World History Made Simple, CE 3 - 1215 Quiz

Answer: Claudius

According to legend, Agrippina killed her husband with poisonous mushrooms. She then arranged for her son Nero to become Emperor, but her ungrateful and insane offspring eventually had her killed. After Rome burned, Nero was assassinated and a civil war followed to determine his successor. Nero was succeeded by Galba who in turn was followed by Otho.

Answer: Diocletian

In what is known as the Age of Diocletian, or the 'Late Empire', Rome's territory was divided into four independent administrative units, each with its own ruler. Diocletian's reforms strengthened the army and the civil service, enabling the Empire to survive another 120 years or so.

Answer: Romulus

Rome had been weakened after being sacked by the Vandals in 455. When Emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed by German mercenaries in 476, it brought an end the once mighty Western Empire.

Answer: Justinian

The Byzantine Empire inlcuded the Greek-speaking parts of Roman Empire, also called the Eastern Roman Empire. Justinian expanded it to include all of North Africa and parts of the Middle East as well as Italy and Greece. The first comprehensive compilation of Roman law was issued under his rule.

Answer: Gunpowder

Gunpowder was created by combining saltpeter, sulfur, and carbon. It was primarily used to make fireworks. By the time the Chinese skies were filled with exploding pyrotechnics, the abacus had been around for over a thousand years. The crude calculating machine is thought to have originated sometime between 1000 BCE and 500 BCE.

Answer: Tours

By 718 Islamic forces had swept through Spain to the Pyrenees Mountains. A Muslim expedition led by Adb-el-Rahman crossed the Pyrenees and was defeated at Tours by the Franks under Charles Martel. This marked the furthest incursion of Muslim forces into Western Europe, and the historian Edward Gibbon claimed that it saved Christianity and halted the conquest of Europe by Islam.

Answer: Charles

Charles the Great, better known as Charlemagne, was the son of Frankish King Pippin the Short. On Christmas Day in 800 he was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III. By means of military conquest and defense, he expanded his kingdom to include much of western Europe.

Answer: Hastings

At the Battle of Hastings William of Normandy defeated English King Harold II. On Christmas day William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

Answer: Richard

Christian forces led by Richard Lionheart captured Acre fortress. Thereafter, a truce with Muslim ruler Saladin was negotiated that ensured Christian access to Jerusalem. In 1199 Richard was killed while fighting in France.

Answer: John

In 1215, a group of barons forced King John of England to reluctantly sign the document in the meadow at Runnymede. It seriously limited the power of the king and John repudiated it as soon as the barons left London causing a civil war known as the First Barons' War. King John died in 1216 as was succeeded by the nine year-old Henry III, whose regents reissued a modified Magna Carta.