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Life as a Roman Senator Trivia Quiz

Here's a quick quizzie about life as a Roman Senator. It shouldn't be hard if you know your facts. Enjoy!

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

Author
jinni

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
305,645

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
670

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. You are a young male Roman. It's time to officially put you on the books as a citizen. Yes, today you finally exist. What age are you? Hint

14-15

15-17

18-20

21-22

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. You're getting dressed in a beautiful toga. What is this toga called again? Hint

toga manlius

toga adolescens

toga virtus

toga virilis

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. You have officially become a young Roman citizen. What are you going to do now? Hint

quaestor

military service

praetor

aedile

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. After long harsh years of campaigning at war, you return to begin your political career. Where do you start? Hint

run for quaestor

run for aedile

run for praetor

run for consul

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. You get elected. Sweetness! Congrats! Are you in the senate now?

Yes

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. When you are a quaestor, you become part of the cursus honorum. What does this strange Latin phrase mean? Hint

honor of the race

honorable curse

race of honor

honor of the curse

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What office would it probably be useful for you to run for after serving as a quaestor? Hint

quaestor

praetor

aedile

consul

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. You're done with the offices of aedile and pro-aedile ... What office do you run for next? Hint

consul

quaestor

aedile

praetor

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. You become a consul. Which of these was NOT a consul? Hint

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Lucius Junius Brutus

Iulius Caesar

Polybius

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. One last question for you. If you were a plebeian (common person), what office could you run for? Hint

all of these

consul

quaestor

tribune

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. You are a young male Roman. It's time to officially put you on the books as a citizen. Yes, today you finally exist. What age are you?

Answer: 15-17

Around the age of 16 a young male Roman became a man, truly adult, virile, and able to participate in public life and fighting fit. Vade! (Or, in Latin: Go!)

2. You're getting dressed in a beautiful toga. What is this toga called again?

Answer: toga virilis

The 'toga virilis' literally means the 'toga of manhood', from 'vir, viri' - 'man'. So it's the toga of manliness, or the toga a man wears when becoming a citizen. This marks the transition from boyhood to manhood.

3. You have officially become a young Roman citizen. What are you going to do now?

Answer: military service

Military service. Hup-two, three, four! After becoming a man, every citizen owed his country 10-20 years of military service. If you were rich, you served for 10 years; if not, 20. This used to be determined by if you had a horse or not, because a horse meant wealth.

4. After long harsh years of campaigning at war, you return to begin your political career. Where do you start?

Answer: run for quaestor

You start by running for quaestor. A quaestor was a treasurer. Comes from "quiero" - 'to ask, inquire'. A quaestor inquired into public funds, and kept track of all money that cames in and went out. First step in a political career.

5. You get elected. Sweetness! Congrats! Are you in the senate now?

Answer: Yes

Indeed, indeed. Once you get elected to quaestor, you are elected to the senate for life, even after you're finished with your one-year term as quaestor.

After quaestorship, you go into a pro-quaestorship where you govern a small province for a year. Inspiring!

6. When you are a quaestor, you become part of the cursus honorum. What does this strange Latin phrase mean?

Answer: race of honor

Race of honor. Once you are in the race of honor, you are part of the senate for life. There are four offices to the race of honor ...

7. What office would it probably be useful for you to run for after serving as a quaestor?

Answer: aedile

Aedile is the office of a public works administrator. It comes from aedes, aedis - building. They take care of the city, and hand out jobs. Why? Because government officials, believe it or not, couldn't do business. So they hired business folk to work on public projects for them.

It was possible to become a senator without having held the office of aedile, but it was often an advantage.

8. You're done with the offices of aedile and pro-aedile ... What office do you run for next?

Answer: praetor

A praetor is a judge. He judges all affairs.

9. You become a consul. Which of these was NOT a consul?

Answer: Polybius

Brutus was the first consul, the founder of the Republic out of the infamous Rape of Lucretia, which MAY or may NOT have happened. *Wiggles eyebrows*

Cicero was a consul, and very famous orator. His most famous speeches are the "Catilinarian Orations", denouncing Lucius Catiline. Very vicious; I'm translating them in class. He calls him sewage at one point...

Caesar, the famous Caesar, not of the salad, became the first Roman dictator for life. Sulla and Cincinattus were also some famous Roman dictators. Not much to say which do not know. Et tu, Brute?

Polybius is a historian, the most reliable but not the most brilliant ...

10. One last question for you. If you were a plebeian (common person), what office could you run for?

Answer: all of these

Plebeians achieved "equality" with patricians in 287 BC. They could run for consul, and to do that, they could run in the cursus honorum. The tribune of the plebs was obviously a plebeian-exclusive office.

Hope you've enjoyed this quiz! Vale! (Be well!)

Source: Author jinni

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