Deck 5: The Roman World Empire

Question 1

The First Punic War

A) resulted from a Roman invasion of Spain.
B) was waged between Carthage and Rome over control of the island of Sicily.
C) was begun with an attack by Hannibal.
D) discouraged the Romans from developing their naval power.
E) was caused by a Macedonian assault on Sicily.

Answer 1

was waged between Carthage and Rome over control of the island of Sicily.

Question 2

The Roman Senate

A) met, in sequence, on each of the seven hills of Rome.
B) was composed of elected representatives chosen by the slaves.
C) had 300 members who were chosen for life.
D) was led by three tribunes and five praetors.
E) was selected by the clientes.

Answer 2

had 300 members who were chosen for life.

Question 3

Which of the following was not a Greek influence on the Romans?

A) system of government
B) alphabet
C) agricultural crops of grapes and olives
D) artistic models of sculpture and architecture
E) literature

Answer 3

system of government

Question 4

The defenders of the plebeians were known as the

A) consuls.
B) praetors.
C) senators.
D) centuriates.
E) tribunes.

Question 5

Romans would most like to portray themselves in which of the following ways concerning their imperialism?

A) They were bringing their religious and military ideals to other people.
B) They had carefully planned and organized a way to gain an empire.
C) They declared war for defensive reasons or to protect allies.
D) They were expanding territory for the glory of their country.
E) Expansion was a way for members of wealthy families to find renown.

Question 6

The primary importance of roads in both the Roman and Han empires centered on

A) trade
B) communication with other empires
C) troop movements
D) migration and resettlement of minorities
E) escape routes for urban populations after natural disasters

Question 7

A central aspect of early Roman conquest was that all conquered peoples

A) immediately received Roman citizenship.
B) could do business with Rome.
C) could never intermarry with Romans.
D) had an interest in the success of Rome and could become citizens by proving themselves loyal to their conquerors.
E) were generally enslaved by Roman patricians.

Question 8

Unlike the patricians, the plebeians

A) made up a smaller percentage of the population.
B) could not be elected to governmental offices before 150 CE.
C) were less privileged and often poorer than the patricians.
D) were barred from military roles.
E) became slaves when they could not pay their debts.

Question 9

The Second Punic War

A) saw the eventual victory of Carthage.
B) saw Hannibal invade Italy from Greece.
C) won Spain for Rome.
D) produced a great victory for the Romans over Hannibal at the battle of Cannae.
E) gave Rome control over western Africa.

Question 10

Both the Greeks and the ____ had a major influence on the development of Rome.

A) Sabines
B) Etruscans
C) Aequi
D) Hoplites
E) Carthaginians

Question 11

The government of Rome

A) was originally established as a representative democracy.
B) contained an element of republicanism from its beginnings.
C) was originally a monarchy but later became a republic.
D) was developed as a monarchy under the Celts.
E) was ruled by the upper-class plebeians.

Question 12

Rome was

A) located in the valley of Attica.
B) located on the plain of Latium.
C) in legend, defended by the extreme bravery of Horatius.
D) an ally of Athens in the Peloponnesian War.
E) founded by the Etruscans.

Question 13

What rights did the patricians have in early Rome that the plebeians did not?

A) Patricians were considered citizens.
B) Patricians could vote.
C) Patricians could be elected to government offices.
D) Patricians could make legal contracts.
E) Patricians could implement taxation. .

Question 14

Roman expansion and imperialism was characterized by

A) a desire to improve the economies of conquered peoples.
B) unsuccessful diplomatic moves.
C) pure accident and fate.
D) diplomacy, strategic fortifications, road construction, and allied military support.
E) the successful employment of the phalanx.

Question 15

What about Rome's location made its position favorable for growth?

A) It was far enough inland to be safe from pirates.
B) It had access to the sea.
C) It was built on seven hills and so was easily defended.
D) It had a central location in Italy.
E) All of these are correct.

Question 16

Livy incorporated legendary tales into his history of early Rome to

A) add some levity and entertainment value.
B) teach moral values and virtues.
C) show is cleverness as a writer.
D) flatter and please the king.
E) humiliate Rome's enemies. .

Question 17

Prior to 133 B.C.E, the only credible rivals for Roman power in the Western Mediterranean region were the

A) Greeks
B) Etruscans
C) Persians
D) Carthaginians
E) Egyptians

Question 18

Which statement is true of the centuriate assembly?

