Deck 10: Imperial Rome, 31 Bc-Ad284

Question 1

Summarize the life of Jesus Christ and the early spread of Christianity.Why did the Romans persecute Christians and not Jews?

Answer 1

Student answers will vary.The chapter account is brief, so informed students may add details they happen to know.Students should be aware that Romans made an exception to the requirement of sacrifice to the Roman gods (or to the emperor)for the Jews alone.

Question 2

Discuss the position of women in the Roman Empire as presented in the chapter.How does it compare with that of women in earlier ages?

Answer 2

Student answers will vary.Information is scattered throughout the chapter, so make sure answers are not drawn from only one section.

Question 3

The reign of Augustus is considered

A)a golden age for Rome.
B)the low point of Roman history.
C)a time of civil war and economic decline.
D)the golden age of the Republic.
E)the era most greatly affected by the rise of Christianity.

Answer 3

a golden age for Rome.

Question 4

What were some of the third-century mystery religions, and why do you think Romans were attracted to them?

Question 5

The principate refers to

A)the principle of succession to the empire
B)the transition between republic and empire
C)the period from Augustus to the death of Marcus Aurelius
D)The rule of Augustus alone
E)The rule of the "Good Emperors"

Question 6

To defend the imperial borders, Augustus

A)increased the number of soldiers on all frontiers.
B)used a combination of negotiation, buffer states, and local concentrations of troops.
C)continued to expand them dramatically.
D)abandoned the African provinces.
E)created Roman colonies peopled by retired soldiers and the urban poor.

Question 7

Roman law is one of Rome's most influential legacies.From reading what is said in the chapter about it, describe some of its features and explain why it had such an impact on later ages.Can you make any comparisons with American law, as you know it?

Question 8

Being both astute and infinitely diplomatic, which of the following was not used by Octavian (Augustus)to avoid a second Ides of March?

A)In acquiring his office, most of his enemies had been killed.
B)He lived long enough to consolidate his rule.
C)He avoided such terms as emperor or dictator.
D)He was able to hold office without monopolizing power.
E)The Roman military was used as both a threat and as a terrorizing segment of his government.

Question 9

What was the Third-Century Crisis? Explain how Rome could descend from peace and prosperity to a century of troubles that threatened the very existence of the empire.

Question 10

Much has been written, filmed, and portrayed about the gladiators and the arenas of Rome.Aside from the gory side of the games, did the arena symbolize other aspects of the Roman Empire?

Question 11

Why is the Augustan Age considered a high point of cultural achievement?

Question 12

Which is not one of the Julio-Claudian Emperors?

A)Titus
B)Nero
C)Caligula
D)Tiberius
E)Augustus

Question 13

Which is not one of Virgil's works?

A)Metamorphoses
B)Aeneid
C)Georgics
D)Eclogues
E)None of the above is a work of Virgil

Question 14

The features of the imperial economy under Augustus included

A)the debasement of coinage to increase the money supply.
B)affluence everywhere in the empire except Italy.
C)a great variety of Italian exports.
D)the elimination of rural poverty and slavery.
E)returning ancient privileges to the ruling class.

Question 15

Discuss the measures taken by Augustus to restore order and stability to Rome.What were the theory and the practice of the Principate?

Question 16

Describe the peace and prosperity of the Pax Romana.

Question 17

For the urban poor, Augustus provided

A)very little help.
B)public works programs, free grain, and entertainment.
C)more debtors' prisons.
D)conscription into the army.
E)free land on the frontiers.

Question 18

In what way did Tacitus' views differ from Augustus' own perspective of his achievements? What does this say about the public perception of the ruling office? How has this changed - if at all - from when Rome was a Republic?

Question 19

What were some examples of threats to Roman imperial frontiers in the third century A.D.? How did Rome attempt to cope with the danger?

Question 20

What were some features of Romanization throughout the Roman Empire?

Question 21

The Five Good Emperors

A)made humaneness and effective government standard practice.
B)successfully expanded the empire's borders.
C)guaranteed the future stability and prosperity of Rome.
D)exemplified the principle of merit.
E)All of these

Question 22

Romanization did not include which of the following?

A)Elimination of languages such as Berber, Aramaic, and Celtic
B)Spread of Roman architecture and technology
C)Extension of Roman law and citizenship
D)Spread of Roman entertainment such as gladiator shows
E)Allowing non citizens to join the Roman military legions

Question 23

What military development of the "Five Good Emperors" would later prove fateful for the empire

A)the switch from offensive operations to stationary frontiers
B)The employment of mercenaries
C)The general decline in the training of legions
D)The Abandonment of infantry for cavalry
E)None of the above

Question 24

One of the many famous Romans was Galen who

A)had a great influence on the future Shakespeare.
B)was to medicine what Aristotle was to philosophy.
C)became a leader in one of Rome's many mystery religions.
D)was the best known pagan writer.
E)compiled a collection of medical theories lost in the destruction of Alexandria.

