Deck 5: The Civilization of Ancient Rome

Question 1

Prior to the establishment of Rome as the dominant state in Italy:

A) Etruscans, skilled metalworkers and artists, lived there.
B) women were not allowed to participate in public life and sporting events.
C) Italian religious traditions had little in common with ancient Greece.
D) all was chaos in the absence of government.
E) the peninsula had been colonized by the Macedonians.

Answer 1

Etruscans, skilled metalworkers and artists, lived there.

Question 2

In terms of geography and natural resources,the Italian peninsula:

A) was more fertile than ancient Greece.
B) possessed a wealth of minerals that were easy to exploit.
C) provided excellent natural defenses.
D) was almost completely barren.
E) all of these

Answer 2

was more fertile than ancient Greece.

Question 3

Which legend explains the end of the Roman monarchy and the founding of the Republic?

A) the tale of Romulus and Remus, nursed by a she-wolf
B) the allegory of the cave dwellers who never see the light of day
C) the rape of Lucretia
D) the legend of brave Horatio at the bridge
E) the story of Cincinnatus and his dictatorship

Answer 3

the rape of Lucretia

Question 4

The "Latin Right" of the early Romans guaranteed that:

A) all accused suspects would have a fair trial in Latin-speaking courts.
B) immigration into Italy would be severely restricted.
C) those who spoke Latin would get preference in government jobs.
D) extreme conservative political views could be expressed.
E) contracts, marriages, and citizenship were valid across Latium.

Question 5

To limit the influence of wealth in Roman politics,new laws were passed:

A) preventing senators from engaging in commerce.
B) restricting contributions to candidates for political office.
C) requiring full disclosure of financial interests and land holdings.
D) encouraging the rich to spend their money rather than hoard it.
E) equalizing the distribution of wealth among all orders of society.

Question 6

One important difference between Roman religion and Greek religion was the Roman view of:

A) the priestly class as a very informal one.
B) theology and dogma.
C) sacramental worship and liturgy.
D) deities associated with natural forces.
E) the gods as household gods.

Question 7

After a plebeian rebellion in the early fifth century B.C.E.:

A) social divisions between patricians and plebeians were abolished.
B) the patricians accepted the elected tribunes and written laws.
C) Livy wrote a history from the Plebs's point of view.
D) the chief conspirators were arrested and exiled to Africa.
E) the plebeians were expelled from Rome and the patricians assumed total control.

Question 8

The myth of the rape of Lucretia appealed to Roman patriotism by emphasizing:

A) how impure sexual contact was in the ancient world.
B) the corruption of Etruscan morals and government.
C) the consequences of being ruled by a neglectful husband.
D) the benefits of hereditary monarchy.
E) the dominance of Romans over all other peoples.

Question 9

The Twelve Tables of Law,approved in 450 B.C.E.,represent:

A) Rome's borrowing of legal principles from Hammurabi and Moses.
B) the first attempt to make all men equal.
C) a charter of popular liberties, ending enslavement for debt.
D) the codification of existing laws for all to see and obey.
E) Rome's acceptance of the legal reforms of Solon.

Question 10

In the early Roman Republic,Rome was technically a democracy but:

A) there was no Senate or citizen assembly.
B) all power remained in the hands of a king.
C) the Roman constitution essentially ensured oligarchic rule.
D) Aristotle would not have approved of how power was distributed.
E) it remained, in practice, a monarchy.

Question 11

The Romans were a military society almost from the moment they settled in Italy because:

A) they were used as a slave army by the Etruscans.
B) they were continually forced to defend their own conquests against invaders.
C) they gained their power by becoming a large mercenary force for hire.
D) they had been a colony of Sparta.
E) they were the remnants of the army created by Alexander the Great to conquer the West.

Question 12

During the early Roman Republic,Rome:

A) relied primarily on mercenary troops from Greece.
B) abandoned farming as a means of support and emphasized trade.
C) expanded quickly and peacefully into areas that were essentially unoccupied.
D) expanded slowly and extended the Latin Right to many of the cities it conquered.
E) realized that to survive, it needed to conquer as many other peoples as possible.

Question 13

The division between Roman patricians and plebeians was:

A) between older and younger elements of the population.
B) between the wealthiest (2 percent) and the rest (98 percent) of the people.
C) not a factor when soldiers were needed for the army.
D) not part of Roman law, simply an accepted form of discrimination.
E) a formal division of Roman culture but never recognized in everyday life.

Question 14

Central to Roman identity was a conservatism expressed in an unwritten code of:

A) mos maiorum.
B) ius divinium.
C) mos pietas.
D) ius naturale.
E) patria potestas.

