wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Early Ancient Roman Quiz

Total questions: 60

Worksheet time: 33mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

When did Rome officially start?

a)

1240 BC

b)

851 BC

c)

753 BC

d)

399 BC

e)

211 BC

2.

What river flows through the city of Rome?

a)

Tigris River

b)

 Romulus River

c)

Rubicon River

d)

Tiber River

e)

Rhine River

3.

Select all that is true about Rome's founders:

a)

Their names were Romulus and Remus

b)

They were the descendants of the god Poseidon

c)

They were taken care of by a female wolf

d)

They were the descendants of the god Mars

e)

The boy's ancestors had escaped the sacking of Troy and sailed to Italy

4.

What’s the correct order of ancient Rome’s historical time periods?

a)

Mycenae, Classical, and Hellenistic

b)

Republic, Empire, and Monarchy

c)

Old, Middle, and New Empires

d)

Monarchy, Empire, and Republic

e)

Monarchy, Republic, and Empire

5.

Select all that is true about early ancient Rome:

a)

Romulus kills his brother Remus and becomes king

b)

The sacking of Rome in 390 BC by the Gauls forced them to slowly rebuild and they did not grow as rapidly as they had

c)

The groups of people that came together produced a unique and innovative spirit that would be carried on for hundreds of years afterwards

d)

They quickly adapted the customs and technologies from rival groups in the region

6.

T or F The city of Rome was originally a safe haven for outcasts, murderers, and runaway slaves.

a)

True

b)

False

7.

Physical Geography: Which mountain range is in the northern part of Italy and acted as a barrier against invaders?

a)

The Apennine

b)

The Himalayas

c)

The Alps

d)

The Appalachian Mountains

8.

Physical Geography: Which mountain range is in the central part of Italy?

a)

The Apennine

b)

The Himalayas

c)

The Alps

d)

The Appalachian Mountains

9.

What was the original language of ancient Rome?

a)

Roman

b)

Hieratic

c)

Latin

d)

Greek

e)

German

10.

What did Rome adapt (some would say steal and copy) from their northern Italian neighbors the Etruscans? Select all that apply:

a)

Hydraulic (water) engineering

b)

Took their gods and goddesses and renamed them

c)

Temple design

d)

Gladiatorial combat

11.

What did Rome adapt (some would say steal and copy) from the Greek colonies who were to their south? Select all that apply:

a)

Different kinds of art, but most notably statues

b)

Took their gods and goddesses and renamed them

c)

Architecture

d)

Gladiatorial combat

12.

Even Latin was borrowed from the Latins of Central Italy. This language would eventually be used to create many modern day languages. What overall name do we give these languages?

a)

Romanic languages

b)

Greco-Romans Dialects

c)

The Romance Languages

d)

The Punic Languages

13.

Which languages are considered Romance languages? (Languages that were created by using Latin.)

a)

Spanish

b)

English

c)

Italian

d)

French

e)

Russian

14.

T or F Ancient Rome stayed polytheistic throughout their whole history.

a)

True

b)

False

15.

When did Rome's monarchy officially end?

a)

753 BC

b)

509 BC

c)

202 BC

d)

44 BC

e)

33 AD

16.

Rome replaced their monarchy with a republic. What is a republic?

a)

Political system based upon the undivided sovereignty or rule of a single person.

b)

Form of government in which policies and laws are decided by a majority of all those eligible rather than by a body of elected representatives.

c)

Form of government in which one person or a small group possesses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations.

d)

A state (country) in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

17.

Who had more power in Roman society?

a)

Patricians

b)

Plebeians

c)

Both Patricians and Plebeians

18.

What percentage of Roman citizens were in the rich, land owning upper class (the Patricians)?

a)

1%

b)

5%

c)

10%

d)

15%

e)

22%

19.

What was the legislative body (the part of the government that makes laws) of Rome called?

a)

The House of Tiber

b)

The 12 Tables of Romulus

c)

The Monarchy

d)

The Senate

e)

Imperial Council

20.

What is true about Roman Consuls?

a)

There were two consuls that served together and were elected for 1 year terms.

b)

Consuls could not have consecutive (back to back) terms.

c)

To maintain checks and balances, each could veto (block) the other’s decisions.

d)

They had a job in both war and peace.

e)

They were considered the top Roman officials and heads of state (meaning government).

21.

What are term limits?

a)

A contract that states the power and responsibility of something

b)

Restricts the amount of time someone can be in a position of power

c)

Allows a person of authority to stay in power as long as the people want them to

d)

Sets limits to the amount of taxes a government can charge businesses or individuals

22.

What does it mean when someone vetoes something?

a)

To accept

b)

Means that a compromise is needed

c)

To reject or turn down

d)

Asks for clarification on the topic

23.

What is the name of the governmental body that the Plebeians had to represent them?

a)

The Magna Carta

b)

The Senate

c)

The 10 Tribunes

d)

The Congress

24.

What percentage of the Roman Republic or later Roman Empire were citizens?

a)

5%

b)

10%

c)

25%

d)

36%

e)

45%

25.

