Ancient Rome
Read at: This Tournament Goes to Eleven VIII: Spinal Tap Takes Manhattan
Written by: Jeremy Hixson and the University of Oklahoma Academic Team
Final editing by: Andrew R. Juhl and the University of Iowa Academic Quiz Team
Description: Questions about ancient Rome: its rules, its rulers, and why it ruled.
Tossups
1. Cicero first rose to prominence in Rome with the prosecution of this province’s governor, Gaius Verres, for gross mismanagement and other crimes. It served as the base for Sextus Pompeius’s resistance to the power of the Second Triumvirate. Athenion and Tryphon led a slave uprising here in the Second Servile War, while Eunus and Cleon did the same in the First Servile War nearly thirty years earlier. FTP, name this island, which became the first Roman province when it came under Roman rule after the First Punic War.
ANSWER: Sicilyor Sicilia
2. Although its author was a Roman, this work was originally written in Greek while the author was on campaign against Germanic tribes along the Danube. It appears never to have been intended for general publication, but rather, for personal enrichment and displays the author’s overwhelming preoccupation with death and the human response to it. Typical of Stoic texts, this work also emphasizes the importance of denying one’s emotions. FTP, name this work of philosophical quotations written by the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
ANSWER: Meditationsor The Emperor’s Handbook or The Golden Book of Marcus Aurelius
3. He was so popular during the Middle Ages that Hroswitha of Gandersheim claimed that she wrote all of her plays so that Christians would have a non-pagan alternative. A Carthaginian by birth, he was sold into slavery in Rome to pay a debt, but because of his writing talent, he was granted freedom. He wrote only six plays in his lifetime, including Andria, Adelphoe, and Eunuchus, most of which are adaptations of the works of Menander. FTP, who is this Roman playwright, often considered better than the earlier playwright, Titus Maccius Plautus?
ANSWER: Publius Terentius Afer or Terence
4. They were granted the right to declare capital punishment and frequently threatened execution from the Tarpeian Rock to gain their ends. Having been secured by a secessio in 494 BCE, they were granted sacrosanctity from the beginning. In 59 BCE, Julius Caesar arranged for Publius Clodius Pulcher to be adopted into a plebian family, so that he could hold this office. FTP, name this political office which was only open to plebes and which was most famously held by Tiberius and Gaius Sempronius Gracchus.
ANSWER: Tribune of the Plebs or Tribune of the People or Tribunus plebis
5. In 88 BCE, after the re-conquest ofBithynia and Cappadocia and execution of Manius Aquillius, he ordered all Romans in his territory to be killed, resulting in as many as 150,000 dead, according to Plutarch. According to numerous legends and accounts, he was worried that he would be poisoned, leading him either to drink small amounts of poison to develop immunity or to concoct an amazing antidote to nearly all poisons. FTP, who was this king of Pontus, the namesake of three wars with the Romans and Pompey’s greatest opponent until the rise of Caesar?
ANSWER: Mithridates VI or Mithridates the Great or
Mithridates Euergetes or Mithridates Eupator
6. The main character finds himself loved by both Circe and Chrysis, a noblewoman and her slave. At the same time, he has had nothing but the greatest of jealousy toward Ascyltos and Eumolpus for their behaviour around the boy that he loves the best. Early on, the main character, Encolpius, and his companions, Ascyltos and Giton, are assaulted and raped by Quartilla, a priestess of Priapus, and her servants. So goes, FTP, what prose work by Petronius, which is most famous for the scene often called The Dinner at Trimalchio’s?
ANSWER: Satyricon
7. This distinction was voted to Julius Caesar in his fifth consulship in 44 BCE. Though the honor was not awarded to him, Marcus Licinius Crassus did earn the distinction when he killed Deldo, the king of the Bastarnae, during the reign of Augustus. Despite these, and possibly others, there were only three instances recognized by Plutarch and others, including those taken by Aulus Cornelius Cossus and Marcus Claudius Marcellus. FTP, what is this prize, first taken by Romulus, which consists of the booty stripped by a Roman commander from another commander slain in single combat?
ANSWER: Spolia Opima
8. One of his earliest supporters was Lucius Valerius Flaccus, who possessed farms near his own and who encouraged him to enter Roman politics. His consulship in 195, along with his patron, Flaccus, was marked by the repeal of the infamous Lex Oppia, which restricted the opulence of Roman women’s dress. He won a triumph as governor of Hispania Citerior, and was the author of several works, including his most famous, De Agri Cultura. FTP, who is this Roman politician, best known for ending all of his speecheswith the words, “ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam”?
