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"River God" by Wilbur Smith Trivia Quiz

"River God" is the first of Wilbur Smith's "Egyptian" sequence of novels, and transports the reader back to the time of the Pharoahs.

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

Author
sancho_pft

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,734

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
11 / 15

Plays
460

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. The book is narrated by a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave. What is his name? Hint

Imhotep

Taita

Nefer

Mehy

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Question 2 of 15

2. At the commencement of the book, who owns the slave narrating the tale? Hint

Pharoah Mamoset

Lord Arkhon

Prince Memnon

Lord Intef

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Question 3 of 15

3. The slave primarily cares for his master's beautiful daughter. What is her name? Hint

Ubekhet

Lostris

Nefertari

Anksenamen

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Question 4 of 15

4. The slave deliberately engineers the daughter's betrothal to the Pharoah.

True

False

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Question 5 of 15

5. Although betrothed to the Pharoah, the young maiden is in love with a brave soldier. What is his name? Hint

Henen-sut

Piankhy

Tanus

Tefnakht

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Question 6 of 15

6. A highly-regarded General, Tanus, is unexpectedly condemned to death by the Pharoah. What was his crime? Hint

None - he has been framed

Plotting to seize the throne

Speaking openly of the troubles besetting the land

Seducing the Pharoah's wife

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Question 7 of 15

7. Pharoah Mamoset defers the execution of the sentence of death on Tanus for two years - on what condition? Hint

That Tanus discovers a way of making wheels

That Tanus finds and destroys the robber bands

That Tanus leaves Egypt and can only return with his own weight in gold

That Tanus work as a slave for the two years

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Question 8 of 15

8. Tanus returns at the end of the two year period, to face his doom. What happens? Hint

He is beheaded on the spot

Tanus has been severely injured and the kindly Pharoah pardons him

The Pharoah dies as he is pronouncing sentence

He denounces Lord Intef as the leader of The Shrikes

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Question 9 of 15

9. The northern part of the kingdom, already under the rule of a false Pharoah, falls to an invading force. What are the invaders known as? Hint

Barbarians

Hyksos

Syrians

Mongols

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Question 10 of 15

10. In a major battle with the invaders, what happens? Hint

The invaders are defeated, thanks to Tanus' bravery

Tanus is revealed as a traitor

An agreement is reached to partition the kingdom

Pharoah Mamoset is killed

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Question 11 of 15

11. The Queen has already borne her lover's child, which Pharoah accepted as his. What happens when she again falls pregnant, after Pharoah's death? Hint

She miscarries, and takes it as a sign of displeasure from the gods.

Her lover admits that the children are his

The slave convinces everyone that Pharoah's spirit visited her

The slave arranges to terminate the pregnancy

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Question 12 of 15

12. During their exile, the slave is captured by an Ethiopian chieftain. What is his name? Hint

Heraka

Bakh-her

Arkoun

Babustis

NEXT>

Question 13 of 15

13. During an unexpected flash flood, the slave escapes and returns to the exiled Egyptians. What happens next? Hint

They attack the Ethiopian chieftain, and defeat his forces

They move on from that part of Ethiopia

They remain in fear of further attacks from the chieftains

He finds the Queen has died of a fever

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Question 14 of 15

14. Having finally found a suitable place to construct the Pharoah's tomb, what does the slave contrive to do? Hint

Steal large amounts of gold

Have Tanus buried in it instead

Persuade the Queen to set him free

Avoid burying Pharoah, believing he should lie in Egypt

NEXT>

Question 15 of 15

15. Memnon, son of the dead Pharoah, marries Masara, the daughter of an Ethiopian chieftain. What gift does her father give which aids the recapture of the kingdom? Hint

Several tons of gold

Many wheelwrights

Several thousand horses

Hundreds of mercenary soldiers

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The book is narrated by a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave. What is his name?

Answer: Taita

Taita is vain, but intelligent and skilled in many things: music, poetry, warfare, and so on.

2. At the commencement of the book, who owns the slave narrating the tale?

Answer: Lord Intef

Intef, the Grand Vizier, is a corrupt and venal official, and gave the order for Taita to be castrated when he discovered Taita's love affair with a slave girl.

3. The slave primarily cares for his master's beautiful daughter. What is her name?

Answer: Lostris

Taita is totally devoted to Lostris, and although frequently exasperated by her antics, can deny her nothing.