A) It prevented the Roman army from functioning in a political role.
B) It had an organizational pattern that assured a majority for its poorest members.
C) It had the responsibilities of electing the chief magistrates and passing legislation.
D) It had the power of declaring war and peace.
E) It was abolished during the Punic Wars.

Question 19

Members of the aristocratic governing class in Rome were known as the

A) hoplites.
B) Gracchi.
C) Latins.
D) patricians.
E) plebs.

Question 20

The chief executive officers of the Roman Republic who were responsible for leading the Roman army into battle and administering the government were the

A) consuls.
B) praetors.
C) senators.
D) centuriates.
E) tribunes.

Question 21

Under the reigns of the five "good emperors"

A) the power of the senate increased.
B) nearly a century of chaos consumed Rome.
C) emperors continued to expand their range of responsibilities and powers.
D) public works construction decreased.
E) Rome gained control of the British Isles and the Arabian peninsula.

Question 22

A development during the period of Julio-Claudian rule was that emperors

A) increased the responsibilities that Augustus had given the senate.
B) acted more openly as real rulers than as "first citizens of the state."
C) had fewer opportunities to act in an arbitrary and corrupt way.
D) lost power to the revitalized senate and assemblies.
E) sincerely attempted to restore the Republic

Question 23

As it prospered, the early Roman Empire

A) saw trade and manufacturing become significantly more important than agriculture.
B) eliminated the practice of slavery.
C) required people in the entire empire to speak Latin.
D) saw the supply of gold and silver coins decrease in the eastern part of the empire.
E) saw the development of a large gap between rich and poor.

Question 24

The major stages of Roman imperial expansion before 100 B.C.E. included

A) the involvement and seizures of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean.
B) seizure of the Atlantic coastline of northwestern Africa to outflank Carthage.
C) the defeat of the Gauls by Sulla and Pompey.
D) only military, not economic considerations.
E) revenge for the death of Cincinnatus at the hands of the Latins.

Question 25

During the centuries of Roman history, from Republic to Empire, the paterfamilias' authority

A) increased.
B) decreased.
C) fluctuated.
D) remained the same.
E) was eliminated entirely.

Question 26

What made the five "good emperors" seem "good"?

A) They abandoned the notion of absolute monarchy.
B) They implemented education programs for the poor and built roads and bridges.
C) They implemented a cease-fire that ended the tendency toward warfare.
D) They increased the powers of the senate.
E) They regained control of the British Isles and the Arabian peninsula.

Question 27

Who was the first Roman emperor?

A) Pompey
B) Crassus
C) Octavian
D) Julius Caesar
E) Antony

Question 28

The Roman general who began a new system of military recruitment that made soldiers loyal to their general and not the Senate, was

A) Marius.
B) Tiberius Gracchus.
C) Crassus.
D) Caesar.
E) Pompey.

Question 29

In what way did Augustus ensure that he had established himself differently from Julius Caesar, who had been declared dictator for life?

A) He established new offices but with the full consent and vote of the senate.
B) He presented himself as an ordinary citizen who held traditional offices of the Roman Republic.
C) He decreased the size of the senate again and made efforts to repair broken relationships.
D) He retired from military command and focused on being a diplomatic leader rather than a general.
E) He created and maintained a second triumvirate that succeeded where the first one had failed.

Question 30

Julius Caesar

A) was a member of the plebeian class.
B) defeated Octavian's army and obtained the titles of dictator, then dictator for life.
C) saw the need for change and strengthened the Senate's power.
D) was assassinated by a group of leading senators.
E) led the army to victory against the military forces of Antony and Cleopatra.

Question 31

The Romans were the first people in antiquity to do what with their architecture?

A) Use curvilinear forms in their construction.
B) Use concrete on a massive scale.
C) Create colonnades and rectangular structures.
D) Imitate the Greek style of building.
E) Create interconnected roads that made travel efficient.

Question 32

What modern notion of justice can trace its roots to early Roman law?

A) Those accused of a crime deserve a trial before a jury of their peers.
B) All law should be based on natural law.
C) Human beings should not be subjected to cruel or unusual punishments.
D) If an accused person cannot afford an attorney, a public defender will be provided.
E) A person charged with a crime should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Question 33

What reform did Caesar implement after becoming dictator in 47 B.C.E.?

A) He allowed intermarriage between patricians and plebeians.
B) He decreased the size of the senate.
C) He launched massive building projects.
D) He introduced the Egyptian solar year calendar.
E) He started the Punic Wars.

