Academics Lesson IV—Roman History

Question 1

Give the years of the Roman Monarchy.

Answer 1

753–510 B.C.

Fun Fact: The Roman Monarchy lasted from Rome’s founding in 753 B.C. until the expulsion of the last king in 510 B.C..

Question 2

Rome is said to have how many kings rule over the course of its Monarchy?

Answer 2

Seven

Fun Fact: The Roman Monarchy lasted from Rome’s founding in 753 B.C. until the expulsion of the last king in 510 B.C.. In total, Rome had seven kings.

Question 3

Who is considered the first king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 3

Romulus

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 4

What group of 100 men was Romulus said to have established?

Answer 4

Senate

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 5

What event under the reign of Romulus created an early influx of women into Rome?

Answer 5

Rape of the Sabine Women

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 6

To whom did Romulus dedicate the first spolia opima?

Answer 6

Jupiter

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 7

With which Sabine king is Romulus said to have co-ruled?

Answer 7

Titus Tatius

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 8

Some accounts have Romulus dying in a supernatural way. In these stories, how is Romulus said to have died?

Answer 8

enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 9

What became the deified name of the Roman king Romulus?

Answer 9

Quirinus

Fun Fact: The first king, Romulus, established the Senate (with 100 members called patrēs), brought the Sabine women into the city (Rape of the Sabine Women), and dedicated the first spolia opima (earned for killing an enemy commander in battle) to Jupiter. For a brief time Romulus co-ruled with the Sabine king Titus Tatius. It was said that Romulus did not die, but was enveloped by a storm cloud and raised into the sky. The Romans deified Romulus under the name Quirinus.

Question 10

Who is considered the second king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 10

Numa Pompilius

Fun Fact: Romulus successor, Numa Pompilius, was a Sabine who brought religion to Rome. He established the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Janus.

Question 11

From what Italic tribe was Rome’s second king Numa Pompilius said to have descended?

Answer 11

Sabines

Fun Fact: Romulus successor, Numa Pompilius, was a Sabine who brought religion to Rome. He established the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Janus.

Question 12

What cultural aspect is the Roman king Numa Pompilius considered to have introduced to Rome?

Answer 12

Religion

Fun Fact: Romulus successor, Numa Pompilius, was a Sabine who brought religion to Rome. He established the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Janus.

Question 13

What religious cult of maidens is the Roman king Numa Pompilius considered to have introduced to Rome?

Answer 13

The Vestal Virgins

Fun Fact: Romulus successor, Numa Pompilius, was a Sabine who brought religion to Rome. He established the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Janus.

Question 14

What religious cult to the god of doorways is the Roman king Numa Pompilius considered to have introduced to Rome?

Answer 14

The cult of Janus

Fun Fact: Romulus successor, Numa Pompilius, was a Sabine who brought religion to Rome. He established the Vestal Virgins and the cult of Janus.

Question 15

Who is considered the third king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 15

Tullus Hostilius

Fun Fact: Rome’s third king, Tullus Hostilius, destroyed Alba Longa due to the victory of the Horatii over the Curiatii.

Question 16

What nearby town was Tullus Hostilius said to have destroyed?

Answer 16

Alba Longa

Fun Fact: Rome’s third king, Tullus Hostilius, destroyed Alba Longa due to the victory of the Horatii over the Curiatii.

Question 17

Who is considered the fourth king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 17

Ancus Marcius

Fun Fact: Ancus Marcius, the fourth king, established Rome’s port city at Ostia.

Question 18

What port city is the Roman king Ancus Marcius said to have found?

Answer 18

Ostia

Fun Fact: Ancus Marcius, the fourth king, established Rome’s port city at Ostia.

Question 19

Who is considered the fifth king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 19

Tarquinius Priscus

Fun Fact: The fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, was Rome’s first Etruscan king. He drained the Forum Rōmānum and was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius.

Question 20

Tarquinius Priscus is the first Roman king from what Italic tribe?

Answer 20

Etruscans (from Etruria)

Fun Fact: The fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, was Rome’s first Etruscan king. He drained the Forum Rōmānum and was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius.

Question 21

What future site in Rome is the Roman king Tarquinius Priscus said to have drained?

Answer 21

Forum Rōmānum

Fun Fact: The fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, was Rome’s first Etruscan king. He drained the Forum Rōmānum and was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius.

Question 22

Who is said to be the wife of the Roman king Tarquinius Priscus?

Answer 22

Tanaquil

Fun Fact: The fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, was Rome’s first Etruscan king. He drained the Forum Rōmānum and was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius.

Question 23

Who is said to have killed the Roman king Tarquinius Priscus?

Answer 23

the sons of Ancus Marcius

Fun Fact: The fifth king, Tarquinius Priscus, was Rome’s first Etruscan king. He drained the Forum Rōmānum and was killed by the sons of Ancus Marcius.

Question 24

Who is considered the sixth king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 24

Servius Tullius

Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the census by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 25

To whom is the Roman king Servius Tullius said to have been born?

Answer 25

a slave woman (Ocrisia) ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 26

What omen is attributed to the sixth king of the Roman Monarchy Servius Tullius, and who was the person who interpreted this omen?

Answer 26

When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping but was not harmed; Tanaquil interpreted this as Servius Tullius would one day rule ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 27

What is the Roman king Servius Tullius said to have established when he divided Rome into six classes?

Answer 27

*census* ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 28

What cult is the Roman king Servius Tullius said to have established on the Aventine hill?

Answer 28

cult of Diana ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 29

What fortification is the Roman king Servius Tullius said to be the first to have established in Rome?

Answer 29

first wall around the city (the Servian Wall) ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 30

Who murdered the Roman king Servius Tullius?

