Humanities test

Question 1

Who was the first emperor of Rome?

Answer 1

Augustus

Question 2

What was the Roman system of governance before it became an empire?

Answer 2

Republic

Question 3

What was a Roman building used for gladiator contests?

Answer 3

Colosseum

Question 4

What was the name of the famous Roman road that connected Rome to southern Italy?

Answer 4

Via Appia

Question 5

T/F: Rome’s first leaders were kings, but the people of Rome decided to have elected officials

Answer 5

T

Question 6

T/F: Julius Ceasar was assassinated because people feared he was too powerful.

Answer 6

T

Question 7

T/F: Roman soldiers were called ‘legionaries’ and served in groups called legions

Answer 7

T

Question 8

T/F: The roman empire lasted for over 1,000 years

Answer 8

F

Question 9

Name one major contribution of the Romans that we still use today

Answer 9

Roads, aqueducts or roman law

Question 10

What was the purpose of the Roman Forum

Answer 10

It was the center of public life, with markets, buildings, temples, markets, government etc

Question 11

Who were the plebians and patricians?

Answer 11

Patricians were wealthy, aristocratic nobles and plebians were ordinary people

Question 12

Describe one important event from the Punic Wars

Answer 12

The battle of Cannae, where Hannibal defeated the Roman army

Question 13

Why did the Roman empire split into 2 parts in 4th century AD?

Answer 13

Because having one ruler for such a large area was difficult

Question 14

Explain why Pliny the Younger’s letters were important

Answer 14

Because his letters were one of the few surviving relics/reports of the eruption of Mt Vesuvius

Question 15

How was Rome founded?

Answer 15

753 BC, Remus and Romulus found Rome

Question 16

Who was the first king?

Answer 16

Romulus

Question 17

What is Rome’s geography and why is it important?

Answer 17

Rome was situated near the sea, for convenient trading but also far enough so that invaders could get in. The city of Rome was surrounded by mountains, forcing invaders through harsh conditions

Question 18

When did Rome become a Republic?

Answer 18

509 BC

Question 19

What is meant by the term republic

Answer 19

A republic is a type of government where supreme power rests in the hands of citizens, who exercise that power through voting and electing representatives. It is a system of government that does not have a monarch (king or queen) but is governed by elected officials, such as a president.

Question 20

How many levels of government were there

Answer 20

SENATE: The Republic had a group of people called senators who made laws and decisions. The group of politicians who had the most power to make laws

ASSEMBLY: Representatives of normal, middle class people (plebians)

CONSULS: The consuls ruled with the assistance of the senate. 2 people who were annually elected

Question 21

Identify the social structure.

Answer 21

Emperors, Patricians, Plebians, Women, Slaves

Question 22

How did a person become a slave

Answer 22

Many slaves had become one because
They were captured in war
They were convicted of a crime and made a slave as punishment
Children who were sold by their families
They were born into a slave family.

Question 23

What was the role of each group in the social structure?

Answer 23

Emperors: Ruled over the empire
Patricians: wealthy nobles
Plebians: ordinary people
Free men
Women: Housewives
Slaves: serve others

Question 24

What rights did women have in ancient Rome?

Answer 24

Married women were expected to
Bear children
Look after the household
Help their husbands in workshops (if in lower class)
Spin, weave and sew cloths

Women could
Inherit property and do business after their father died, but needed approval from a man for her decisions
Widows and divorced women could remarry.

Question 25

What type of entertainment existed? Where did people go to watch the entertainment?

Answer 25

People would go to the colosseum, an enormous stadium built for gladiatorial games and spectacles. Situated between the Esquiline, Palatine and Caelian Hills in Rome

Question 26

Who were the gladiators?

Answer 26

Popular form of entertainment Gladiators could be slaves of free born men seeking fame and fortune Slaves could win enough money to buy their freedom Could become a trainer if lived past 30

Question 27

What are aqueducts?

Answer 27

Aqueducts were constructed to help direct water where the Romans wanted and needed it: Involved considerable engineering and building skills. Were large structures made of stone. Constructed from several arches to make them as strong as possible. The aqueduct had a channel at the top – helped to carry the water hundreds of metres above the land and over valleys. Were solidly built and remains still exist today in a number of countries

Question 28

What were the different type of houses?

