Deck 6: The Roman Empire

Question 1

Talk about:
Varus and the Teutoburg Forest

Answer 1

Answers may vary.

Question 2

In what ways did imperial governance in the Age of Augustus and the Early Empire address the problems and weaknesses that led to the collapse of the Republic?

Answer 2

Answers may vary.

Question 3

What advantages and disadvantages faced those living in the city of Rome during the second century C.E.?

Answer 3

Answers may vary.

Question 4

How much credit, if any, does Augustus deserve for what is referred to as the Pax Romana , the "Roman peace"?

Question 5

Talk about:
Virgil's Aeneid

Question 6

Talk about:
maius imperium

Question 7

Talk about:
praetorian guard

Question 8

It has been said of the Romans that two of their major contributions to Western civilization were in the areas of law and engineering. What exactly did the Romans achieve in each area?

Question 9

Talk about:
Augustus

Question 10

Explain the factors involved in the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Tertullian is reported to have called the blood of martyrs "the seed of the church." What role did persecution and martyrdom play in encouraging conversions?

Question 11

The historian Edward Gibbon claimed that the Roman Empire in second century C.E. was a true Golden Age. What evidence could give credence to Gibbon's argument, and what evidence could be given to refute it?

Question 12

Compare and contrast the second century and the third century C.E. in the Roman Empire.

Question 13

Talk about:
legates

Question 14

Talk about:
imperator

Question 15

One historian has said that the Romans became Christians and the Christians became Romans. Is that an accurate assessment of the relationship between Rome and early Christianity? Why or why not?

Question 16

How does the literature of the late Republic, the Augustan Age, and the Early Empire reflect the political problems of each period?

Question 17

Talk about:
princeps and the principate

Question 18

How and why did the teachings of Christianity pose a challenge traditional Roman attitudes, values, and lifestyles?

Question 19

Talk about:
auxiliaries

Question 20

Talk about:
the imperial cult

Question 21

Talk about:
Caracalla and citizenship

Question 22

Talk about:
Juvenal

Question 23

Talk about:
Colosseum and the baths of Caracalla

Question 24

Talk about:
Tacitus

Question 25

Talk about:
Seneca

Question 26

Talk about:
Julio-Claudians

Question 27

Talk about:
the Pax Romana

Question 28

Talk about:
Romanization

Question 29

Talk about:
Caligula and Nero

Question 30

Talk about:
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations

Question 31

Talk about:
Ovid

Question 32

Talk about:
Livy

Question 33

Talk about:
the Silk Road

Question 34

Talk about:
"the year of the four emperors"

Question 35

Talk about:
latifundia and coloni

Question 36

Talk about:
Hadrian's Pantheon

Question 37

Talk about:
Vespasian and the Flavians

Question 38

Talk about:
aqueducts

Question 39

Talk about:
Horace

Question 40

Talk about:
the "good emperors"

Question 41

Talk about:
Decius and Diocletian

Question 42

Talk about:
Goths and Franks

Question 43

Talk about:
gladiatorial games

Question 44

Talk about:
Paul of Tarsus

Question 45

Talk about:
Zealots

Question 46

Talk about:
Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls

Question 47

Talk about:
"Bread and Circuses"

Question 48

Talk about:
insulae

Question 49

Talk about:
Messiah

Question 50

Talk about:
Galen

Question 51

Talk about:
Jesus and Christ

Question 52

Talk about:
the Eucharist

Question 53

Talk about:
bishops

Question 54

Talk about:
Sadducees and Pharisees

Question 55

Talk about:
Perpetua

Question 56

Talk about:
Ulpian

Question 57

Talk about:
Septimius Severus

Question 58

Talk about:
infanticide

Question 59

Talk about:
Vesuvius and Pompeii

Question 60

Talk about:
Mithraism

Question 61

Livy was best known in the Augustan Age for his

A) Aeneid .
B) Metamophoses.
C) Satires .
D) Meditations.
E) History of Rome in 142 books.

Question 62

The Senate granted Octavian the titles Augustus and imperator (emperor), but he preferred to be addressed as

A) pontifex
B) dominus
C) overlord
D) senator
E) princeps

Question 63

Augustus's social legislation

A) meant a social revolution at every level of Roman society.
B) made adultery a criminal offense and outlawed wasteful expenditures for feasts.
C) penalized couples for having too many children.
D) encouraged the development of the nuclear family.
E) all of the above

Question 64

The city on the Tiber that was Rome's chief port was

A) Venice.
B) Marseilles.
C) Naples.
D) Tiberius.
E) Ostia.