Question 25

What was the purpose of deification?

A)to make sure trade routes were open
B)To honor the Caesars by giving them divine honors after death, and solidify the political rule of the emperors
C)To more easily raise a conscript army
D)To validate laws passed by the senate
E)to standardize the calendar

Question 26

Imperial law was all of the following except

A)a reflection of social inequality.
B)influential in later ages.
C)useful in imperial administration.
D)most basic in expanding the rights of women.
E)humane and pragmatic in regard to marriage.

Question 27

In the field of jurisprudence, Augustus

A)fostered professionalism.
B)adapted Roman law to be used in the provinces.
C)allowed the first law school to open in Rome.
D)made changes and reforms of the Republic permanent.
E)All of these

Question 28

Which philosopher was forced to commit suicide by Nero?

A)Tacitus
B)Livy
C)Ovid
D)Lucan
E)Seneca

Question 29

Which major public work in Rome was not effected during Augustus' rule?

A)The Theater of Marcellus
B)The Coliseum
C)The Pantheon
D)The Ara Pacis
E)The Baths of Agrippa

Question 30

Which was not an Eastern or mystery cult to affect Rome?

A)Mithras
B)Isis
C)Dionysius
D)Vesta
E)Manichaeism

Question 31

Roman culture under Augustus included all of the following except

A)Virgil's great epic poem, the Aeneid.
B)Livy's massive history of Rome.
C)building projects, including the Pantheon.
D)the elimination of competing religious faiths.
E)strong elements of classicism.

Question 32

Which of the following statements about gladiators and the games is not true?

A)Audiences sat in ranked seats and included all levels of society.
B)Graffiti celebrated a star of the arena.
C)Amphitheaters were common throughout Italy and the Roman Empire.
D)Amphitheaters were not found in the Eastern sector of the empire for religious reasons.
E)Some gladiators were free men who volunteered for a limited time of service.

Question 33

The great political innovation of the "Five Good Emperors" was

A)the establishment of an imperial bureaucracy
B)The creation of civic societies to maintain the city of Rome
C)The establishment of adoption of heirs, based on merit and not family
D)The reformation of the military
E)Rapid expansion as a way to political stability

Question 34

Which was not a social order in the early empire?

A)Equestrians
B)Slaves
C)Freedmen
D)Honestiores
E)Optimates

Question 35

All of the following have been attributed to Livia, Augustus's wife, except

A)being one of the most powerful women in Roman history.
B)being a master of intrigue.
C)improving women's legal standing in the empire.
D)poisoning potential heirs to the throne, including Augustus.
E)creating a troubled family environment.

Question 36

During the Pax Romana, the Roman economy exhibited all of the following except

A)growing agricultural demand from growing cities.
B)relatively easy and inexpensive travel and communications.
C)a relative backwardness compared to a modern economy.
D)an improved standard of living for the wealthy only.
E)the opening of new lands to agriculture.

Question 37

Which emperor finally added Britain to the Roman State?

A)Nero
B)Claudius
C)Titus
D)Vespasian
E)Augustus

Question 38

All of the following were effects of Julio-Claudian government except

A)The oppression of the Old Nobility
B)The Marginalization of the Senate
C)Good government under a skilled bureaucracy
D)Brutal politics in the imperial family
E)A decline in the military power of the empire

Question 39

How did the Julio-Claudian line fail?

A)The Roman senate restored the Republic
B)The Roman empire was invaded
C)Caligula was overthrown by Claudius
D)A deeply unpopular Nero was confronted with a major revolt
E)Augustus refused to settle on a law of imperial succession

Question 40

The reign of Trajan was marked by

A)the success of his Parthian policy.
B)his refusal to cross the Danube.
C)the defeat of the Persians.
D)internal unrest, rare during the pax Romana.
E)the Roman Empire reaching its greatest geographical extent.

Question 41

The order in which the "five good emperors" served the Empire was

A)Trajan, Hadrian, Nerva, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius.
B)Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius.
C)Antoninus Pius, Nerva, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian.
D)Trajan, Nerva, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius.
E)Nerva, Hadrian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Antoninus Pius.

Question 42

Manichaeism was

A)a dualistic religion from Persia.
B)a variety of Epicurean philosophy.
C)founded by Buddha.
D)a short-lived cult that died out in A.D.50.
E)the coming of the Dark Light.

Question 43

What is the Mishnah?

A)The writings of Mani
B)A translation of the Torah
C)A commentary on the New Testament
D)A compilation of oral Jewish law
E)A Roman critique of Judaism

Question 44

Which was not a sect in Judea in the middle of the 1st century AD?

A)Sadducees
B)Maccabees
C)Pharisees
D)Christians
E)Essenes

Question 45

What was the last province to be added to the Roman Empire

A)Gaul
B)Spain
C)Carthage
D)Judea
E)Dacia (Romania)

Question 46

Which of the following does not describe the expansion and divergence of early Christianity?

