It's A Date! Trivia Quiz

Answer: c. 1250 B.C.

Dating at the site of Troy, discovered by Heinrich Schliemann, suggested that the city burned approximately 1260 B.C. Of course, Homer makes a point to tell us that the Greeks totally destroyed the city after using the Trojan Horse to sneak in. He also tells the love story of Odysseus and Penelope, who remained faithful to her husband, even though he wasn't entirely faithful to her.

They hadn't been married very long when he left her and their young son to fight in the war. After twenty years of waiting it became more and more difficult for her to fend off the advances of her 108 suitors. Did she know the beggar was her husband when she said she would marry anyone who could string her husband's bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe shafts? She did give him the opportunity to reveal himself, become the returning hero, and prove once and for all (the bed) that he was her husband. Homer implies that Odysseus and Penelope lived "happily ever after".

Answer: c. 600 B.C.

Nebuchadnezzar II wanted to make New Babylon a showcase. He provided for the building of the monumental entrance into the city, the Ishtar Gate, and built the Hanging Gardens after marrying Amytis of Medea. Legend says that she became homesick; living on the relatively barren plains of Mesopotamia made her homesick for the vegetation of her native land.

Although the Hanging Gardens are documented by many ancient writers, no cuneiform tablets or definitive evidence that would support their existence has ever been found.

Answer: c. 330 B.C.

Artemisia was also the sister (!) of Mausolus. It is said that her love was so great that after his body was cremated, she added some of his the ashes to her daily drink, and pined away for two years after his death. Through her love she ensured that her husband would always be remembered.

A "Mausolus Tomb" or "mausoleum" is the term used today for any large, stately tomb. When Alexander the Great passed by, the mausoleum was still brand new; it is believed that it was left mostly untouched (except by grave robbers) until it was hit by an earthquake sometime between the 12th and 14th centuries. What was left of the tomb was dismantled during the Middle Ages by knights who built Bodrum Castle in the late 1400's.

Answer: 48 B.C.

Even though Caesar and Cleopatra never married, it is difficult to overlook a love story such as theirs. Legend says that Cleopatra, desperate to meet such a powerful man, but unable to gain a formal introduction, rolled herself up in a mattress (carpet?) and had herself delivered to Caesar. According to Plutarch, Caesar was immediately captivated by her sharp wit, and was so overcome by the charm of her company that he made a reconciliation between Rome and Egypt.

After killing her brother/husband, he made Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, and the rest is history! By the way, all dates are important in Roman history. Caesar was born in 100 B.C., and was assassinated in 44 B.C. By 27 B.C. Octavian had been proclaimed Emperor Augustus, and, of course, Cleopatra, Caesarion, her son with Caesar, and Marc Antony were all dead.

Answer: c. 6th century

There is a lot of debate and discussion about whether or not a "King Arthur" and "Camelot" existed and, if so, who he really was. However, c. 6th century is the only viable choice here. Most of those who who believe Arthur was historical, believe he was a British leader who led the defense of Britain against Saxon invaders.

This picture is appropriately entitled "The Last Meeting of Lancelot and Guinevere", and notice it is over Arthur's dead body. The affair seems to have made neither one happy in the end; Lancelot ended his days as a hermit, and Guinevere became a nun. (There are other versions of the story).

In their own way each tried to do penance for their sins. In addition, it is said to have divided the Knights of the Round Table, and therefore weakened or even destroyed Arthur's entire kingdom.

Answer: c. 7th century

It is very difficult to assign a date to this story, but most scholars agree that it dates to the 7th century. It has been retold and rewritten in several Middle Eastern cultures since, and may even have inspired Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Qays and Layla fell in love in grade school, but as they grew older, Qays was driven mad with love, and is given the nickname, Majnun. Afraid to have his daughter marry a madman, Layla's father gave her hand in marriage to another, they moved far away, and somehow never consummated the marriage. Majnun left home and became an aimless wanderer. Soon after he heard of Layla's premature death, he was found dead by her grave, and they were buried side by side.

Answer: c. 1300

On the "Absolute Shakespeare" website, it is said that there were families who lived in Verona with the same family names as Romeo and Juliet in 1300. Shakespeare is reckoned to have discovered this tragic love story in Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem entitled "The Tragical Historye of Romeus and Juliet". Even though the Renaissance began in Italy and learning, art, architecture and literature flourised, for the vast majority of the people, it was an awful place to live.

There was the plague, economic depression, and civic disorder. With no unified government, and the various city-states and duchies of northern and central Italy were ruled by despots. Street fighting and vendettas between families were quite common.

The story could definitely be historically accurate.

Answer: 1607

The couple was engaged in 1607, and finally married in 1612. Mumtaz bore Shah Jahan fourteen children, became his favorite wife, and was the only mother of his children born after the marriage. Mumtaz died in 1629 in childbirth; the shah, overcome with grief, decided to build a monument, which took almost twenty years to construct. Overthrown and imprisoned by one of his sons, the shah was eventually buried beside his beloved wife.

Answer: 1795

Josephine's first husband was killed in France during the Reign of Terror, and she was left a widow with young children. Napoleon married her, and treated her children as his own, eventually giving them titles and making prestigious matches for them; Napoleon's brother, Louis, married her daughter, Hortense, and their son was considered Napoleon's heir until the boy's death in 1807.

In this picture of his coronation, the audacious Napoleon has taken the crown from the pope and crowned himself emperor and Josephine empress. True love, however, can only go so far. Napoleon needed an heir, and Josephine was unable to give him one.

They were divorced in 1810.

Answer: 1836

Victoria and Albert were first cousins. They met for the first time in 1836, and became engaged in 1839. In some circles, he was considered to be "too German"; however, he came to be admired for his honesty and devotion to family. Together they had nine children.

He was Victoria's most trusted adviser, and she was devastated by his death, refusing to appear in public for three years. Victoria never stopped mourning Albert's death, and wore black for forty years after.