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Miscellanea Romana Trivia Quiz

Useless trivia from Roman antiquity.

A multiple-choice quiz by Dr.Rome. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
Dr.Rome

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
70,029

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
1301

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Pliny the Elder recommended placing a brassiere on one's head for what purpose? Hint

Scaring off burglars

Entertaining house guests

Curing headaches

Magically attracting women

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Question 2 of 10

2. In 192 B.C. a cow had supposedly warned about the Third Punic War by saying which of the following? Hint

My udders are empty of milk!

The Carthaginians are coming!

Elephants will trample us all!

Rome, watch out!

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which Emperor was said to enjoy spending his leisure time alone catching flies and killing them with a sharp stylus? Hint

Trajan

Caligula

Domitian

Augustus

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Question 4 of 10

4. Cicero was said to have a copy of which work stored in a nutshell? Hint

Ennius's Epicharmus

Varro's On the Gods

Epicurus's On Pleasure

Homer's Iliad

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which type of clothing was unknown to the Romans? Hint

Socks

Gloves

Sweaters

Trousers

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which of the following did not exist in ancient Rome? Hint

Piggy banks

Chariot odometers

Matches

Potato peelers

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Question 7 of 10

7. Early Romans supposedly wore beards until barbers started coming to Rome from Sicily around 300 B.C. When did wearing beards become fashionable again? Hint

In the early third century A.D., due to Germanic influence

In the early fourth century A.D., with the great rise of Christianity

In the early second century A.D., under the Emperor Hadrian

In the early first century A.D., when many Sicilians were expelled from Rome

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which place was most famous for its erotic dancing girls? Hint

Lutetia (modern Paris, France)

Alexandria (in Egypt)

Mogontiacum (modern Mainz, Germany)

Gades (near modern Cadiz, Spain)

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which author from the second century A.D. wrote a work involving an adventure-filled trip to the land across the Atlantic? Hint

Apuleius

Lucian

Longus

Petronius

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which poet recounts that he once had a wet dream as he stayed overnight at a villa near Trivicum during a trip to Brundisium? Hint

Varius

Catullus

Horace

Ovid

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Pliny the Elder recommended placing a brassiere on one's head for what purpose?

Answer: Curing headaches

See A. Richlin, 'Pliny's Brassiere' in J. P. Hallett and M. B. Skinner, eds. 'Roman Sexualities' (1997), pp. 197-220.

2. In 192 B.C. a cow had supposedly warned about the Third Punic War by saying which of the following?

Answer: Rome, watch out!

The story of the cow that said 'Roma, cave tibi' is found in Livy and Valerius Maximus.

3. Which Emperor was said to enjoy spending his leisure time alone catching flies and killing them with a sharp stylus?

Answer: Domitian

This story is recounted in Suetonius. For an explanation of this hobby, see D. Page. 'Two Things Which Occupied Domitian.' in J. P. Bews, I. C. Storey, and M. R. Boyne, eds. Celebratio (1998), 106-115.

4. Cicero was said to have a copy of which work stored in a nutshell?

Answer: Homer's Iliad

This is recounted by Pliny.

5. Which type of clothing was unknown to the Romans?

Answer: Sweaters

Trousers were worn especially by Gauls, as the Romans knew, and gloves and socks were worn by the Romans themselves when it was cold, as we find in numerous sources. As far as I know, there is no ancient evidence for sweaters.

6. Which of the following did not exist in ancient Rome?

Answer: Potato peelers

Romans did not have potato peelers since they did not have potatoes, which are a New World product. Vitruvius describes a chariot odometer, Martial describes sulphur-tipped matches, and ancient piggy banks have been found by archaeologists.

7. Early Romans supposedly wore beards until barbers started coming to Rome from Sicily around 300 B.C. When did wearing beards become fashionable again?

Answer: In the early second century A.D., under the Emperor Hadrian

Hadrian, a great philhellene, started the beard-wearing trend.

8. Which place was most famous for its erotic dancing girls?

Answer: Gades (near modern Cadiz, Spain)

The dancing girls of Gades are mentioned by Martial among other authors.

9. Which author from the second century A.D. wrote a work involving an adventure-filled trip to the land across the Atlantic?

Answer: Lucian

This is Lucian's 'True Stories'.

10. Which poet recounts that he once had a wet dream as he stayed overnight at a villa near Trivicum during a trip to Brundisium?

Answer: Horace

Horace, Satires, 1.5.84-85.

Source: Author Dr.Rome

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