Question 34

The Roman general who returned from Spain as a military hero in 71 B.C.E. was

A) Marius.
B) Sulla.
C) Caesar.
D) Pompey.
E) Cato.

Question 35

The Third Punic War

A) began with an unprovoked Carthaginian attack on Gaul.
B) took place immediately after the end of the Second Punic War.
C) resulted in Carthage being destroyed and its territory becoming a Roman province.
D) saved North Africa from Roman influence.
E) was caused by the assassination of Cato the Elder.

Question 36

Julius Caesar's adopted son Octavian later changed his name to

A) Marcus Antonius.
B) Tiberius.
C) Augustus.
D) Hadrian.
E) Pompeii.

Question 37

The Romans became masters of the Mediterranean Sea by conquering the

A) Greeks
B) Etruscans
C) Sicilians
D) Carthaginians
E) Sabines

Question 38

Of the major types of entertainment provided by the government, which proved to be most popular?

A) Public executions
B) Dramatic performance held in theaters
C) Horse and chariot races
D) Gladiatorial games
E) Public festivals for religious purposes

Question 39

The greatest epic poet of the Late Republic was

A) Livy.
B) Plautus.
C) Catullus.
D) Cicero.
E) Virgil.

Question 40

Roman literature

A) drew heavily from Etruscan models.
B) was unusually resistant to external influences.
C) was dominated by the preeminent prose of Virgil during the Augustan Age.
D) reached it high point in the age of Augustus.
E) was almost always oriented towards philosophical subject matter.

Question 41

The "good news" concerning Jesus was contained in the written

A) gospels.
B) Old Testament.
C) Sermon on the Mount.
D) Dead Sea scrolls.
E) Analects of John the Baptist.

Question 42

Roman antagonism toward Christianity was deepened by

A) Christian refusal to worship state gods and emperors.
B) the public nature of Christian gatherings.
C) Christian universality as a force for strengthening of public order.
D) the activities of Matthew and Mark.
E) its Germanic origins.

Question 43

Under ____, Christianity was made the official religion of the Roman Empire.

A) Augustus
B) Hadrian
C) Diocletian
D) Constantine
E) Theodosius

Question 44

The basic message of Jesus of Nazareth was that

A) the church must be financially solvent.
B) people should love God and each other.
C) the written requirements of Judaism should be literally obeyed.
D) he was providing a foundation for a value system for Western civilization.
E) he saw a need to replace traditional Judaism.

Question 45

Which crises contributed to the near collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century?

A) The plague
B) Slave revolts
C) Peasant uprisings
D) Labor surpluses
E) Volcanic eruptions

Question 46

What was true of slaves in Rome?

A) Slaves worked only on farms and in farm households.
B) Greek slaves were valued as tutors, musicians, and doctors.
C) Slaves were often transported to Rome from Sicily.
D) Slaves who rebelled against abusive masters often received a legal pardon.
E) Sicilian slaves were treated well by their owners and rarely revolted.

Question 47

The movie "Gladiator" directed by Ridley Scott illustrates that movies about ancient Rome

A) are really irrelevant today.
B) can be historically accurate.
C) can revive interest in Roman history.
D) do not have to be bloodthirsty.
E) tend to have no relationship to historical face.

Question 48

The Roman and Han Empires had all of the following traits in common EXCEPT

A) a similar social and economic structures.
B) a society centered on the family.
C) an agriculturally-based economy.
D) large populations.
E) relative stability of its leadership.

Question 49

The success of Christianity is widely believed by historians to have been due to its

A) promise of salvation, its familiarity, and its universality.
B) complexity of initiation and its ability to satisfy people's desire to be part of a political community.
C) acceptance by Diocletian.
D) strong following among aristocratic Romans after 75 C.E.
E) anti-Semitism.

Question 50

What was a major difference between the Han and Roman Empires?

A) Chinese imperial authority was more unstable.
B) Merchants received greater respect and freedom in Rome.
C) Chinese society offered greater opportunities for social mobility.
D) Roman rulers ascended to the throne based on family lineage.
E) Chinese empires began with small city-states ruled by prominent citizens.

Question 51

What was true about the Silk Road?

A) It was built for military defense against would-be Asian invaders.
B) It stimulated diplomacy between Rome and China.
C) It helped make silk widely popular among wealthy Roman women.
D) It led to an increase in banditry and crime for merchants.
E) It had the unintended consequences of sparking the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Question 52

Why was early marriage the norm in Rome?

A) Men wanted young brides.
B) Young women were more likely to be virgins.
C) Women commonly died at a relatively young age.
D) Men were likely to die at a young age.
E) Younger women were able to bear more children than older women.