Question 15

Rome was a crucial factor in the development of European civilization because:

A) Latin is the root of all modern European languages.
B) Rome connected Europe to the cultural heritage of the Near East.
C) Rome rejected Greek traditions and established more equitable democratic institutions.
D) Roman drama and epic literature surpassed what had been created earlier.
E) Rome passed on to the West the literature and law of Egypt.

Question 16

One way that the Romans were influenced by the Greeks was by:

A) deciding to outlaw political parties and revenge killings of opponents.
B) observing the many Greeks who lived in Sicily and southern Italy.
C) welcoming Philip II of Macedon as "savior of the Greeks."
D) taking in thousands of Greek refugees from religious persecution.
E) establishing their laws based on the example of the reforms of Solon.

Question 17

According to the patria potestas provision of the Twelve Tables,a Roman father:

A) was required to take care of his sons but not his daughters, as that was the duty of the mother.
B) had absolute power over his family, up to and including the power of life and death.
C) needed to take responsibility for not only his family but also his wife's family.
D) was required to provide for the maintenance of children during his lifetime even if he had disowned them.
E) could make no decisions regarding his family without first convening a family council to discuss the matter.

Question 18

The equestrian order (Roman knights)was established when:

A) plebeians complained of limited opportunities for social advancement.
B) the army wanted to ensure a steady supply of cavalry officers.
C) soldiers demanded recognition for bold deeds in warfare.
D) businessmen who did not become senators wanted privileges.
E) some patricians wanted to take part in triumphal processions in Rome.

Question 19

The geographic site of Rome has many advantages,including:

A) a large harbor suitable as home base for a fleet.
B) a river too broad for enemy forces to cross easily.
C) hills that increase the defensibility of the city.
D) ample supplies of essential materials, including wood, pitch, coal, and iron ore.
E) large fertile plains suitable to the agriculture need to sustain a large population.

Question 20

Virgil's Aeneid built on Homer's epic literature by:

A) emphasizing the superiority of Greek bronze statues.
B) predicting that Rome would be a lawless society ruled by warrior kings.
C) connecting Roman history to the heroic narrative of the Trojan War.
D) prophesying that through Jesus, Rome would be saved.
E) continuing the story of the Odyssey.

Question 21

During the Second Punic War,the Carthaginian general Hannibal:

A) was defeated by Roman armies at the battle of Tours in France.
B) became the last foreign invader to fight on Rome's home territories.
C) won the support of Rome's unhappy Latin allies.
D) brought his entire army, including elephants, over the Alps.
E) defeated the Roman general Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in Rome.

Question 22

Cicero,one of the most famous Stoics of the later republic,believed in all the tenets of Stoicism except:

A) withdrawal from public life.
B) tranquility of mind as the highest good.
C) virtue is happiness.
D) indifference to pain and suffering.
E) rationality as the ideal in a human.

Question 23

Among the titles Augustus had been awarded were all the following except:

A) pontifex maximus.
B) Imperator.
C) Augustus.
D) pater patriae.
E) dictator supremus.

Question 24

After Rome had twice defeated Carthage,a Third Punic War:

A) was unthinkable to most statesmen in the mid-second century B.C.E.
B) left Rome defeated and in ruins.
C) ran contrary to Roman public opinion and principles of international law.
D) ended in disaster for the Roman Expeditionary Force in North Africa.
E) was provoked by war hawks who thought Carthage must be destroyed.

Question 25

One consequence of Rome's conquests was the increased role in society played by:

A) patricians.
B) women.
C) slaves.
D) soldiers.
E) foreigners.

Question 26

Prior to Julius Caesar's appointment as "Dictator for Life," only one other Roman had been appointed to that position without the traditional six-month term,and he was:

A) Cicero.
B) Marius.
C) Octavian.
D) Pompey.
E) Sulla.

Question 27

Why did the Romans regard Carthage as a threat?

A) The Carthaginian empire in Sicily and Spain was encroaching on Rome.
B) Carthage was a Phoenician colony and could call for help from Lebanon.
C) Carthage commanded the vast resources of Saharan Africa.
D) The Carthaginians had already conquered Egypt, Palestine, and Syria.
E) The Carthaginians had established an alliance with the Gauls and the Phoenicians against Rome.

Question 28

The greatest Roman Stoic,Cicero,believed that:

A) through Christianity, Roman virtue might be transformed into a new system of social ethics.
B) Greek philosophy should be replaced with the ideals of republican Rome.
C) true happiness comes when one withdraws totally from public life and politics.
D) virtue leads to happiness, and peace of mind is the highest goal.
E) happiness can come only through the pursuit of worldly pleasures.