ANSWER: Marcus Porcius Cato Maior orCato the Elderor Cato Censoriusor Cato the Censor or Cato Sapiens or Cato Priscus
9. It was based on designs used by the Celtiberians and there are currently four basic designs known: the hispaniensis, which is the earliest, demonstrating its origin; the Fulham, which was an evolutionary conjunction between the two primary varieties; the Mainz, used in the LateRepublic; and the Pompeii, which was used until it was replaced by the spatha. FTP, name this type of sword which was the primary weapon used by Roman legionaries.
ANSWER: Gladius
10. He is a slaughterer of thousands, a paragon of virtue and a parade. In wits, he is the most insipired and in love, the most desired. He is known to oppress the meek, subdue the weak and degrade the Greek as well. Yet he must hurry back to work - for there are towns to plunder, temples to burn, ribs to crack, eyes to gouge and booty to divide. FTP, name this character from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a braggart soldier and the son of Erroneus.
ANSWER:Miles Gloriosus
11. He was worshipped among the Romanized Celts of southern Gaul as Albiorix and Caturix, both of which were derived from titles of the Celtic god Toutatis. As Condatis, he was associated with water and healing and as Cocidius and Alator, as a god of the hunt. A temple was also dedicated to him as Ultor, the Avenger, by Augustus in honor of his victory at Philippi. He was originally an agricultural god who became increasingly warlike along with the Romans. FTP, who is this god, better known as the father of Romulus and Remus?
ANSWER: Mars
12. Gaius Lucilius was often given credit by the ancients for being the originator of this genre, though none of his works survive today. The works of Aulus Persius Flaccus in this genre were popular with readers of the Middle Ages and the author was himself inspired to write in it after reading Lucilius. Lucius Apuleius’s The Golden Ass is also considered a primary example of it. FTP, what is this genre of literature, which was best exemplified in Rome by the writings of Juvenal, who wrote 16 books under this title?
ANSWER: Satire
13. On the spina located in the center, Augustus erected a large Egyptian obelisk taken during his campaigns against Mark Antony and Cleopatra. It was the site for the first games of the Ludi Romani dating back to fifth king of the Roman monarchy. In 50 BCE, Julius Caesar expanded its seating capacity to accommodate as many as 250,000, making it one of the largest stadiums in history. FTP, what is this colossal structure between the Aventine and Palatine hills, best known for holding chariot races?
ANSWER: Circus Maximus
14. The Bructeri, Chatti, Cherusci, and Marsi were all rival tribes, but Arminius managed to unite them for this battle, due to their hatred for and the overbearing nature of the Roman governor, Publius Quinctilius Varus. Because his men had not been kept in proper order and because of the narrow path through the woods, the Roman legions were spread over a distance of possibly 15 miles, resulting in casualties as high as 23,000, or 92%. FTP, what is this battle, which marked the Rhine as a Roman boundary and which prompted Augustus to shout, “Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!”?
ANSWER: Battle of TeutoburgForest
15.His most famous work was translated in Old English by Alfred the Great, Middle English by Chaucer, and Early Modern English by Elizabeth I. His translations of portions of Aristotle into Latin, although with alterations in order to bring him into agreement with Plato, were the only source for Aristotle’s views in medieval Western Europe. FTP, who is this influential philosopher and polymath, sometimes called “the last of the Romans” and best known for his philosophical work Consolation on Philosophy?
ANSWER: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
16. It was divided into three by Marcus Aurelius, with each section centered around an important town, such as Apulum and Porolissum. It had previously been divided by Hadrian into Inferior and Superior sections. Its northeastern border was formed by either the Outer Eastern Carpathians or the PruthRiver and its northern border followed along the Western Carpathians. FTP, what is this Roman province, the capital of which was Sarmizegetusa and which was the only Roman province north of the Danube in Eastern or Central Europe?
ANSWER: DaciaTrajana (do not accept Dacia Aureliana)
17. It called for the creation of the Floralia in 238 BCE as a means of ensuring a good harvest and as a celebration of the onset of spring. The originals were destroyed along with the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus by fire, but replacements were collected from across Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor. FTP, what is this collection of prophecies or ritual prescriptions, which legend says were bought by the Roman king at an exorbitant price only after the first six had been destroyed as part of the oracle’s method of dickering?
ANSWER: Sibylline Booksor Sibyllae (do not accept Sibylline Oracles)
18. One character in the Satyricon declares that it is not an epic, but a history because it does not include divine motivations. In a more modern context, it has also been described as an anti-epic. Generally, Cato the Younger is considered the work’s sole positive character, as he best embodies the stoic principles of the author, but the “anti-hero” is the Julius Caesar. FTP, name this unfinished, ten-book epic poem, the only surviving work of Lucan.
ANSWER: Pharsalia or Bellum Civile or Civil War
19. Its name indicates that it was an Etruscan settlement, but ancient historiography credits the initial settlers as Thessalians or Umbrians. Though not conquered by the Romans, it joined the Republic as a federated city as late as 82 BCE.It served first as a major base for Julius Caesar before he led his legions across the Rubicon and then as a major naval station after the port of Classe was built by Augustus. In 402, Honorius transferred the capital of the Western Roman Empire to, FTP, what city in northeastern Italy, where it remained until the fall of the empire?