Question 65

The absolute monarchical powers of Augustus as princeps led to

A) the usual victory of his candidates in official elections.
B) the decline of popular participation in elections.
C) his great popularity, as he followed proper legal forms for his power.
D) led to the perception that he co-ruled with the senate
E) all of the above

Question 66

Romanization in the Roman Empire

A) varied widely in different areas of the empire in terms of its extent and speed.
B) developed first in the lower classes.
C) saw Latin illuminate the use of the Greek language in the east.
D) never included the practice of allowing local inhabitants to become Roman officials.
E) occurred more quickly in the east than the west because of greater urbanization in the east.

Question 67

The colonies of veterans established by Augustus throughout the empire

A) were used exclusively to maintain domestic order within the provinces.
B) drained the imperial treasury of its funds and caused financial crisis.
C) drew extra criticism to the emperor.
D) often rebelled against imperial authority.
E) proved especially valuable in Romanizing the provinces.

Question 68

Identify the correct relationship between "golden age" author and his major work:

A) Virgil ⎯ Amores
B) Ovid ⎯ Aeneid
C) Horace ⎯ History of Rome
D) Cicero ⎯ The Georgics
E) Ovid ⎯ The Art of Love

Question 69

The Roman praetorian guards were

A) elite troops given the task of protecting the emperor.
B) mobile units meant to patrol the boundaries of the empire.
C) often used to train the gladiators.
D) cavalry used to spearhead military offensives.
E) stationed along Hadrian's Wall in northern Britain.

Question 70

The event that curtailed Augustus's expansionist policies was

A) the Senatorial rejection of imperialist policy in 20 B.C.E.
B) the defeat by Varus in the Teutoburg Forest.
C) the revolt of the Egyptians in 14 B.C.E.
D) the successful series of invasions by the Parthians in the east.
E) revolt by the Jews in Judea.

Question 71

Among Augustus's key innovations in Roman provincial rule was his

A) abandonment of North Africa.
B) division of Roman provinces into those ruled directly by the princeps and the senatorial provinces administered by the Senate.
C) use of military governors alone.
D) complete revision of provincial tax policies.
E) creation of a federal system wherein provincial governors had almost complete power.

Question 72

Among Augustus's most important actions in the area of Roman religion was his

A) destruction of the cults of Augustus and Roma.
B) claim to be a god in his own lifetime.
C) creation of an imperial cult.
D) outlawing all traditional female religious festivals.
E) destruction of all of the mystery religions.

Question 73

Under the rule of Augustus, the Roman Empire

A) was a principate, with Augustus acting as an equal co-ruler with the Senate.
B) returned to its traditional republic institutions.
C) turned towards an absolute monarchy, with the princeps overshadowing the Senate.
D) experienced a series of civil wars, making Augustus unpopular among the citizenry.
E) became an oligarchy, with political power increasingly concentrate in the hands of the Senate.

Question 74

Which of the following statements best describes the governing of Roman provinces under Augustus?

A) Efficient, with ex-generals serving as governors and instituting military rule.
B) Efficient, with legates cooperating with the local elites.
C) Inefficient, due to the corruption of Roman governors.
D) Efficient, with all governors receiving one year of training before assuming their positions.
E) Mostly efficient, although there were numerous local uprisings against Roman rule.

Question 75

Roman provincial and frontier policy under Augustus was characterized by all of the following except

A) limitless expansion in central Europe.
B) the encouragement of self-government among provincial cities.
C) provincial rule by proconsuls.
D) minimum military force to the east.
E) a withdrawal from military activity in central Europe after military defeat by German tribes.

Question 76

Which of the following statements was true of Augustan society?

A) Popular assemblies of the lower classes continually grew in importance.
B) Legislation was passed concerning the corruption of morals.
C) Equestrians achieved complete dominance in the political sphere.
D) Religion was no longer considered important.
E) The city of Rome, including the Colosseum, was entirely rebuilt.

Question 77

Concerning social classes during early Roman Empire,

A) provincials were allowed to hold certain high magisterial positions.
B) the power of the equestrian class was expanded.
C) the Senate was expanded to include 400 equestrians.
D) debt slavery was ended as a means to acquire slaves.
E) independent farms made up the soldiers in Rome's legions.

Question 78

The Aeneid is a poem about

A) the founding of Rome.
B) the Punic Wars.
C) the joys of farming.
D) freedom and liberty.
E) Christian justice.

Question 79

Which of the following statements about the Roman Senate under Augustus is accurate?

A) Augustus ensured that the Senate was no longer aristocratic in its membership.
B) The Senate was a full and equal partner of the princeps .
C) Augustus retained the Senate as the chief deliberative body of the Roman state.
D) The Senate no longer functioned as a high court of justice nor was it allowed to control the public treasury.
E) Augustus completely dissolved and eliminated the Senate.

Question 80

Talk about:
Tertullian