Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths and ruler of the Western Roman Empire, was born in what is now Austria, son of King Theodemir. His name, Theodoric (a corruption of 'Thiudareiks'), means which of the following?
2. True or false: Like many other early Germanic kings, Theodoric had the misfortunate of a youth without formal education.
3. After acquiring kingship over the Ostrogoths at a rather young age, the ambitious Theodoric began planning the rise of his people. While Theodoric remained a subject of the Roman Empire, and even acquired the status of Consul in 484, the overtly ambitious young man began showing signs of becoming a menace to the Byzantine emperor. Who was this emperor that had bestowed upon Theodoric the high honor of a Consulship?
4. A solution was found to satisfy the Byzantine emperor's concerns about Theodoric's growing ambition; the Western Roman Empire, under a new 'barbarian' emperor, should be crushed! Theodoric was given this challenging task, to overthrow the new King of the West, who had in turn ousted the last Western Roman emperor in 476. Who was this Germanic king that would soon be confronted by Theodoric's army of the East?
5. The wars between the Ostrogoths and the Western Roman armies lasted from 489 until the final victory, a siege of what great Italian fortress in 493?
6. Theodoric's long reign over the Italian peninsula began in 493. Near the beginning of his reign, a redistribution of Roman lands occurred, nearly a third of the former estates of the Roman patricians being handed over to the Ostrogoths for settlement. True or false: Theodoric also completely overturned the Roman system of law, establishing a new system of jurisprudence based on the traditional German pattern.
7. Ostensibly, Theodoric maintained a level of good relations with Byzantium during the early years of his reign. However, his ambition once again provoked him to a certain level of rebellion, and the dream of a pan-Gothic empire that would encompass much of the former Western Roman Empire sprouted in his head. Through a series of military expeditions, and via several strategic marriages, Theodoric's plan began to develop. One of the 'strategic marriages' involved Theodoric and the sister of which great Frankish emperor?
8. Theodoric's very beneficent program of civic reconstruction on the Italian peninsula was largely put into effect by his chief secretary. Name this intellectual and able administrator whose chief work was the official 'History of the Goths'?
9. Late in Theodoric's reign, despite his diligence as an emperor, some unrest did occur within the kingdom. This unrest arose amongst both the traditional Roman aristocracy, many of whom were offended by Gothic rule, and amongst practitioners of Catholicism, who viewed the Arian beliefs of Theodoric and his countrymen as heretical. This resulted in a mild rebellion which was put down violently by Theodoric. Which great scholar of the Roman world was executed during this crackdown?
10. True or false: After Theodoric's death, his kingdom was left in the hands of his grandson, with his daughter Amalasuntha ruling as regent.
Source: Author
thejazzkickazz
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