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The Roman Empire VII Trivia Quiz

The succession of Caracalla and Geta brought the empire some turmoil days that set the base for the third century crisis. Enjoy!

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

Author
Kserkso

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
295,002

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
319

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Caracalla and his brother, Geta, did not get along as well as their father had hoped. Quite the contrary! Caracalla had Geta murdered thus gaining sole power. When did that happen? Hint

December, 211

April, 211

July, 211

October, 211

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Question 2 of 10

2. Caracalla's cognomen refers to a cloak he constantly wore. From which province, according to Aurelius Victor, did the cloak originate? Hint

Brittania

Gaul

Hispania

Germania

3. Caracalla suffered from outbursts of anger. One great city of the time learned that the hard way. Over 20,000 inhabitants were slaughtered on Caracalla's orders because they insulted him with a play. Which city was it? Hint

Athens

Jerusalem

Alexandria

Ctesiphone

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Question 4 of 10

4. Caracalla was murdered by a member of the Praetorian Guard while urinating by the roadside in modern Israel.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. Macrinus had a son named ___________.

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 6 of 10

6. Macrinus was defeated in the battle of Antioch by the forces of Julia Maesa and Gannys, her general. Maesa was a rich Severan lady who paid the Third Legion to proclaim Elagabalus emperor. They did. What was Maesa's relationship to the newly appointed emperor? Hint

She was his mother.

She was his sister.

She was his aunt.

She was his grandmother.

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Question 7 of 10

7. What was Elagabalus' personal name? Hint

Publius

Avitus

Lucius

Gaius

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Question 8 of 10

8. Elagabalus had a lover, a chariot slave Hierocles of Caria. The slave was, as Elagabalus refered to him, his husband. The emperor even gave him the title of Caesar. What colour was Hierocles' hair? Hint

blond

reddish

black

brown

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Question 9 of 10

9. Elagabalus didn't survive long. He was murdered in 218 when only 18 years old. His cousin was proclaimed emperor by the Praetorians. Marcus Julius Gessius Bassianus Alexianus, known as Alexandar Severus provided the empire with a stable government at last. He was, however, majorly influenced by his mother, whose name was: Hint

Julia Mamaea

Julia Maesa

Julia Soaemis

Julia Alexia

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Question 10 of 10

10. Alexander was murdered by his own troops after being defeated by Germanic tribes. He died crying in the lap of his mother.What were allegedly Alexander's last words? Hint

Enough, mother, I have had enough!

I love you, mother!

Rotten, backstabbing swine!

I leave after giving them all!

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Caracalla and his brother, Geta, did not get along as well as their father had hoped. Quite the contrary! Caracalla had Geta murdered thus gaining sole power. When did that happen?

Answer: December, 211

Following Geta's assassination, Caracalla issued a "damnatio memoriae" and ordered his name to be removed from all inscriptions. Caracalla also used this opportunity to proclaim proscriptions against his enemies claiming that they had formed a conspiracy with his murdered brother.

2. Caracalla's cognomen refers to a cloak he constantly wore. From which province, according to Aurelius Victor, did the cloak originate?

Answer: Gaul

According to Aurelius Victor, this new fashion adopted by the emperor spread to his army and his court.

Answer: Alexandria

When the inhabitants of Alexandria heard Caracalla's claims that he had killed Geta in self-defense, they produced a satire mocking this claim. Caracalla responded to this insult savagely.

4. Caracalla was murdered by a member of the Praetorian Guard while urinating by the roadside in modern Israel.

Answer: False

These events occured in modern day Turkey near the town of Haran. Caracalla was succeeded by the Praetorian Prefect, Macrinus, who almost certainly played a part in the conspiracy against the emperor.

5. Macrinus had a son named ___________.

Answer: Diadumenian

Diadumenian had little time to enjoy his position because the legions of Syria revolted and declared Elagabalus ruler of the Roman Empire. When Macrinus was defeated on June 8, 218, at Antioch, Diadumenian was murdered while attempting to flee to Parthia.

Answer: She was his grandmother.

Caracalla's maternal aunt, Julia Maesa, was afterwards honoured by Elagabalus with the title "Augusta avia Augusti" which means "Augusta, the grandmother of Augustus".

7. What was Elagabalus' personal name?

Answer: Avitus

He was born Avitus Varius Bassianus, but was known as Elagabalus or Heliogabalus due to the god he worshipped. He is rarely called Marcus Aurelius Antoninus altough that was his official name.

Answer: blond

Elagabalus had many sexual fetishes and preoccupations. For example, Historia Augusta tells us that he chose state administrators by measuring the size of their penises! The longer the penis, the higher the office! However, Historia Augusta was written by senators, and it is well known that senators despised Elagabalus.

Answer: Julia Mamaea

Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. He and his mother did much to improve the morals of the people. One of their greatest concerns were to improve the social status of the empire's inhabitants and they took good care of Rome's health system. Alexander had some respected advisors such as the jurist Ulpian and Cassius Dio.

10. Alexander was murdered by his own troops after being defeated by Germanic tribes. He died crying in the lap of his mother.What were allegedly Alexander's last words?

Answer: Enough, mother, I have had enough!

He was assassinated at the hands of his troops after suffering a defeat at arms against the Germanic tribes after first trying diplomacy and bribery, which provoked the legions who were eager to plunder. His assassination is regarded as the event that marks the start of The Third Century Crisis - a period of fifty years of disorder the in Roman Empire.

Source: Author Kserkso

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