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Rome Before the Punic Wars Trivia Quiz

A basic quiz on the wars and conflicts of Ancient Rome before the Punic Wars. Check it out!

A multiple-choice quiz by BakedPotato. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
BakedPotato

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
238,115

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
631

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Greece invades Italy! Who invaded, and where was he from? Hint

Pyrrhus of Tarentum

Alexander of Macedon

Pyrrhus of Epirus

Kleomenes of Sparta

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Question 2 of 10

2. "Alexander who?" Romans would be saying during the time when Alexander the Great was conquering the east. What were they busy doing? Hint

Fighting Germanic tribes

Fighting the Samnites

Trying to rebuild after devastation

Competing with Carthage in a cold war

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Question 3 of 10

3. So you say the Gauls are cheating and using unbalanced weights to squeeze more money out of Rome? "Vae victis!" Who said this? Hint

Vercingetorix

Fabius Maximus

Balarus

Brennus

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Question 4 of 10

4. Resistance to the influence of this culture was futile, as this culture spread like a plague! Hint

Egyptian

Barbarian

Greek

Carthaginian

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Question 5 of 10

5. He tried, but alas his victories were too costly. Pyrrhus withdrew from Italy in 275 BC and sought to rebuild his Greek kingdom. Where did he go next? Hint

Sicily

Macedon

Carthage

Sparta

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Question 6 of 10

6. None of the Italian tribes could withstand Rome's might. During the last Samnite war, which of these battles was essentially the end for Samnium? Hint

Sentinum

Aquilonia

Beneventum

Capua

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Question 7 of 10

7. The Phoenicians were responsible for settling the great city of Carthage. Which people was said to have settled Rome? Hint

Hittites

Italians

Trojans

Barbarians

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Question 8 of 10

8. War between Rome and the Samnites was drawing to an end, but elsewhere war was still raging on a far greater scale. Which people (or peoples) were involved? Hint

The Diodochi---Alexander's successors

The Carthaginians and the Numidians

The Gauls

The Greeks and the Persians

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Question 9 of 10

9. Rome had a close encounter with Carthage before total war erupted. Roman spies were caught in the city and executed. What year did this happen in? Hint

270 BC

272 BC

276 BC

280 BC

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Question 10 of 10

10. When did the First Punic War begin? Hint

270 BC

264 BC

266 BC

263 BC

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Greece invades Italy! Who invaded, and where was he from?

Answer: Pyrrhus of Epirus

He was king of the Epirotes and had recently lost the kingdom of Macedon when the Tarentines called upon him to protect him from the invading Romans.

2. "Alexander who?" Romans would be saying during the time when Alexander the Great was conquering the east. What were they busy doing?

Answer: Fighting the Samnites

For nearly 70 years Rome fought three successive wars with the nearby Italian tribe of Samnium. In the end, they succumbed and Rome became the dominant power on the Italian peninsula.

3. So you say the Gauls are cheating and using unbalanced weights to squeeze more money out of Rome? "Vae victis!" Who said this?

Answer: Brennus

When Gaul sacked Rome in 390 BC, the Romans were made to pay a ransom to the leader of the Senones, Brennus. They accused him of using false weights so as to take more money than agreed. In response, Brennus threw his sword on to the weights and said "Vae victis!"---"Woe to the vanquished!"

4. Resistance to the influence of this culture was futile, as this culture spread like a plague!

Answer: Greek

Roman resistance to Greek culture was influenced by their rough living compared to the extravagance of the Greeks.

5. He tried, but alas his victories were too costly. Pyrrhus withdrew from Italy in 275 BC and sought to rebuild his Greek kingdom. Where did he go next?

Answer: Sparta

He was asked to assist in crushing Sparta, but failed when he was struck by an old woman hurling roof tiles from her window. He was killed while unconscious by a sycophant who was later punished for this cowardly act.

6. None of the Italian tribes could withstand Rome's might. During the last Samnite war, which of these battles was essentially the end for Samnium?

Answer: Aquilonia

After losing an army at Sentinum, the Samnites mustered one last army in a last-ditch attempt to beat the Romans. The battle was a disaster for Samnium, and they never recovered from the loss.

7. The Phoenicians were responsible for settling the great city of Carthage. Which people was said to have settled Rome?

Answer: Trojans

According to legend, Aeneas, a survivor of Troy, found his way to Carthage, then to Rome, where he established his own kingdom, and is considered the ancestor of Romulus and Remus.

8. War between Rome and the Samnites was drawing to an end, but elsewhere war was still raging on a far greater scale. Which people (or peoples) were involved?

Answer: The Diodochi---Alexander's successors

The successor kingdoms of Alexander's fractured Empire---the Antigonid Empire, the Ptolemaic Empire, the Seleucid Empire, etc---constantly waged wars on and off for over forty years after Alexander's death!

9. Rome had a close encounter with Carthage before total war erupted. Roman spies were caught in the city and executed. What year did this happen in?

Answer: 276 BC

At the time, the Romans were still fighting Pyrrhus of Epirus. Another war would definitely not be favorable!

10. When did the First Punic War begin?

Answer: 264 BC

Carthage invaded the Roman Mamertines of Messina, and they sought help from Rome, thus beginning the war, which was mostly fought on Sicily, and at sea. The end of the war saw Rome emerge as a naval power, with control over all of Sicily and Sardinia.

Source: Author BakedPotato

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