Quo Vadis Trivia Quiz

Answer: Britain

We learn that Marcus has been fighting in Britain in the next scene, when one of the soldiers at the imperial palace asks him, "Commander, did you fight the Britons with the mass movement?" Marcus replies, "We fought them with our bowels. Try it sometime." There are other references to Marcus' service in Britain during the movie; he remarks that the Britons are very brave, but that their women are unattractive and smear their bodies with animal fat.

Answer: Writing a poem

Nero, played by Peter Ustinov, is writing a poem based on the burning of Troy. He explains to Marcus that he wishes his troops to remain outside the city for a short time because he has planned a triumph for Marcus.

Answer: Uncle

When Marcus is announced at the imperial palace, an annoyed Nero asks, "Vinicius? Who is Marcus Vinicius?" Petronius answers, "My nephew, divinity, just returned with his legion from Britain."

Petronius, played by Leo Genn, was based upon Gaius Petronius Arbiter (27 - 66 AD). Petronius was Nero's arbiter of elegance, and served as counsel in 62 AD. He is believed to be the author of the "Satyricon", a novel set during the reign of Nero. Both Genn and Ustinov received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "Quo Vadis", but lost to Karl Malden for his performance in "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Answer: She is disturbed by Marcus' tales of bloodshed.

Marcus is smitten with Lygia the first time he lays eyes on her. He says, "Nothing do I see that is not perfection." He offers to sacrifice twelve white doves to Venus to commemorate their meeting, but she tells him, "Your sacrifice will be in vain." Lygia is attracted to Marcus, too, but at first she will have nothing to do with him.

He asks her, "What is it you see that you don't like?" And she answers, "It's not what I see that I don't like, it's what I hear...ugly stories of conquest and bloodshed." Marcus is puzzled by her attitude; at this point in the story he does not yet know that Lygia and all the members of Aulus Platius' household are Christians.

Answer: Teacher

Marcus asks Paul what he does, and Paul replies that he is a rabbi. Marcus then asks, "What in the name of old Jupiter is a rabbi?" Before Paul can respond, Plautius says that he is a teacher, and that he teaches philosophy. Paul seems amused by this, and asks Lygia, "Did you know that all this time I've been teaching you philosophy?"

Answer: Too narrow in the hips

At the banquet, Nero spots Lygia, and asks Petronius, "Is that the hostage I bought for Marcus? Marcus has an eye." Petronius, spotting Nero's lustful leer, responds, "I know your incomparable judgment, divinty, and I'll wager that you have already decided, even from here, that she is too narrow in the hips." Nero hesitates, but then, in a disappointed voice, says, "Oh, yes. Too narrow in the hips."

Answer: Ursus

Ursus, which is Latin for bear, is an apt description for Lygia's bodyguard. He was played by Buddy Baer, brother of Max Baer, former world heavyweight boxing champion, and uncle of Max Baer, Jr., who played Jethro on "The Beverly Hillbillies". Despite his great size and strength, Ursus is a gentle man, and is very upset that he had to kill Croton to save Lygia.

He asks Marcus for forgiveness.

Answer: Poppaea

Poppaea is based on a real person, Poppaea Sabina, Nero's second wife. She died in 65 AD, some say from being kicked in the stomach by Nero while she was pregnant, and thus would not have been alive when many of the events in "Quo Vadis" take place. In the movie she is portrayed by Patricia Laffan, a beautiful and versatile actress who would later star in the science fiction cult classic, "Devil Girl From Mars". Poppaea has some of the best lines in the movie.

Poppaea: I should like to vanquish you, Marcus.

Marcus: Like the spider who eats her mate when she has no further use for him?

Poppaea: Uh-huh. Something like that.

Answer: Christians

Knowing that the people are angry, Nero says, "We must never admit it...they want vengence. It is Poppaea who suggests blaming the Christians, telling him, "Give the people what they want; not one victim, but a hundred, a thousand." Nero calls his scribe and issues a decree, "The people shall have their vengence. I hereby proclaim that the guilt for burning our beloved city lies with the vile sect called Christians. They have spread the lie that Nero burned Rome."

Petronius warns Nero, "Condemn these Christians and you will make martyrs of them. Condemn them, and in the eyes of history you condemn yourself." But Nero responds, "When I am finished with these Christians, history will not be sure they ever existed."

Answer: Writes a letter to Nero

When Petronius warns Nero against blaming the Christians for the burning of Rome, Nero asks if he is a Christian. Petronius replies, "I am not. I have heard that the Christians teach you to love your neighbor. As I see what men are, I cannot for the life of me love my fellow man." After a banquet at his house with his closest friends, Petronius kills himself, but before he does, he sends a letter to Nero.

It reads, in part, "I can forgive you for murdering your wife and mother, for burning our beloved Rome and for befouling our fair country with the stench of your crimes.

But one thing I cannot forgive, the boredom of having to listen to your verses, your second rate songs, your mediocre performance... Brutalize the people, but do not bore them, as you have bored to death, your friend, the late Gaius Petronius." Nero's reaction when he reads the letter is one of the high points of the movie!

Answer: They are married.

Peter marries Marcus and Lygia while they are in prison. They expect to be thrown to the lions with the rest of the prisoners, but Nero has other plans for them.

Answer: Singing

The Christians sing hymns as they are waiting to die. Nero exclaims, "More singing! Why aren't they afraid? They irritate me. They should have been tortured first." He is also annoyed when he inspects the corpses and finds that many of them are smiling.

Answer: Light purple

I have no idea how they got this scene past the censors in 1951. Lygia's dress is practically transparent; in addition, the scene was filmed on a windy day, which made it cling to her body in a most provocative manner. There was little of Miss Kerr's anatomy left to the imagination.

Interestingly, in the VHS and DVD versions of this film, the scene with Lygia tied to the stake has been heavily edited, perhaps to make it more suitable for family viewing.

Answer: Ursus

Marcus is shackled to a post in the imperial box and forced to watch Lygia's ordeal. Her bodyguard, Ursus, is brought into the arena to defend her against the bull. Nero says that if Ursus kills the bull, he will have to release Lygia and Marcus "to breed more Christians." Ursus kills the bull by breaking its neck, but Nero reneges on his promise, and orders her death.

This causes the people to turn against him, and he is forced to kill himself. Lygia is rescued by Marcus' soldiers.

Answer: He is crucified upside down.

Peter is sentenced to be crucified. He tells the soldiers who are to put him to death, "As our Lord died. I am not worthy." One of them says, "We can change that." We then see Peter on the cross, with his head towards the ground.