History of the Earlier Republic Quiz

Answer: Silva Arsia

All of these locations were locations of battles. Aricia is where the Latins and Cumae defeated Arruns, the son of Lars Porsenna. Lake Regillus is where the Romans defeated Mamilius Octavius. Algidus Pass is where the Aequi were deposed from Mt. Algidus.

Answer: The Belly and the Limbs

In the story of the "Belly and the Limbs" the limbs represent the plebs and the belly represents the patricians. The story tells how the belly cannot survive if the limbs do not feed it and the limbs cannot survive if the belly dies.

Answer: Lex Genucia

The Lex Licinia Sextia set an upper limit of 500 iugera (300 acres) as the amount of public land which one person might occupy. The Lex Ovinia gave the censors the right to revise the Senate list. The Lex Poetelia provided that a debtor should be enslaved instead of executed.

The Lex Genucia as well as establishing the ten year interim between consulships also cut the price of interests in half, and provided that both consuls could be a plebian.

Answer: The praetorship was opened to plebians

His consular colleague Ti Aemilius named Publilius dictator. He passed three main pieces of legislation, one requiring that the sanction of the Patres must be given to new laws (this eliminated the patrician right of veto), another requiring that one censor be a plebian (eliminating the patrician monopoly of this office), and another giving plebiscites the force of law. (Though this last reform was not achieved until 287 B.C. it most likely took away the patrician right to veto in the Comitia Tributa).

Answer: Praeneste

Paeneste had stood of the league until 360 B.C. when it joined them against Rome. They were defeated and the league was reorganized as dependents instead of equals. Praeneste was forced to join.

Answer: Falerii and Tarquinii

For the first time, in 359 B.C., the Etruscans made common cause against Rome. After defeating Caere, the Romans overran Falerii and Tarquinii granting them a 40-year truce in 351 B.C. In 311 B.C. these two cities induced the Etruscans to mobilize against Rome.

Answer: aes grave

The aes grave was the first form of currency used by the Romans. While the aes rude came earlier it was simply a small weighed lump of bronze. The aes signatum was minted by the Romans in 289 B.C. but lacked any form of identifying marks and still had to be weighed.

The aes rude was the first Roman coin to be minted (289 B.C.) with a mark of value and not need to be weighed. The quadrigatus was introduced in 235 B.C. showing Janus in a chariot (quadriga), and became known as a quadrigatus.

Answer: Manius Valerius

Appius Claudius, consul of 264 B.C., did arrive in Sicily and drove a wedge between the Greeks of Syracuse and their Carthaginian allies, but never attacked Syracuse. A year later Manius Valerius launched an ill-judged attack on Syracuse. He redeemed this defeat with the diplomatic success of detaching Syracuse from the Carthaginians. Claudius Marcellus was another Roman who tried to capture Syracuse in the 213 B.C., but he succeeded in capturing the city. Valerius Laevinus was the Roman admiral who landed a small force on the Adriatic cost of Macedon during the First Macedonian War.

Answer: Syphax

Philip of Macedon joined Carthage in 215 B.C. following the battle of Cannae. Hieronymus was the Greek King of Syracuse who, following the death of his Roman sympathizing grandfather, Hiero, changed sides to support the Carthiginians. Syphax was a Numidian leader who, upon Scipio's invasion, made up for previous changes of allegiance by joining the Punic side. Masinissa was a leader of a smaller Numidian principality who joined Scipio after his invasion.

Answer: Vaccaei

The Vaccaei were a northeastern tribe of Spain who, prior to 151 B.C., were not hostile to Rome. However in that year Lucullus launched an unprovoked attack on them and destroyed the town of Cauca.