A)It slowly spread to North Africa, Gaul, and beyond Roman boundaries.
B)It became a separate and distinct religion around 200 A.D.
C)It primarily attracted only the urban poor.
D)It was considered to be a threat by Romans.
E)Most of the supporters came from the Gentiles.

Question 47

What event ended Sadducee and Zealot power, and established the Pharisees as the dominant school of Judaism?

A)The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth
B)The preaching of John the Baptist
C)The Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD
D)The Jewish Revolt in 66AD
E)The takeover of Judea by Rome

Question 48

The religious situation in the Roman Empire circa A.D.200 can best be described as

A)willingness by the Romans to accept new gods.
B)displaying a tendency toward syncretism.
C)polytheist by tradition.
D)reverence for the cult of the emperor
E)All of these

Question 49

Silver Age culture included all of the following except

A)encyclopedias and scientific works.
B)fine historical works by Tacitus and Plutarch.
C)satires and literary criticism.
D)writers pursing political careers.
E)extensive silver mines constructed on the islands of Sicily and Corsica.

Question 50

Where was Christianity most strikingly successful?

A)among the rural poor
B)Among the aristocracy
C)Outside of the Roman empire
D)In urban settings
E)Among the Jews

Question 51

All of the following are true of rabbinic Judaism except

A)it emerged in the first century A.D.
B)oral law was elevated to equal authority with the written Torah.
C)the old covenant was officially replaced by a new one.
D)distrust and hostility developed toward emergent Christianity.
E)it clarified Jewish practice.

Question 52

Which of the following was more a philosophy than a religion?

A)The cult of Isis
B)The cult of Mithras
C)Manichaeism
D)Neo-Platonism
E)The cult of Demeter

Question 53

The rise of Rabbinic Judaism marks the success of which group?

A)Essenes
B)Christians
C)Pharisees
D)Sadducees
E)Maccabees

Question 54

Tacitus expressed criticism of the social conditions of his time

A)by describing the virtues of the Germanic tribes.
B)by writing sarcastic poetry.
C)through his speeches in the senate.
D)through his plays.
E)by questioning the moral and political lessons of history.

Question 55

Characteristics of "Romanization" were

A)Participation in government by the provinces.
B)Spread of Roman Customs
C)Architecture
D)The diversity of the Roman army
E)All of the above

Question 56

Which of the following cannot be attributed to Paul of Tarsus?

A)He was known for the persecution of the Christians in his earlier years.
B)He claimed to see a vision of Jesus.
C)He emphasized the death and resurrection of Jesus.
D)He was born a Roman who revered the emperor.
E)He personally represented the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nature of the Roman peace.

Question 57

All of the following are true of the life of Jesus except that it

A)Was promoted by Rabbinical Judaism
B)spanned the years from his birth, about 4 B.C., to his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension in A.D.30.
C)included three years of authoritative teaching and working of miracles.
D)was marked by the hostility of the Jewish religious establishment.
E)was documented in the New Testament.

Question 58

All of the following contributed to the Third-Century Crisis except

A)the decadence of Commodus.
B)Barbarian invasions.
C)plagues.
D)devaluation of the currency.
E)power transferred from the army to the senate.

Question 59

Women in Judaism and early Christianity

A)could hold the positions of rabbi or priest.
B)could not hold important offices in both Judaism and Christianity.
C)have been recorded in history as being major figures of their time.
D)under Roman law could not be persecuted or tortured.
E)could not preach sermons.

Question 60

The Sassanid Persians

A)made a pact with the emperor Valerian that saved Rome's eastern provinces.
B)were defeated by the Parthians.
C)were peaceful nomads who posed no threat to Rome.
D)overran the eastern provinces and captured Emperor Valerian.
E)destroyed the caravan city of Palmyra, seriously hurting Roman trade.

Question 61

The popular religion of Manichaeism originated in Rome.

Question 62

Gladiators were made up solely of slaves and conquered peoples.

Question 63

Roman family law was very strict and did not allow women to own their own property.

Question 64

In the Early empire the new government placed the control of the provinces solely under the governance of Augustus.

Question 65

Virgil was famous for his extensive history of Rome.

Question 66

Women were kept from playing any influential role in Judaism and early Christianity.

Question 67

Augustus's era marks the beginning of the classical period of Roman jurisprudence.

Question 68

One of the defining features of the reign of Tiberius was its treason trials and murders.

Question 69

The Constitutio Antoniana was

A)The law allowing women to leave their property to their heirs.
B)the demand for a universal language in the Roman provinces.
C)the law rendering all the free inhabitance of the empire Roman citizenship.
D)The law demanding that bachelors get married.
E)All of the above.

Question 70

Paul of Tarsus was greatly influential in the complete separation of Christianity from Judaism.

Question 71

The main theme of Septimius' reign was the transfer of power from the senate to the army.