Answer 30

Tarquinius Superbus ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 31

Who is considered the seventh and last king of the Roman Monarchy?

Answer 31

Tarquinius Superbus ## Footnote Fun Fact: Servius Tullius, the sixth king, was the son of a slave woman. When he was a child, his head burst into flames while he was sleeping. Unharmed, the queen Tanaquil interpreted this as an omen that Servius Tullius would one day rule as king. Servius Tullius established the *census* by dividing Rome into six classes. He also established the cult of Diana on the Aventine hill and built the first wall around the city (the Servian Wall). He was murdered and overthrown by Rome’s last king, Tarquinius Superbus.

Question 32

As shown on the Column of Trajan, what kingdom did the Roman emperor Trajan conquer by 106 A.D.?

Answer 32

Dacia ## Footnote Fun Fact: In 101 A.D. the emperor Trajan led his legions across the Danube river to conquer the kingdom of Dacia, modern day Romania. The king of the Dacians, Decebalus, had previously fought a successful war against the Roman emperor Domitian. By 106 A.D. Trajan had conquered Dacia and transformed it into a Roman province. In Rome Trajan then set out to build a monument to his victory. The result was Trajan’s Column, a 110 foot memorial which tells the story of the Dacian War. On top of Trajan’s Column was a bronze statue of the emperor, which has been replaced by a statue of St. Peter. Trajan not only built a column in Rome, but an entire Forum. Trajan’s Forum, called the *Forum Ulpium* in Latin, contained a basilica and a series of markets which were built into the sides of the Capitoline and Quirinal Hills. In the annals of Roman history, Trajan is known as *Optimus Princeps* (the best emperor). His reign ushered in the high point of the *Pāx Rōmāna*. In later years coins were minted in ancient Rome with the phrase *felicior Augustō, melior Trāiānō*—“more fortunate than Augustus, better than Trajan.” When Trajan died in 117 A.D., the Roman Empire was at its greatest territorial extent.

Question 33

In what year did the Roman emperor Trajan begin his attack on Dacia?

Answer 33

101 A.D. ## Footnote Fun Fact: In 101 A.D. the emperor Trajan led his legions across the Danube river to conquer the kingdom of Dacia, modern day Romania. The king of the Dacians, Decebalus, had previously fought a successful war against the Roman emperor Domitian. By 106 A.D. Trajan had conquered Dacia and transformed it into a Roman province. In Rome Trajan then set out to build a monument to his victory. The result was Trajan’s Column, a 110 foot memorial which tells the story of the Dacian War. On top of Trajan’s Column was a bronze statue of the emperor, which has been replaced by a statue of St. Peter. Trajan not only built a column in Rome, but an entire Forum. Trajan’s Forum, called the *Forum Ulpium* in Latin, contained a basilica and a series of markets which were built into the sides of the Capitoline and Quirinal Hills. In the annals of Roman history, Trajan is known as *Optimus Princeps* (the best emperor). His reign ushered in the high point of the *Pāx Rōmāna*. In later years coins were minted in ancient Rome with the phrase *felicior Augustō, melior Trāiānō*—“more fortunate than Augustus, better than Trajan.” When Trajan died in 117 A.D., the Roman Empire was at its greatest territorial extent.

Question 34

During the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan, who was the king of the Dacians whom Trajan ultimately defeated?

Answer 34

Decebalus ## Footnote Fun Fact: In 101 A.D. the emperor Trajan led his legions across the Danube river to conquer the kingdom of Dacia, modern day Romania. The king of the Dacians, Decebalus, had previously fought a successful war against the Roman emperor Domitian. By 106 A.D. Trajan had conquered Dacia and transformed it into a Roman province. In Rome Trajan then set out to build a monument to his victory. The result was Trajan’s Column, a 110 foot memorial which tells the story of the Dacian War. On top of Trajan’s Column was a bronze statue of the emperor, which has been replaced by a statue of St. Peter. Trajan not only built a column in Rome, but an entire Forum. Trajan’s Forum, called the *Forum Ulpium* in Latin, contained a basilica and a series of markets which were built into the sides of the Capitoline and Quirinal Hills. In the annals of Roman history, Trajan is known as *Optimus Princeps* (the best emperor). His reign ushered in the high point of the *Pāx Rōmāna*. In later years coins were minted in ancient Rome with the phrase *felicior Augustō, melior Trāiānō*—“more fortunate than Augustus, better than Trajan.” When Trajan died in 117 A.D., the Roman Empire was at its greatest territorial extent.

Question 35

What title, which typically is translated as "the best emperor", is normally attributed to the Roman emperor Trajan?

Answer 35

*Optimus Princeps* ## Footnote Fun Fact: In 101 A.D. the emperor Trajan led his legions across the Danube river to conquer the kingdom of Dacia, modern day Romania. The king of the Dacians, Decebalus, had previously fought a successful war against the Roman emperor Domitian. By 106 A.D. Trajan had conquered Dacia and transformed it into a Roman province. In Rome Trajan then set out to build a monument to his victory. The result was Trajan’s Column, a 110 foot memorial which tells the story of the Dacian War. On top of Trajan’s Column was a bronze statue of the emperor, which has been replaced by a statue of St. Peter. Trajan not only built a column in Rome, but an entire Forum. Trajan’s Forum, called the *Forum Ulpium* in Latin, contained a basilica and a series of markets which were built into the sides of the Capitoline and Quirinal Hills. In the annals of Roman history, Trajan is known as *Optimus Princeps* (the best emperor). His reign ushered in the high point of the *Pāx Rōmāna*. In later years coins were minted in ancient Rome with the phrase *felicior Augustō, melior Trāiānō*—“more fortunate than Augustus, better than Trajan.” When Trajan died in 117 A.D., the Roman Empire was at its greatest territorial extent.