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Gaius Caesar : Caligula Trivia Quiz

'Caligula' was an affectionate nickname given to Gaius Caesar, but within four brief years that nickname was to strike terror into the hearts of the citizens of Rome.

A multiple-choice quiz by allmine. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
allmine

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
211,066

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1509

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What does the nickname 'Caligula' mean? Hint

Great Leader

Little Boot

Heart of Gold

God Like

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Question 2 of 10

2. How old was Caligula when he received the title of emperor? Hint

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Question 3 of 10

3. How many sisters did Caligula have? Hint

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Question 4 of 10

4. Caligula introduced 'circuses' (that is, horse races) to Rome. In A.D. 38 they suddenly stopped. Why? Hint

They ran out of animals for these 'hunts'

He couldn't be bothered to turn up

He had a change of heart

He fell ill with a fever

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Question 5 of 10

5. When Caligula's 'circuses' started again, why was the emperor booed after one such event? Hint

There were not enough bears in the arena

They ran out of elephants

The lions were underfed and the gladiators were middle-aged

The lions kept winning

6. When Caligula was booed he reacted swiftly to the jeering and had the ringleaders dragged away to cellars, where they were mutilated and sent into the arena to do battle. What did Caligula have done to them? Hint

He had their tongues cut out

He had one of their limbs cut off

He had them severely whipped then branded

He had them slashed so they bled heavily

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Question 7 of 10

7. How did Caligula reduce the cost of feeding the lions for the gladiatorial contests? Hint

He fed the lions with his enemies

He fed the lions with common criminals

He fed the lions with elephants

He had the lions killed

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Question 8 of 10

8. With all the money he squandered on the 'circuses' he soon had financial problems. How did he start to sort out this problem? Hint

He fined wealthy citizens after they were convicted on trumped up charges of treason

He had some of the lions killed and sold for meat

He charged heavily for admission to the circuses

He forced his sisters into prostitution

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Question 9 of 10

9. How many boats did Caligula moor together to create a floating causeway, in a move to prove a soothsayer wrong? Hint

1,000

10,000

4,000

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Question 10 of 10

10. Why was Caligula's discussion of the promotion of Incitatus from Senator to Consul of the Roman Empire considered bizarre? Hint

Incitatus was only 10 years old

Incitatus wasn't Roman

Incitatus was dead

Incitatus was a horse

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What does the nickname 'Caligula' mean?

Answer: Little Boot

As a baby, Gaius had been taken by his father on army campaigns. The legionaires doted on the child and adopted him as a kind of mascot. They dressed him in a tiny uniform, complete with little boots!

2. How old was Caligula when he received the title of emperor?

Answer: 25

In Rome, in A.D. 37, he succeeded the elderly tyrant, Tiberius.

3. How many sisters did Caligula have?

Answer: 3

He actually made all three leave their respected husbands and move into his palace in Rome to share his bed!

4. Caligula introduced 'circuses' (that is, horse races) to Rome. In A.D. 38 they suddenly stopped. Why?

Answer: He fell ill with a fever

As he was still a very popular Emperor, only one year after he came to power, thousands of Romans gathered day and night outside the Palace. In fact all traffic and noise of music and trade were banned within half a mile of the palace. Within one month he had gone mad!

5. When Caligula's 'circuses' started again, why was the emperor booed after one such event?

Answer: The lions were underfed and the gladiators were middle-aged

When he recovered from fever he proclaimed himself a god and celebrated with a tremendous number of circuses which were intended to be more spectacular than previous ones. This took its toll on the imperial purse, which meant less fresh meat for the lions and lower prize money for the gladiators.

Answer: He had their tongues cut out

The Roman crowd, used to seeing trained 'huntsmen' kill the animals were stunned into silence. Caligula on the other hand whooped and clapped until they had all been killed and dragged back to the lions' cages.

7. How did Caligula reduce the cost of feeding the lions for the gladiatorial contests?

Answer: He fed the lions with common criminals

The common criminals of Rome were transported from the jails to the amphitheatres at night and fed to the lions.

8. With all the money he squandered on the 'circuses' he soon had financial problems. How did he start to sort out this problem?

Answer: He fined wealthy citizens after they were convicted on trumped up charges of treason

He seized vast estates and fortunes as fines and paid 'informers' who gave perjured evidence a few gold coins.

9. How many boats did Caligula moor together to create a floating causeway, in a move to prove a soothsayer wrong?

Answer: 4,000

The prediction by the soothsayer when he was a boy, was that he had as much chance of becoming emperor as crossing the bay and keeping his feet dry.

10. Why was Caligula's discussion of the promotion of Incitatus from Senator to Consul of the Roman Empire considered bizarre?

Answer: Incitatus was a horse

The earliest sources for the story about Caligula making his horse a senator and/or consul date from about 90 years or more after Caligula's death and are not taken seriously by historians.

Source: Author allmine

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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