Answer 28

Lararium

Question 29

Who did the Romans worship? (refer to the 12 gods)

Answer 29

Jupiter (Zeus): King of the gods, god of sky and thunder, patron god of Rome Juno (Hera): Queen of the gods, husband of Jupiter, protector of women, patron goddess of Rome Mars (Ares): God of war, guardian of agriculture, embodiment of aggression and manliness Neptune (Poseidon): God of freshwater, sea, earthquakes, hurricanes and horses. Minerva (Athena): Goddess of wisdom, arts, trade and strategy Mercury (Hermes): God of translators, interpreters, trade and travel, messenger of the gods Venus (Aphrodite): Goddess of love, beauty, sex and desire, mother of the Roman people Vesta (Hestia): Goddess of the hearth, home and family Ceres (Demeter): Goddess of agriculture and harvests, protector of farmers, pastoralists and plebs Apollo: God of music, healing, light and truth, twin brother of Diana Diana (Artemis): Goddess of the hunt, the moon, and birth, twin sister of Apollo Vulcan (Hephaestus): God of fire, volcanoes, metalwork, and the forge, patron god of Rome

Question 30

Where did they worship?

Answer 30

Greek people would have a shrine, called a lararium, to their favored god. The lararium was used to worship sacred gods, and everyone would use it (including slaves).

Question 31

Who were the Vestal Virgins?

Answer 31

The Vestal Virgins were priestesses of Vesta, the Roman goddess of the hearth and home. They held an important religious role in ancient Rome and were responsible for maintaining the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta.

Question 32

List the main trades in Rome

Answer 32

Silk: Mainly from China, seen as the epitome of luxury. Spices: Imported from India and the Far East for culinary and ceremonial purposes. Textiles: Egyptian linens and Mesopotamian wools were valued for their quality. Olive oil: Common in cooking and lamp fuel, exported widely.

Question 33

What was the Vestal Virgins role in society?

Answer 33

The Vestal Virgins held a unique position within Roman society, responsible for safeguarding a variety of sacred objects and exercising considerable influence over legal and political matters —particularly in their roles as guardians of wills and property.

Question 34

What were some of the Roman values?

Answer 34

VALUES Fides (fee·duhs) – loyalty and trustworthiness, which were an important part of business relationships and the law. Dignitas (dig·nuh·tas)– the ultimate quality to achieve – if someone can uphold all the other values at once, they achieved dignitas or honor. It was about others viewing you as someone who is worthy and important. Pietas (pai·ay·tas) – piety and religious devotion. To uphold the value of pietas, people had to conduct all the proper rituals and sacrifices to the gods. They also had to always act morally and with good intent. Gravitas (gra·vuh·tuhs) – self-discipline and composure. People who achieved gravitas were in control of their emotions and behaviors and faced problems in a calm manner. Gravitas also referred to someone who was considered wise and was respected. Virtus (vu·er·tuhs)– the quality of manliness (‘vir’ means ‘man’). This virtue changed in meaning, depending on what was thought of as manly. For most ancient Romans, virtus meant someone who could act rationally, who was a good fighter and a good leader of his family.

Question 35

What did they trade and why was it important?

Answer 35

Trade was important because Rome itself wasn't self-sufficient and did not farm much.

Question 36

Why was the army important?

Answer 36

Because they guarded the borders and were involved in conquests and missions.

Question 37

What was it like to be a soldier?

Question 38

What was Nero renowned for?

Answer 38

Nero, the fifth Roman emperor, is infamous for his debauchery, political murders, and persecution of Christians. He is also known for his passion for music and the arts, and the apocryphal story that he "fiddled" while Rome burned during the Great Fire of 64 AD. Despite his controversial reign, he undertook significant construction projects, including the lavish Domus Aurea palace.

Question 39

Why was 410 CE important?

Answer 39

The year 410 CE is significant because it marks the Sack of Rome by the Visigoths, led by their king Alaric. This event was a major turning point in the decline of the Western Roman Empire, symbolizing the vulnerability and eventual fall of what was once the most powerful city in the world.

Question 40

Who was Julius Caesar and was he important?

Answer 40

Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. His military conquests and political reforms were pivotal in transforming Rome’s political structure. Caesar’s actions and legacy significantly influenced the course of Western history.

Question 41

What were the four main reasons why Rome fell?

Answer 41

Financial problems, corruption, overexpansion and problems in the army. The Roman Empire came to an end during the fifth century CE. Historians argue over when and how it ended, as well as what caused the empire to weaken. One reason was undoubtedly the invasion of barbarian tribes from a number of the frontiers of Rome. These invasions occurred from early in the third century. Germanic tribes invaded from the east, Vandals came from Africa to the south and Goths from the north, led by Alaric, invaded and sacked Rome in 410 CE. The Roman Empire was unable to defeat these invading peoples. Ultimately, the western half of the empire was broken up into smaller kingdoms, ruled by the barbarian tribes who had managed to defeat the once invincible Roman army.