The History of Marseille Trivia Quiz

Answer: Greeks

Massalia was also the first Greek community in what is now France. It was predominantly settled by people from Phocaea. Before the Greeks arrived, however, there were other people living in the area. The Cosquer Cave has cave paintings dating back to 27,000 BC. The Cosquer Cave is now over 100 feet underwater because the Mediterranean Sea has risen over the millennia.

Answer: Pytheas

Pytheas was born in Massalia around 350 BC. He became the first person to ever visit the Arctic on a scientific expedition. Although today he is credited for developing theories about the existence of the Midnight Sun and Polar Regions, these things were already known in Pytheas' day. He did, however, develop a theory on how the moon affects Earth's tides.

Answer: Julius Caesar

Caesar was actually intending to take control of Hispania but to pass through Massalia along the way. When the city closed its gates to him (Massalia was an ally of Hispania and other territories Caesar wanted) Caesar attacked and took Massalia and renamed it Massilia.

Answer: Mary Magdalene

After converting the whole region, it is said that Mary Magdalene went into seclusion in a Massilia cave now called La Sainte-Baume, which translates to the holy cave in English. While the French believe she died in Marseille, the historical evidence is inconclusive and she may have died there or in modern-day Turkey.

Answer: False

As a port city, Marseille was receiving rat-infested ships from around Europe that were infected with the plague. Three-fifths of the city's population died, totaling about 15,000 victims. Marseille experienced quite a number of devastating and deadly plagues throughout its history, most recently in 1720.

Answer: Provence

Today Marseille's region is called Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The reason for the incorporation was that Marseille was a prosperous trading post while the region of Provence was a new territory of France's, having just been acquired from Spain upon the death of King Rene.

Herbes de Provence consists of several different herbs including marjoram, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Other herbs are often included in different variations.

Answer: "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas

Chateau d'If made the perfect prison because, much like Alcatraz, it was on an island and was heavily fortified. There is no record of escape from the prison, excluding the fiction one from "The Count of Monte Cristo." Today, Chateau d'If is primarily a tourist attraction and an occasional setting for films or television shows.

Answer: Sent some troops to Paris supporting the revolution.

Marseille was supportive of the revolution and sent about 500 troops to aid the rebels, although there was no action in Marseille itself which is in the south of France far away from Paris. France's national anthem "La Marseillaise," became famous during the French Revolution as it was the battle song of the Marseille soldiers on the way to Paris.

Answer: Yugoslavia

Alexander I was in Marseille to meet with Barthous to discuss the two countries' alliance. Both men were killed by Vlado Èernozemski, a Bulgarian, who wanted to cause instability in Yugoslavia. While the assassination was not caught on film, only the aftermath was, the film reel of the incident is considered one of the first world-changing incidents recorded on film.

Answer: Documentaries

The festival has separate categories for French-language and international documentaries. Past winners of the festival include "In Public" which is about dismal conditions of the Chinese public transportation system and "Le Cas Pinochet," which is about Chilean dictator Augosto Pinochet. The award given out to the winners is called the Grand Prix.