Question 53

Why did Constantine seek to establish a new capital city in the east, which he dubbed "New Rome"?

A) The original capital of Rome had been sacked.
B) The first Rome was facing a strong financial crisis.
C) The new capital provided a strategic defensive location for the empire.
D) The creation of a second capital could provide much-needed revenues for the empire.
E) The new city provided a place to send Rome's paupers and criminals.

Question 54

What effect did the sporadic persecution of Christianity in the first and second centuries have on its growth?

A) Caused it to go underground but then its mystery status caused it to grow in popularity.
B) Served to temporarily restrict its growth until Constantine issued the Edict of Milan.
C) Essentially had no effect on its growth as the persecution was so sporadic.
D) Served to strengthen it by causing it to become more organized.
E) Led to increased growth as martyrs raised recognition and popularity.

Question 55

The key figure in the spread of Christianity outside the Jewish community was

A) Peter.
B) Paul of Tarsus.
C) Jesus.
D) Tiberius.
E) Joseph of Arimethea.

Question 56

Roman slaves

A) rarely rebelled, due to the fair treatment they received.
B) were never involved in agriculture but only in manufacturing enterprises.
C) staged a number of massive rebellions.
D) made up well over half the population of the empire.
E) received their freedom as reward for the military assistance at the battle of Actium.

Question 57

Traditional Roman religion

A) was quite similar to Jainist thought and practice in India.
B) was based on the proper implementation of rituals by state priests.
C) involved worship of a variety of officially recognized gods.
D) was replaced by Zoroastrianism during the principate.
E) could best be described as ethical monotheism.

Question 58

Constantine's "new Rome" was established at the site of ancient

A) Alexandria.
B) Byzantium.
C) Ephesus.
D) Delhi.
E) Thessalonica.

Question 59

The first Christian Emperor of the Roman Empire was

A) Augustus.
B) Hadrian.
C) Diocletian.
D) Constantine.
E) Theodosius.

Question 60

What surprisingly helped strengthen Christianity as an institution?

A) The conversion of Theodosius
B) The failure of the Edict of Milan
C) The increasing number of people willing to die for their faith
D) The persecution of Christians
E) The acceptance of women as church officials

Question 61

The Edict of Milan (313 C.E.) was an attempt to outlaw Christianity and bring back the worship of the old Roman gods.

Question 62

The Romans built a vast network of roads to facilitate troop movements.

Question 63

Women in imperial Rome had no more freedom than women in the Han Empire.

Question 64

Romans did not create a master plan for the creation of an empire-rather, much of their expansion was opportunistic.

Question 65

The Roman Empire in the second century C.E. was divided into regions, one that spoke Latin and the other that spoke Greek.

Question 66

Julius Caesar's greatest military conquest was in North Africa, where he established the Roman province of "Africa."

Question 67

In comparison to Greece, Italy had fewer rugged mountains and possessed more productive agricultural lands.

Question 68

After Rome's final victory against Carthage, Carthaginian women and children were sold into slavery.

Question 69

Roman law included ideas like there was no universal law that could be applied to all people, and suspects were guilty until proven innocent.

Question 70

The Pax Romana was among the chief benefits of Roman rule during the first and second centuries C.E.

Question 71

Romulus and Remus were the legendary founders of Rome.

Question 72

In general, Romans demonstrated extensive tolerance for the religions of other peoples living in their empire.

Question 73

The Roman Empire nearly collapsed in the second century.

Question 74

In the 130s and 120s B.C.E., Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus advocated the seizure of lands owned by the aristocracy and for redistribution to landless Romans.

Question 75

The patricians were the ultimate victors in their long power struggle against the plebeians.

Question 76

What factor caused the fall of the western Roman Empire?

A) Christianity undermined Roman military values and patriotism.
B) Lead poisoning caused by water pipes resulted in mental decline.
C) Romans failed to advance technologically because of slavery.
D) Traditional Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominence.
E) There is no one factor that caused the fall of the Roman Empire.

Question 77

The rise of the latifunia contributed to the declining number of small citizen farmers.

Question 78

The Romans rejected Greek influence and promoted its own uniquely Roman art and culture.

Question 79

In the early Roman Empire, upper-class Roman women were excluded from public life and lost privileges and responsibilities they had obtained during the earlier Republic.

Question 80

In building the Roman Republic, the Romans had to defeat and expel the Greeks, Etruscans, and Phoenicians from Italy.