establish his leadership through the time-honored means of military conquest, did invade Britain, ambush again proved the most effective tactic against the Romans.
8. The Romans were in largely hostile territory and faced logistical challenges in supplying their troops. In their conflict with Rome in the 1st century, the Britons enjoyed an advantage in supplying their soldiers.

Answer: False

Celtic farmer-soldiers could campaign for only part of the year; failure to care for crops doomed families to starvation. The Romans had developed a highly organized and effective supply system. Roman soldiers could campaign for as long as the weather allowed and then retire to well-provisioned, fortified stockades for the winter.

It could be viewed as ironic that in the American colonial rebellion, British troops enjoyed many of the same advantages that the Romans did during the conquest of Britain, yet the British did not prevail in their conflicts with indigenous, soldier-farmer colonials. An interesting difference is that the literacy level favored the colonials in the latter conflict.
9. The Celtic tribes in Britain realized that they faced a well organized and determined force. Which of the following best characterizes the response of the Celtic tribes to the Roman invasion of 43 AD?

Answer: Some resisted fiercely.

 In the 1st century AD, the Romans fielded the well-coordinated military machine to be expected from a massive, cohesively governed empire. The Celtic tribes were often rivals and had neither the resources of government nor the necessary mutual goodwill to present a unified front.
10. Roman legions were supplied with a variety of resources. Which of the following did the Romans utilize in their campaign against the Britons in the 1st century AD?

Answer: All were used

 Siege engines and small cavalry contingents were standard components of Roman legions. Elephants were employed for Claudius's entry into the principal British town of Colchester.

The ancient Britons did not have the military capability to withstand the Roman's well organized and trained invasion force. That the campaign required several years despite the many advantages that the Roman soldiers enjoyed is a testimony to the dogged determination of the resisting tribes.

"The Oxford History of Britain" was the source for most of the information contained in the quiz.
Source: Author uglybird

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Related Quizzes
1. Mapping Roman Britannia Average
2. Ruled Britannia Average
3. Tales of Britannia Easier
4. They called it Britannia Average
5. Early Britain after the Romans Tough
6. Boudica's Rebellion Average
7. The Romans In Britain Difficult
8. Romans In Britain: Claudius Tough
9. Hadrian's Wall Average
10. May I March on Your Street? Easier
11. Legacies Very Easy
12. The Domesday Book Tough

Referenced Topics
History   Government   England   UK History   English People   Weather   Southern England   Machines   Economics   Rome   Romans in Britain   Elephant   Claudius   Legal   Augustus  

Other Destinations
  Explore Other Quizzes by uglybird

  Go to UK History Quizzes

  More Romans in Britain Quizzes

  FunTrivia Homepage

12/21/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us