Question 29

When Julius Caesar adopted Octavian as his heir:

A) Octavian was the most experienced general, best qualified to rule Rome.
B) everyone hoped for a peaceful transition from uncle to grandnephew.
C) Octavian had to fight his rivals and kill his republican opponents.
D) Mark Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide rather than share power.
E) Caesar's enemies plotted, and successfully carried out, the assassination of Octavian.

Question 30

Changes in the Roman law of marriage in the second century B.C.E.meant that:

A) wives retained control of their fathers' property, preserving their independence.
B) parental consent was required for marriage, and common consent for divorce.
C) husbands remained lords and masters, whereas wives were treated like slaves.
D) it was practically impossible for women to educate themselves or their children.
E) parental consent for marriage was no longer required: couples could simply marry.

Question 31

In On the Nature of Things,Lucretius argued that:

A) the gods did not create or govern the universe and there is no immortal soul.
B) men must trust in the wise, all-knowing gods, who have a universal plan.
C) one should understand that we are the crown of creation, the end of evolution.
D) humans must separate mind from matter and accept that all things must pass.
E) there is no hope in life; all that happens, happens by chance and humans can control nothing.

Question 32

The greatest honor a Roman could hope to achieve was:

A) to follow the moral teachings of the philosophers and gain respect.
B) to produce healthy children to populate the expanding empire.
C) to care for his father and mother in their old age (senectitude).
D) to sacrifice himself, his family, and his friends for the state.
E) to have a series of gladiatorial games held in their honor.

Question 33

Traditional Roman religion included ancestor worship and:

A) major gods who resembled those of the Egyptians and Hebrews.
B) séances to recall the spirits of the dead.
C) oligarchs who played dual roles as priests and politicians.
D) an elaborate system of rewards and punishments after death.
E) a lack of belief in any gods or goddesses.

Question 34

Those who ruled Rome from 96 to 180 C.E.were called the "Five Good Emperors" because:

A) they liberated soldiers from harsh discipline in the army.
B) they built bridges of understanding with the barbarians.
C) they were all descendants of Caesar Augustus.
D) they were capable administrators who governed successfully.
E) they completed the transformation of the empire into a republic.

Question 35

Social tensions in the late Roman Republic were made worse by:

A) the fourfold division of people: senators, equestrians, commoners, and slaves.
B) bad weather, epidemic diseases, and plagues of insects.
C) proposals to free the slaves and create a more flexible labor force.
D) innovations in watermills and steam engines that increased unemployment.
E) the failure of the government to provide entertainment and food for the people.

Question 36

Since the Romans employed slaves for all forms of manual labor:

A) slaves were treated better in Roman civilization than other ancient cultures.
B) small farmers found agriculture both profitable and satisfying to their ideals.
C) women had little to do and became more dependent on their male relations and slaves.
D) no industrial revolution took place, and urban underemployment was common.
E) slaves eventually took over the Roman Empire, forcing the Senate to abolish slavery.

Question 37

Although the Roman Republic had greatly increased the territory ruled by Rome,under the emperors even more territory was added to the empire with ___ adding more than any other ruler.

A) Tiberius
B) Claudius
C) Augustus
D) Caligula
E) Trajan

Question 38

Once the Romans had effectively gained control of Italy (265 B.C.E.):

A) they set about standardizing weights and measures, coinage, and taxation.
B) they built a commemorative pyramid in the Forum of Rome.
C) they started a series of wars for control of the western Mediterranean.
D) they conquered Ptolemaic Egypt.
E) they stopped any further expansion of their rule.

Question 39

The Augustan system of government:

A) was essentially a dictatorship, resulting in the disbandment of the Senate.
B) is known as the early empire or Principate, because Octavian ruled as first citizen.
C) minimized the role of the army and discouraged military expansion.
D) was socially progressive and rejected traditional Roman morality.
E) was totally successful and transformed the republic into a peaceful benevolent monarchy.

Question 40

In the aftermath of the assassination of Julius Caesar,the Second Triumvirate took out its revenge on everyone opposed to them; one of the more prominent victims of the Second Triumvirate was:

A) Pompey.
B) Octavian.
C) Mark Antony.
D) Cicero.
E) Cassius.

Question 41

One way by which the Romans were able to maintain their empire was through:

A) the construction of temples to the goddess Roma throughout the empire.
B) a graduated system of taxation that had the support of the poor in the empire.
C) the hiring of mercenary armies from Pythia to defend the northern frontier.
D) a system of army camps that served to enlist and train locals into the Roman army.
E) a system of roads constructed to be able to move army units throughout the empire.

