Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Our first tip of the hat goes to the wife of Socrates. Reputedly much younger than her famous husband, she had a reputation for being difficult to get along with. However, the great philosopher said that this quality was why he married her, saying if he could get along with her, he could do so with anyone. What was her name?
2. Our next tip of the hat goes to another well-known woman of Athens, one who is said to have influenced Socrates. Born in Ionia, she emigrated to Athens and greatly impressed Plato with her intelligence and wit. However, her greatest influence was on the Athenian ruler Pericles, with whom she had a romantic attachment. Who was this powerful figure, who was probably a courtesan?
3. My next tip of the hat goes to a 10th century Jewish Ethiopian queen who destroyed the ancient Axumite kingdom and set up her own, ruling for 40 years. Described by some websites as "semi-legendary," this powerful figure is referred to in several historical accounts both within and outside of Ethiopia. Can you pick out her name, which is often confused with a Biblical woman who has her own book, but not in Protestant Bibles?
4. I will take my whole hat off to the first Roman lady on the quiz, although she is generally seen as quite a villainess. But she was also strong-minded and decisive, killing two husbands, one of whom was the Emperor Claudius (who was also her uncle), as well as at least eight other people to ensure her son's rise to the throne. Who was this great-granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, sister of Emperor Caligula, and mother of Emperor Nero?
5. Our next honoree was Queen of Georgia, ruling from the time her father, George III, named her co-ruler in 1178 and until her death in 1213. She expanded Georgia's size and power and ruled over its golden age. The Georgian Orthodox Church canonized her with the title of "Holy Righteous King." Due to the link seen by the Georgian monarchy between them and the House of David, she may have been named after the Biblical mother of Perez and Zerah, two sons of Judah. What was her name?
6. Not to be confused with a famous 17th century Italian woman artist of the same name, our next lady was Queen of Ionia, a subject state in the Persian Empire of Xerxes in the 5th Century BC. She commanded five ships in Xerxes' fleet at the Battle of Salamis, and later consulted with the Persian emperor, persuading him to abandon his invasion of Greece. Can you pick out her name?
7. We head to Rome in the first century BC for my next honoree. This lady exercised great influence in Rome, particularly as the wife of Mark Antony. He was her third husband, having been widowed twice. All three of her husbands were tribunes and supporters of Julius Caesar. Aside from her political activities, she was the first non-mythical woman to appear on Roman coins. Who was this woman, known as "Lioness among Romans"?
8. For my next tip of the cap, I'm going to leave the comforts of Western Civilization and venture into less familiar territory. Picture a warrior queen waging war from the back of an elephant. She's wearing gold armor and wielding a sword in each hand. She raised an army of over 1,000 men and women and took on the mighty Eastern Wu Kingdom of China, defeating them in over 30 battles. Who has been called the "Vietnamese Joan of Arc"?
9. What name is generally ascribed in Ethiopian sources to the Queen of Sheba?
10. Our final tip of the cap goes to the famous queen of Palmyra who conquered Roman-held Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. Who was this queen who claimed descent from Cleopatra, but who was eventually defeated by Rome?
Source: Author
shvdotr
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
bloomsby before going online.
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