Greek Cities in the New Testament Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In what Greek city were followers of Christ first called "Christians"?

Answer: Antioch

Antioch was founded in 300 BC by Seleucus, one of Alexander's generals, and quickly became a thriving commercial city. The Romans made it the capital of their province of Syria. It was the second city of Christendom and the centre for the carrying of the Gospel to the Gentiles. See Acts 11:26 for the statement about the name "Christians".

2. In what Greek city did a late-evening sermon have disastrous consequences for a teen-aged boy?

Answer: Troas

Luke tells the story of Eutychus at Acts 20:7-12. As its name would suggest, the city of Troas was near the fabled site of Troy. Its full name was "Alexandria at Troy" and was founded by Antigonus, one of Alexander's generals, in the late fourth century BC. It was the regular place for travellers to leave Asia for Europe, as Paul and his companions had done in Acts 16.

3. What Greek city, mentioned several times in the New Testament, was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia?

Answer: Thessalonica

Thessalonica was founded by Cassander (a general of Alexander) in 315 BC and named after his wife, a step-sister of Alexander. As it was located at the head of the Gulf of Thermae and also on the main east-west road (the Via Egnatia), it became an important and prosperous commercial city.

4. Paul wrote one of his letters to the Christian community in a city that he had not yet visited. What city was this?

Answer: Colossae

Colossae was an inland city in what is today southwest Turkey. From Paul's letter to the Colossians we learn that it was his follower, Epaphras, who had brought the Gospel to this city and had informed Paul of their faith. The letter to the Colossians was written by Paul from prison, most likely during his time in Caesarea.

5. A man from a Greek city in North Africa was present at and involved in the Crucifixion. What city was that?

Answer: Cyrene

The individual in question was Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21). Cyrene, founded in 630 BC, was a Greek colony in what is now eastern Libya, and an important trading and commercial city. It had a large and important Jewish community, mentioned several times in Acts.

6. Paul and his companions spent a considerable amount of time in the capital of the Roman province of Achaea (Greece). Which city was this?

Answer: Corinth

In Roman times Corinth, not Athens, was the political and commercial capital of Greece. It was located on the isthmus that connected the main part of Greece to the Peloponnesus, and had harbours on both the Saronic Gulf and the Gulf of Corinth. Paul wrote two letters to the church at Corinth, and spent 18 months there on his second journey (Acts 18:11).

7. In his letter to Titus (chapter 3) Paul tells Titus to meet him at what Greek city, where he proposes to spend the winter?

Answer: Nicopolis

Nicopolis ("Victory City") was located on the west coast of Greece, near the site where Augustus won his great victory over the forces of Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC. He founded the city as a memorial of this success. We do not know if Paul in fact spent the winter there, or if Titus was able to join him. Some maps of Paul's third journey show this as a possibility.

8. As related in the Book of Acts, what ancient Greek city had a riot in its theatre?

Answer: Ephesus

The theatre at Ephesus was one of the largest in the ancient Greek world, holding an estimated 20,000-25,000 people. In an ancient city the theatre would be the largest place that a community could assemble, and it is here that the people of Ephesus gathered when its silversmiths incited a riot against Paul for preaching against the creation and worship of idols (Acts 19). Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia.

9. Paul's first port of call after spending the winter on Malta was at what very important Greek city in the West?

Answer: Syracuse

Syracuse was in the fifth and fourth centuries BC perhaps the most important Greek city after Athens. It was built on the east coast of Sicily by colonists from Corinth and dates back to 734 BC. Paul and his party spent three days there in the spring of AD 60 (Acts 28:12). Syracuse was the place where Archimedes formulated his principle of buoyancy.

10. Which of the seven cities of the opening chapter of Revelation is associated with a form of writing material?

Answer: Pergamum

Pergamum was a Greek city in the northwest of Turkey, founded in the early 3rd century BC, and capital of the Attalid kingdom. Since Egypt held a monopoly on papyrus for writing on, the Attalids developed an alternative by developing very thin lamb- or goat-skin. This was called "pergamenum" (Latin) and "parchemin" (French). The highest quality parchment was called "vellum".

Source: Author Ampelos

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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Cities with Greek-speaking inhabitants and Greek culture were found all over the ancient world, from South Italy to Central Asia. The following are all mentioned in the New Testament.

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