Question 42

Although many emperors who followed Augustus in the Julio-Claudian dynasty were able individuals,many were not; arguably the worst of these was:

A) Tiberius.
B) Caligula.
C) Claudius.
D) Trajan.
E) Domitian

Question 43

The Romans were able to support cities with large populations due,in no small measure,to the:

A) efficient police departments that made the Roman cities safer than most villages.
B) well-trained fire brigades that made individual losses from fire very rare.
C) prevalence of a great many open-air restaurants that made feeding the large population easier.
D) construction of a system of aqueducts to allow a steady supply of potable water to the cities.
E) development of large hospitals to care for the general population.

Question 44

The Augustan system refers to:

A) the religious procedures instituted by Augustus for the worship of the goddess Roma.
B) the political reforms instituted by Augustus and continued under his successors.
C) a complex system of checks and balances within the Roman government that Julius Caesar began and Augustus continued.
D) an innovative educational system that Augustus imported from Greece to better prepare Romans to serve their government.
E) all of these

Question 45

Pax Romana refers to the:

A) ironic "peace of the dead" secured by Roman massacres of Britons and Jews.
B) long period in which there were no major wars within the Roman Empire.
C) efficient Roman post office and package transport services.
D) Romans' success in keeping order around the Persian Gulf.
E) peace brought to the Roman Empire with the coming of Christianity.

Question 46

Cultural and intellectual developments in Rome reached their pinnacle during:

A) the Principate.
B) the reign of the Five Good Emperors.
C) the Late Republic.
D) the Late Empire.
E) the rise of Christianity.

Question 47

The Romans were the first people to use ___ on a massive scale in their buildings.

A) hardwoods imported from Gaul
B) limestone
C) marble
D) concrete
E) porcelain tile

Question 48

By the third century B.C.E.Roman aristocracy gradually shifted from being a position of wealth to one of birth.

Question 49

One example of how Rome transformed the world into the Roman world would be:

A) that everyone within the empire wanted nothing more than to travel to Rome.
B) that Latin displaced every other language throughout the world.
C) that the evolving process of Roman leaders coming from everywhere within the empire and people would settle far from their place of birth.
D) that every administrator throughout the empire was from Rome itself.
E) all of these

Question 50

Roman law consisted of three branches: civil law,natural law,and:

A) divine law.
B) the law of war.
C) the law of peoples.
D) criminal law.
E) public law.

Question 51

The wars between Rome and Carthage are called the Punic Wars because Rome was seeking punishment,or punitive damages,from Carthage for their invasion of Sicily.

Question 52

Roman religion was not exclusive; new gods could be added and honored or removed.

Question 53

Deep reserves of manpower and the discipline of Rome and its allies were the keys to success in overcoming Hannibal's military genius.

Question 54

Italy was the least slave-based economy known to history.

Question 55

At the end of the Third Punic War,the surviving Carthaginians were sold into slavery and the ground around Carthage was sown with salt to prohibit anyone from rebuilding the empire.

Question 56

Stoicism was popular with the lower classes in response to the Greek influences exhibited by the upper class.

Question 57

The "Golden Age" in Roman literature refers to the literature produced under the reign of:

A) Augustus.
B) Caligula.
C) Claudius.
D) Domitian.
E) Nero.

Question 58

Our knowledge of the Etruscans is extensive because of their prolific writing.

Question 59

Gladiatorial combat was always staged as a matched pair who fought to the death.

Question 60

The Romans did not usually impose heavy taxes or tributes on the cities they conquered,but demanded soldiers to contribute to their army.

Question 61

What was the role of land in the social struggles of the Late Republic?

Question 62

The Gracchi brothers were farmers who pressured the Senate to pass land reform laws in the second century B.C.E.

Question 63

Caesar was the first Roman leader to recognize the significance of northwestern Europe.

Question 64

What were the effects of Marius's military reforms on Rome?

Question 65

How did Augustus use propaganda to secure and promote his rule?

Question 66

The Julian Calendar was a lunar calendar with an extra month added in order to keep festival dates at the appropriate time of the year.

Question 67

To what extent did the Romans borrow from Etruscan society in shaping their own?

Question 68

How did Julius Caesar both save and ruin Rome?

Question 69

Julius Caesar's assassination was the first time the Senate had resorted to murder to rid itself of a powerful adversary.

Question 70

How did the Punic Wars make Rome into an empire?

Question 71

What was the role of slavery in Rome?

Question 72

The war between Pompey and Caesar was a direct result of Pompey's election as sole consul in 52 B.C.E.

Question 73

How did its geography contribute to the rise of Rome?

Question 74

The United States of America was founded by individuals who looked to Rome as a model for the new government they were creating.Does such a comparison hold up under scrutiny? Are there any other comparisons that might be made between Rome and the United States?

Question 75

How did the conquest of Greece impact Roman society?