B. C. - They Lived Before Christ Quiz

Answer: Menes

Menes was the founder of Memphis according to the fifth century BC Greek historian Herodotus. In the third century BC Manetho, an Egyptian historian stated the length of reign and the cause of death that Menes served and suffered.

There are no monuments dedicated to Menes. Many historians have since identified him with Narmer, a king to whom several monuments were constructed. Narmer lived in about the same period and was seen depicted as wearing a crown which symbolised the unified Egypt.

Answer: Imhotep

There are no records dating from Imhotep's life that show him as a physician, but he was the chief magician to the Pharaoh Djoser between 2680BC-2610BC.

Nigh on one hundred years after Imhotep's death he was considered almost a 'god of medicine' and many more years later was elevated to the status of full Deity. Temples were built in his honour, one at Memphis and one on an island in the River Nile. People believed that if they slept by the temples they would be cured of their illnesses through dream communications with Imhotep.

Answer: Sargon I

Sargon I quickly conquered other lands extending from what is now northern Syria to southern Armenia and western Iran. It was these conquests that allowed Sargon to open trade routes in and out of Mesopotamia. Trade became a huge source of income and places such as Dilmum in the Persian Gulf, India, Lebanon and Greece became partners.

His lands were controlled by his forces and often had to contend with rebellions in the second half of his reign; they were all suppressed easily. After 25 years' rule he handed his legacy to his two sons, Rimush and Manishtusu.

Answer: Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut lived a life of turmoil due to her sex. Many images of her showed her wearing a false beard as many ancient Egyptians found the idea of a female ruler difficult to accept. She had erected in her reign obelisks in Karnak, near Thebes, and commissioned herself a tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

In the end, her son Tuthmosis III wanted to rule and used his position as head of the army to take control. It is unclear as to whether Hatshepsut was desposed or whether she died while still ruler.

However, her statues were smashed and her tomb was never built.

Answer: David

David was an excellent musician and his first introduction to the court of Saul was that he was recommended for his skill at playing the lyre.

His second and more famous introduction was that of the young man armed only with a slingshot, who killed the Philistine giant Goliath.
David married Michal, the king's daughter and became a close friend of the king's son, Jonathon. Saul became jealous and David was forced to flee. However, Saul and Jonathon were soon killed in battle and David was acclaimed king by the men of Judah. A series of battles saw David capture the whole of Israel and Jerusalem declared capital. David later had a son Solomon who succeeded him as king.

N.B The city had been built by the Jebusites hundreds of years before, and is even mentioned as one of the cities Joshua conquered. David was the first Israelite ruler who lived in the city, which was reconquered by his nephew Yo'av (Joab). Many thanks to Arpeggionist for pointing this fact out.

Answer: Pericles

Under Pericles Athens entered its golden age, with artistic glory and economic vitality. Writers, philosophers, artists and architects were encouraged to produce great works. The Acropolis in Athens and the hilltop complex of the religious buildings that included the Parthenon were legacies of Pericles influence. Sadly for Athenians, life later came to be dominated by war and plague.

In 431BC Athens was at war with Sparta and a year later a plague decimated the great city. This led to the death of Pericles a further year on.

Answer: Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta II was born into poverty despite his father being the chief of the Mauryan tribe, who was killed in a dispute. Chandragupta was handed to a cowherd by his uncles and then sold on as a servant. It was then he met Kautilya, a politician, who educated him. Northwest India was at the time under the Greek empire of Alexander the Great. Chandragupta, together with Kautilya, raised a mercenary army and fought and won a number of battles with rival dynasties.

At the death of Alexander, Chandragupta took control of the Greek territories of India and established an efficient but ruthless government.

A twelve year famine devastated India and Chandragupta fasted to death in around 286BC. The Mauryan dynasty he founded ruled over the empire for two more generations.

Answer: Hannibal

Hannibal came to prominence in 221BC when he became Commander-in-Chief of the Carthaginian army that invaded Spain. Two campaigns saw him take most of Southern Spain, except for Saguntum which held firm for almost eight months before falling in 219BC.

Rome, Saguntum's ally, demanded the surrender of Hannibal, but Carthage refused and the Second Punic War (218BC-201BC) between Rome and Carthage began.
In 218BC Hannibal lost a third of his troops whilst marching to Italy via the Alps due mainly to the difficult weather conditions. However, Hannibal's troops scored great successes against the Romans, in places such as Ticinus and Trebia in 218BC, Lake Trasimene in 217BC, and in Cannae in 216BC. However, Hannibal struggled to hold off counter attacks and was called back to Carthage in 203BC where he was required to defend against a Roman invasion of Africa. The Second Punic War ended in 201BC and Hannibal lost his chance to conquer Rome. In 193BC he was suspected of treason and fled Carthage. For ten years he was persuaded by the Romans before he took his own life in 183BC to avoid capture.

Answer: Wu Ti

Wu Ti came to the throne at just sixteen years of age. Despite being dominated by his family he managed to launch a military campaign to crush a nomadic group threatening China's northern border.

During his reign, southern and western China and much of Korea and Vietnam were under the wing of his empire. His troops reached as far as modern day Uzbekistan and all the territory between.

Taxes however needed to be raised to finance these campaigns and Wu Ti was forced to abandon further missions.
Wu Ti died in 87BC after imposing himself as a harsh and ambitious ruler, and introduced Confucianism as the state religion which inspired him to find the secret of immortality to no avail.

Answer: Cleopatra

Cleopatra VII (69BC-30BC) was ousted from power by her brothers guardians. In 48BC she met Julius Caesar and his fascination of her led him to start war on her behalf to reclaim her throne. Her brother Ptolemy XIII was killed only to see a younger brother Ptolemy XIV take the throne, until she poisoned him.

After the death of Caesar in 44BC, Cleopatra became the ally and lover of Mark Anthony who left his wife to be with Cleopatra in Egypt. This alliance was very unpopular in Roma and Octavian, who became Emperor Augustus, declared war on them in 31BC.

Mark Anthony wrongly believing Cleopatra had died, killed himself by falling on his sword. However, Cleopatra was not dead and was captured by the Romans. She unsuccessfully tried to seduce Augustus and she killed herself either by poison or a snake bite, to avoid being led through Rome as a captive.