ANSWER: Ravenna
20. There are several possible origins for its name, including the Oscan word for smoke and a relationship to either Heracles, to whom it was sacred, or Zeus in his role as the bringer of rains. In 64 CE, it and the surrounding area was rocked by an earthquake during the first public concert given by Nero.In 472, there was a large eruption from it which resulted in ash falling in Constantinople. FTP, what is this famed Campanian volcano which in the year 79 CE destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum?
ANSWER: MonsVesuviusor Mt.Vesuvius or Monte Vesuvio
21. This year saw the beginning of the Batavian Revolt in the province of Germania Inferiora under Julius Civilisand it was only put down the next year. Earlier in the year, Lucius Calpurnius Piso was named deputy Roman emperor, but was killed only five days later. It also saw two battles fought near the village of Bedriacum in Northern Italy, both of which proved decisive and which were contended by claimants to the imperial throne. FTP, all of these events took place in what year, which saw four different men declared caesar and ended with the beginning of Vespasian’s reign?
ANSWER: 69 CE or AD 69(prompt on Year of the Four Emperors)
Bonuses - Ancient Rome
1. FTPE, identify each of the following famous monuments, all of which were built during the Principate or Early Roman Empire.
A. This triumphal monument on the Via Sacra was built in commemoration of the namesake’s capture and sack of Jerusalem in 70 CE. The columns, which are built into the stone pillars, are the earliest example of the Composite order.
ANSWER: Arch of Titus
B. This aqueduct in southern France was built by Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It consists of three levels and brought water to the Roman city of Nemausus. It is currently one of the top tourist attractions in France.
ANSWER: Pont du Gard
C. Originally built by Agrippa as well, the version standing today was constructed under Hadrian and is the oldest major building with its original roof. This large, domed temple features a famous oculus, which admits all light in the building.
ANSWER: Pantheon
2. FTPE, identify each of the following festivals, feasts, and religious observances from Roman religion.
A. This festival was held on the ides of February, either in celebration of Faunus or another, namesake fertility god. It was held to purify the people, especially through whipping with goatskin thongs, in order to ensure bounty in the spring.
ANSWER: Lupercalia or Februatio
B. Celebrated annually on three, non-consecutive days in May, this festival featured the casting of the Argei into the Tiber and was associated with cleansing the household and the city of wicked, wandering spirits, most notably using beans.
ANSWER: Lemuria or Lemuralia or Feast of the Lemures
C. Though previously known as the Ludi Taurii or Ludi Terentini, this festival seems to have originally been tied to propitiation of the chthonic deities, but this changed when Augustus revived them in 17 BCE.
ANSWER: Ludi Saeculares or Secular Games
3. The Crisis of the Third Century nearly toppled the Roman Empire and resulted in the division between East and West that would allow the Byzantines to remain in power until 1453. FTPE, identify the following about the Crisis.
A. The Crisis began with the assassination of this emperor in 235 after 13 years on the throne. He was the last of the Severan dynasty and was murdered after the army revolted in favor of Maximinus Thrax.
ANSWER: Alexander Severus or Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexandrus
B. Under the leadership of first Septimius Odaenathus and then his wife, Zenobia, this state forged its independence in the east and conquered the Levant, Egypt, Asia Minor, and Syria. It was re-conquered by Aurelian in 272 and 273.
ANSWER: Palmyra or Palmyrene Empire
C. The Crisis finally came to an end under this emperor, who was chosen to replace Numerian and claimed the throne after the defeat of Carinus. He is famed for his persecution of Christians and for creating the Tetrarchy.
ANSWER: Diocletian or Diolces or Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus
4.FTPE, identify each of the following special case uses from Latin.
A. This use combines a noun and a participle in the same case and functions separate from the rest of the sentence like a subordinate clause. It is thought to have grown out of locative usage and provides temporal or circumstantial details.
ANSWER: Ablative Absolute
B. This use appears with the gerundive or with the passive periphrastic to express the person or persons upon whom the necessity for the action is placed. It is considered weaker than the corresponding ablative construction.
ANSWER: Dative of Agent
C. This case use modifies nouns by expressing a trait which is essential to the understanding or limiting of that noun, but only when the trait is modified by an adjective. The most common uses include measures and superlative adjectives.
ANSWER: Genitive of Characteristicor Genitive of Quality
5. FTPE, identify each of the following Roman gods, all of whom fall under the broad and generally misunderstood heading of Di Indigetes.
A. This god of borders was honored annually as sacrificial blood was poured and flower garlands placed on his boundary-markers. His role was sometimes adopted by Jove, because the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was built on his shrine.