4. The slave deliberately engineers the daughter's betrothal to the Pharoah.

Answer: False

The Pharoah consults Taita, also an accomplished physician, about his failure to produce a male heir. Taita recommends marriage to the most beautiful maiden in the land, inadvertently directing the Pharoah's attention to Lostris.

5. Although betrothed to the Pharoah, the young maiden is in love with a brave soldier. What is his name?

Answer: Tanus

Tanus returns Lostris' love, and believes he will find favour with Lord Intef. Intef however, loathes and fears Tanus, having defrauded Tanus' father years earlier.

6. A highly-regarded General, Tanus, is unexpectedly condemned to death by the Pharoah. What was his crime?

Answer: Speaking openly of the troubles besetting the land

Using the excuse of the Feast of Osiris, when matters may traditionally be brought to the attention of the Pharoah, Tanus denounces the weak generals who have failed to protect the people from the raids by bandits known as "The Shrikes".

7. Pharoah Mamoset defers the execution of the sentence of death on Tanus for two years - on what condition?

Answer: That Tanus finds and destroys the robber bands

Although Pharoah is angered by Tanus' words, inside, he accepts Tanus' criticism. He sees in Tanus the ideal person to destroy The Shrikes.

8. Tanus returns at the end of the two year period, to face his doom. What happens?

Answer: He denounces Lord Intef as the leader of The Shrikes

After a long and bloody campaign, Tanus, now called "Akh-Horus" (The Brother of Horus) has destroyed most of the bandit gangs and captured their leaders. One by one they are brought before the Pharoah and denounce Intef as their overall leader. Intef flees, but only after Taita leads Pharoah and Tanus into the secret chambers where Intef has been hiding the wealth plundered from the Kingdom.

9. The northern part of the kingdom, already under the rule of a false Pharoah, falls to an invading force. What are the invaders known as?

Answer: Hyksos

The Hyksos bring with them some (to Egyptian eyes) frightening new tools of war. They use horses, hitherto unknown in Egypt, and ride in chariots; until now the secret of making wheels had eluded the Egytpians.

10. In a major battle with the invaders, what happens?

Answer: Pharoah Mamoset is killed

The chariots and horses overwhelm the Egyptian army and Pharoah Mamoset receives a fatal wound to the stomach. The survivors of the army, along with the nobility including Lostris, Tanus, and Taita, flee southwards.

11. The Queen has already borne her lover's child, which Pharoah accepted as his. What happens when she again falls pregnant, after Pharoah's death?

Answer: The slave convinces everyone that Pharoah's spirit visited her

Lostris had already borne a son, Memnon, whose father is of course Tanus, but who was delightedly accepted by Mamoset as his longed-for male heir. When she becomes pregnant again, Taita convinces everyone that the dead Pharoah, still unburied in the hold of the ship, rose from the dead and visited Lostris.

12. During their exile, the slave is captured by an Ethiopian chieftain. What is his name?

Answer: Arkoun

Arkoun is cruel and rules his area brutally. During his captivity Taita befriends Masara, a fellow captive and a valuable hostage as the daughter of one of Arkoun's rival chieftains.

13. During an unexpected flash flood, the slave escapes and returns to the exiled Egyptians. What happens next?

Answer: They attack the Ethiopian chieftain, and defeat his forces

Taita and Tanus find Masara's father and strike a deal to rescue her and defeat Arkoun. Although the rescue succeeds and Arkoun is defeated, Tanus is fatally wounded in the battle.

14. Having finally found a suitable place to construct the Pharoah's tomb, what does the slave contrive to do?

Answer: Have Tanus buried in it instead

Although Pharoah Mamoset's body has been carefully preserved, Taita believes Tanus is more worthy of the tomb; Queen Lostris, of course, conspires with him in this endeavour.

15. Memnon, son of the dead Pharoah, marries Masara, the daughter of an Ethiopian chieftain. What gift does her father give which aids the recapture of the kingdom?

Answer: Several thousand horses

Memnon, now grown to adulthood, takes the title of Pharoah Tamose. With the dowry of several thousand horses, he is able to re-invade Egypt, and sweep the Hyksos north, eventually setting up his throne at Elephantine Island, near modern-day Aswan.

Source: Author sancho_pft

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