Stage 37 Culture Quiz

The emperor's consilium had a fixed membership

• True: Membership was established on an annual basis.

• True: The emperor had the same advisers for his entire reign

• False: The emperor's consilium was composed of whomever the emperor invited to advise him on any particular occasion

• False: The emperor was not allowed to request the advice of anyone more than once.

Which of the following his true about the emperor's consilum: (check all which apply)

• The consilium would only contain members of senatorial rank

• A new emperor would likely use some of the same advisers as the previous emperor

• A new emperor was required to keep the same consilium as the previous emperor

• A new emperor often had attended the previous emperor's consilium

The consilum might be consulted under which of the following circumstances? (check all which apply)

• The emperor needed advice about administering the law.

• The emperor needed to determine his heir.

• The emperor needed to assassinate someone.

• The emperor needed advice about foreign affairs.

The emperor was required to follow the majority opinion of his consilium in legal matters.

• True: as a result, the emperor chose his consilium very carefully to provide the opinion he wanted.

• True: This limited the emperor's ability to administer justice unilaterally

• False: The emperor did not need to follow the opinions of his advisers at all.

• False: Legally, the Emperor had to follow some of advice of his consilium, but it need not be the majority.

Members of the consilium were always able to speak their minds freely.

• True: This freedom of speech was essential to the process of good jurisprudence.

• False: The members of the consilium were only allowed to bring preapproved statements to the consilium.

• False: Sometimes it was dangerous to speak one's mind openly in the consilium, especially during Domitian's reign.

• True: Although it could be dangerous outside of the consilium, no one was able to prosecute an amicus for his opinion given during the consilium.

The cursus honorum was:

• A race in the Circus Maximus

• An honorable curse, applied only to members of the senatorial class.

• A way to divine to the future.

• A competition for members of the senatorial class for political position.

The term suo anno means:

• the year in which Rome was established

• the year an new emperor rose to power

• to gain a political position in the earliest possible year

• to spend a year in a certain political position

Which of the following are true about the cursus honorum? (check all which apply)

• Some ranks were compulsory, so that a man who had not held a particular post could not proceed to the next highest one.

• The emperor was the highest post on the cursus honorum.

• The emperor was allowed to appoint people to the consulship; for others, he made recommendations.

• The emperor played no part in the democratic election of officials

What is a viginti vir?

• 20 young men who were in charge of the 20 legions.

• a junior official who assisted in in various tasks, including management of the law court.

• a treasurer who managed public funds

• the highest rank in the cursus honorum.

A quaestor was:

• A position which managed sums of public money.

• An officer in the legion

• The second rank of the cursus honorum

• A governor of a province.