Question 1

The Capitolium of Ostia was constructed under which Roman emperor?
A) Augustus
B) Nero
C) Trajan
D) Hadrian

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

The theater of Ostia was originally constructed by
A) Trajan.
B) Hadrian.
C) Agrippa.
D) Domitian.

Accepted Answer

Agrippa, a close friend and military commander under Augustus, originally constructed the theater in Ostia, which was later renovated or rebuilt by other emperors.

Question 3

By the middle of the third century BCE, artists could approximate the effects of true paintings through the use of tiny, cut stones called
A) sestertii.
B) tesserae.
C) cubicula.
D) alae.

Accepted Answer

Tesserae are the small pieces of stone, glass, or other materials used to create mosaics, which allowed artists to create detailed and colorful designs that could mimic the appearance of paintings.

Question 4

Instead of replicating the illusionism of Greek figural mosaics, Roman mosaic artists of the second and third centuries preferred color schemes that were primarily
A) black and white.
B) polychromatic,
C) red and black.
D) complementary.

Accepted Answer

Roman mosaic artists of the second and third centuries often preferred black and white color schemes for their mosaics, a style that diverged from the more illusionistic and polychromatic approach of Greek figural mosaics. This choice allowed for dramatic visual effects using simpler, more contrasting colors.

Question 5

Because it functioned as a major Roman port city, Ostia had numerous horrea, or
A) warehouses.
B) apartment blocks.
C) hotels.
D) brothels.

Accepted Answer

Horrea in ancient Roman cities like Ostia were primarily used as warehouses for storing grain, goods, and other commodities, reflecting the city's role as a crucial port and trade hub.

Question 6

During the first and second centuries CE, the Romans developed a taste for the aesthetic effect of what building material?
A) unfinished concrete.
B) exposed brick
C) sculpted tufa.
D) painted wood.

Accepted Answer

The answer of During the first and second centuries CE,...

Question 7

A niche framed by pilasters and a pediment is called a(n)
A) insula.
B) statio.
C) aedicula.
D) amphora.

Accepted Answer

An aedicula is an architectural term referring to a small shrine or niche, often framed by columns or pilasters and surmounted by a pediment, used to house a statue or other decorative object.

Question 8

The ground-floor shops of Imperial insulae were usually of what standard type?
A) multiple-room, timber-roofed
B) one-room, timber-roofed
C) multiple-room, corbel-vaulted
D) one-room, concrete-vaulted

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ground-floor shops of Imperial insulae were...

Question 9

An individual apartment unit occupying the upper floor of an insula was called a(n)
A) atrium
B) triclinium
C) cubiculum
D) cenaculum

Accepted Answer

A cenaculum refers to an apartment or living space located on the upper floors of an ancient Roman building, known as an insula. These buildings were multi-story and housed multiple families or individuals, with the cenaculum being one of the types of living spaces available, often less luxurious than those on the lower floors.

Question 10

Which of the following was an effect of the economic downturn in the Roman economy in the fourth century?
A) property values declined, and poor families were forced to sell their villae
B) property values increased, and poor families were forced to move out of the city
C) property values declined, and wealthy families could afford to live in a domus
D) property values increased, and wealthy families had to move into insulae

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following was an effect...

Question 11

Most surviving tombs from Rome and Ostia are located
A) near the cities' most prestigious temples.
B) on the roads leading out of the cities.
C) in remote necropoleis far outside the city walls.
D) near the area of each city's civic forum.

Accepted Answer

Most surviving tombs from Rome and Ostia are located on the roads leading out of the cities, as it was a Roman custom to bury the dead outside the city walls along the roads entering and exiting the city. This practice was partly due to sanitary concerns and religious beliefs.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the standard type of tomb that emerged in Rome and Ostia?
A) The standard type emulated imperial mausolea in its form.
B) The standard type consisted of a single barrel-vaulted room.
C) The standard type was usually located on roads leading out of the city.
D) The standard type usually contained the remains of working-class families.

Accepted Answer

The standard type of tomb in Rome and Ostia did not emulate imperial mausolea in its form; instead, it was more modest and practical, often consisting of a single barrel-vaulted room and located along roads leading out of the city, typically for working-class families.

Question 13

Rome's first colony was
A) Ostia.
B) Pompeii.
C) Herculaneum.
D) Tivoli.

Accepted Answer

Ostia was Rome's first colony, established to serve as a port and a defensive outpost against potential attacks from the sea.

Question 14

The sarcophagi in the Tomb of the Caetennii reflect what change in Roman burial customs?
A) Romans were starting to practice cremation instead of burial.
B) Romans were starting to practice burial instead of cremation.
C) Romans were starting to deify their deceased.
D) Romans were starting to decrease the extravagance that accompanied elite burials.

Accepted Answer

The sarcophagi in the Tomb of the Caetennii reflect a shift in Roman burial customs from cremation to inhumation (burial). This change became more prevalent during the 2nd century AD, marking a significant transformation in Roman funerary practices.

Question 15

Arcuated recesses in tombs that contained sarcophagi are called
A) decursiones.
B) tumuli.
C) arcosolia.
D) ash urns.

Accepted Answer

Arcosolia are arched recesses in tombs specifically designed to hold sarcophagi.

Question 16

Discuss the gradual architectural development of Ostia's civic center.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the gradual architectural development of Ostia's...

Question 17

Discuss the architectural and artistic embellishment of Ostia's theater by the Roman emperors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the architectural and artistic embellishment of...

Question 18

Describe the chronological development of mosaics and the distinctions that set Roman mosaics apart from Greek ones.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the chronological development of mosaics and...

Question 19

Explain the design principles that were applied to Roman mosaics such as those in the Baths of Neptune and the Baths of the Seven Sages.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the design principles that were applied...

Question 20

Describe examples of the Romans' taste for exposed brick, or "brick aesthetic," in the architecture of Ostia.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe examples of the Romans' taste for...

Quiz 15: Ostia, Port and Mirror of Rome

The Capitolium of Ostia was constructed under which Roman emperor?

The theater of Ostia was originally constructed by

By the middle of the third century BCE, artists could approximate the effects of true paintings through the use of tiny, cut stones called

Instead of replicating the illusionism of Greek figural mosaics, Roman mosaic artists of the second and third centuries preferred color schemes that were primarily

Because it functioned as a major Roman port city, Ostia had numerous horrea, or

During the first and second centuries CE, the Romans developed a taste for the aesthetic effect of what building material?

A niche framed by pilasters and a pediment is called a(n)

The ground-floor shops of Imperial insulae were usually of what standard type?

An individual apartment unit occupying the upper floor of an insula was called a(n)

Which of the following was an effect of the economic downturn in the Roman economy in the fourth century?

Most surviving tombs from Rome and Ostia are located

Which of the following is NOT true concerning the standard type of tomb that emerged in Rome and Ostia?

Rome's first colony was

The sarcophagi in the Tomb of the Caetennii reflect what change in Roman burial customs?

Arcuated recesses in tombs that contained sarcophagi are called

Discuss the gradual architectural development of Ostia's civic center.

Discuss the architectural and artistic embellishment of Ostia's theater by the Roman emperors.

Describe the chronological development of mosaics and the distinctions that set Roman mosaics apart from Greek ones.

Explain the design principles that were applied to Roman mosaics such as those in the Baths of Neptune and the Baths of the Seven Sages.

Describe examples of the Romans' taste for exposed brick, or "brick aesthetic," in the architecture of Ostia.