Mighty Monarchs I (Roman - Byzantine) Quiz

Answer: Queen Zenobia

Zenobia ruled over the city of Palmyra (in modern Syria). She had her husband, Odaenathus, assassinated in 267 AD and ruled in the name of her son Vaballathus. She would openly revolt against the rule of Rome in 271 AD. Sometimes referred to as the 'Queen of the East'.

Answer: Trajan

Jesus was born during the reign of Augustus. Marcus Aurelius was a stoic. Diocletian launched the 'Great Persecution' of the Christians in 303 AD. Trajan was still remembered as being a just and tolerant ruler. (Reigned: 96-117 AD)

Answer: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian

Chronology: Nero committed suicide in 68 AD and was succeded by Galba. Galba was murdered by Otho in Jan 69 AD. Otho committed suicide in April 69 AD after being defeated in battle by Vitellius. Vitellius was murdered in Dec 69 AD and thus Vespasian became sole Emperor (he had been declared Emperor earlier in the year by the legions of the Roman East (i.e. Egypt, Syria, etc).

Answer: Basil II

After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bulgars in 986, Basil vowed revenge. It wasn't til 1014 that Basil effectively destroyed the Bulgars and incorporated their kingdom into his empire.

Answer: Baldwin I, Count of Flanders and Hainault

Baldwin I was declared emperor after the crusaders (Fourth Crusade 1202-1204 AD) captured and sacked Constantinople in 1204 AD.

Answer: Caracalla

Caracalla would best be known for extending the rights of Roman citizenship to every free man in the empire (in 212 AD and only to get more tax revenue). Geta was his brother and also his co-ruler. Julia Domna was their mother.

Answer: Constans II

His courtiers arranged the assassination because Constans was planning on moving the Byzantine capital to Syracuse and abandon Constantinople to the seemingly invincible wave of Islam.

Answer: Justinian II

Justinian II was a member of the Heraclian Dynasty and ruled in 685-695 AD and again in 705-711 AD. Justin I was the uncle of Justinian I who in turn was the uncle of Justin II.

Answer: Marcus Postumus

'Empire of the Gallic Provinces', which consisted of Gaul, Spain, Britain, and the Rhineland. It lasted til 274 AD. In that short time there were a total of five Emperors: Postumus (260-269 AD), Laelianus (269 AD), Aurelius Marius (269 AD), Victorinus (269-271 AD), and Tetricus (271-274 AD). Tetricus would abdicate and return the provinces to the allegiance of Rome.

Answer: Arcadius and Honorius

Upon the death of Theodosius the Roman Empire was definitively split into the Western Roman Empire (lasted till 476 AD) and the Eastern Roman (eventually Byzantine) Empire (lasted till 1453 AD). Arcadius ruled over the East and Honorius the West.

Answer: Justa Grata Honoria

Galla Placidia was his mother, Licinia Eudoxia was his wife, and Placidia the Younger was his daughter.

Answer: 11

Confusing note: there were two Constantine IIIs! one Constantine III was Byzantine Emperor briefly in 641 AD (recognized as a legitimate emperor) and another was a rival Roman Emperor in 407-411 AD (not recognized as a true Roman Emperor).

Answer: Charles I, Emperor of the West

Irene wished to have the power and prestige of Charles I (Charlemagne) to help bolster her fragile throne. She came to power in 797 after blinding her own son (Constantine VI). She was the first woman to rule the Byzantine Empire in her own right and not just as regent.

Answer: Orestes

Romulus Augustulus abdicated Sept 4, 476 AD. Most people think of this as the end of the Roman Empire. In reality, the empire survived till 1453 in the guise of the Byzantine Empire.

Answer: Constantine VII

Michael III (ruled 842-867 AD) was known as 'the Sot.' Basil I (ruled 867-886 AD) was known as 'the Macedonian.' Leo VI (ruled 886-912 AD) was known as 'the Wise.' Constantine VII (ruled 913-959 AD) was born while his father, Leo VI, was emperor thus 'Born in the Purple.'

Answer: Aetius

Valentinian was reported told 'With your left hand you have cut off your right hand.' He in turn was murdered in 455 AD by associates of Aetius.

Answer: Michael VIII

Michael was the founder of the Palaeologus Dynasty.

Answer: Constantine XI and Mohammed II

Interesting footnote: the man who founded Constantinople and the man who lost Constantinople were both named Constantine.

Answer: wife of Michael V Calaphates

Zoe was the adopted mother of Michael V. She was first married to Romanus III (ruled 1028-1034 AD), then Michael IV (ruled 1034-1041 AD), she adopted Michael V (ruled 1041-1042 AD), and finally married Constantine IX (ruled 1042-1055 AD). She was the daughter of Constantine VIII (ruled 1025-1028 AD) and the niece of Basil II (ruled 976-1025 AD).

She also had earlier (c. 1101 AD) been betrothed to Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor, but he died before they even met.

Answer: Marcian, Emperor of the Roman East

When Marcian refused to pay Attila anymore tribute money (in 450 AD) it forced the great Hun to turn his attention upon the weaker Roman West.

Answer: Anna, daughter of Romanus II

Anna was the sister of Basil II (ruled 976-1025 AD). Vladimir I had earlier converted to Christianity (in 988 AD) and blackmailed Basil into the marriage alliance for support given to the Emperor against the rebels Bardas Sclerus and Bardas Phocas.

Answer: Severus Alexander

Severus Alexander (ruled 222-235 AD) and was succeded by Maximinus I (ruled 235-238 AD). Gordian I and his son Gordian II were declared joint emperors by the legions in Roman Africa (modern Tunisia and Algeria) in March 238 AD but soon perished (in April).

There were three other emperors in 238 AD: Balbinus and Pupienus ruled jointly from April to July and associated Gordian III (grandson of Gordian I and nephew of Gordian II) with them on the throne. Gordian III ruled till 244 AD.

Answer: Shapur I

Ardashir (ruled 226-240 AD) was the founder of the Sassanian Dynasty. Shapur I (ruled 240-271 AD) would use the captive Valerian as his personal stool (among other humiliating tasks). Chosroes I (ruled 531-579 AD). Yezdigird III (ruled 634-642 AD) was the last of the dynasty and last king of Persia as the Persian Empire was ended by the initial expansion of Islam.

Answer: Prisca and Galeria Valeria

Galerius, Diocletian's co-emperor, was married to Galeria Valeria. It was his hatred and mistrust of Christians that made him basically force Diocletian to began the persecutions.

Answer: Galerius

On his deathbed Galerius called for a halt to the persecutions (April 311 AD). But it only covered the Eastern Roman Empire and the persecutions continued for another two years in the west. It was not til Constantine I and Licinius jointly issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD that Christianity was established as a legal religion in the Roman Empire. Pagan worship was not banned till 392 AD by Theodosius I.