What does Senatus Populusque Romanus stand for?

a)

The People and Their Founder Romulus

b)

The Senate and the People of Rome

c)

Friends, Family, and Countrymen of Rome

d)

The Senate Elected By The People of Roma

26.

How many years did a Roman soldiers have to serve before retiring?

a)

5 years

b)

10 years

c)

16 years

d)

20 years

e)

25 years

27.

What tasks might a Roman Legionary (a soldier) be expected to do? 

Select all that apply:

a)

Legionaries were expected to fight and defend Rome.

b)

Lead political conversations in the Senate.

c)

Build roads, bridges, and walls (infrastructure of Rome).

d)

They were used as the police force throughout the Republic and Empire (place outside of Italy were called provinces).

28.

What were the Roman armies called?

a)

The Roman Republican Army

b)

The Romulus Regiments

c)

Legions

d)

The Testudo

e)

Hellenistic Age Defenders 

29.

Which equipment would you expect the Roman army to use in battle? Select all that apply:

a)

Their sword (the Gladius)

b)

Their spears (the Pilum)

c)

Curved shields

d)

Chainmail or plated armor

e)

Artillery pieces like the Scorpion or Ballista

30.

What were the Roman shields made out of? What was the secret for making their shields strong?

a)

Plywood, their shields were curved

b)

Oak, made from ancient trees

c)

An early form of metal, it was forged by a new engineering technique

d)

Plywood, the grains of the wood pieces were crossed

31.

What made the Roman spear, the Pilum, different than other spears?

a)

It was lighter so it could be thrown further.

b)

It had a special Roman handle and this make it difficult for the enemy to use. 

c)

Once thrown, the spear’s shaft would be too bent to throw back.

d)

It was longer than rival spears and this made rushing the front lines deadly.

32.

How many men were typically in a Roman legion?

a)

1,000 to 1,500 men

b)

About 2,500 men

c)

3,000 men

d)

4,000 to 5,000 men

e)

10,000 men

33.

Who was the Roman the reformed the Roman army? He recruited men that were non-citizens and made being a legionary a full time job.

a)

Hannibal Barca

b)

Julius Caesar

c)

Gaius Marius

d)

Scipio

e)

Remus Romanus

34.

How did the Romans use separation of powers?

a)

They denied a majority of non-Italian peoples citizenship

b)

They divided their government into different parts, executive, legislative, and judicial branches

c)

They divided their citizens into Patricians (wealthy class) and the Plebians (working class)

d)

Each legion was separate from each other and they were loyal to the Senate and the people of Rome

35.

Why are checks and balances in a government whether in ancient times or now important?

a)

It is important as it helps prevent distrust in the government by the people

b)

It creates a society that is well structured and gives the people a voice in the government

c)

It allowed the Romans to collect taxes and this was used to build large city projects like roads, bridges, and aqueducts

d)

It prevents one man or one class from controlling the government and becoming too powerful

36.

T or F The Founding Fathers of the United States were heavily influenced by the Roman Republic and our system of government that they created was based on what the Romans had.

a)

True

b)

False

37.

About how many Senators were in the Roman Senate?

a)

10

b)

50

c)

100

d)

300

e)

753

38.

T or F Women in Roman society were equal to men

a)

True

b)

False

39.

About what percentage of the Roman Republic or later empire were slaves?

a)

1%

b)

15%

c)

25%

d)

30%

e)

50%

40.

Which rights were granted to Roman citizens? Select all that apply:

a)

Right to vote in the Republic/Empire

b)

Any child born to ancient Roman citizens, who were legally married, was given citizenship as well

c)

The right to a trial through the court system

d)

Romans could not be tortured and could only be sentenced to death if they committed treason (betraying one’s country) and was found guilty by a proper ancient Roman court

41.

How many Punic Wars were there?

a)

Only 1 war

b)

2 wars

c)

3 wars

d)

5 wars

e)

7 wars

42.

Who wins the Punic Wars?

a)

Rome

b)

Carthage

c)

A draw (meaning neither side won)

d)

Both sides won different wars

43.

The civilization of Carthage were descendants of

a)

The Greeks

b)

Persia

c)

The Phoenicians

d)

Egypt

e)

Gaul

44.

What did Carthage and Rome have in common?

a)

Cities were founded by legendary figures

b)

A monarchy ruled at the start

c)

A republic eventually replaced the monarchy

d)

Had legislative bodies called the Senate

e)

Were polytheistic

45.

Who was the legendary founder of this Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia and established in 814 BC)?

a)

Hannibal

b)

Spartacus

c)

Dido

d)

Seti I

e)

Priam

46.

What clever technique did Dido use to get more land for her new city (which would become Carthage)?

a)

She called on the gods to help defend her people and they carved Carthage from the land after this.

b)

She cut the ox hide that was given to her into strips and claimed more land than what was expected

c)

Dido recommended the tribes visit Tyre. When they did, she had them arrested until they agreed to rent land to her

d)

She acted like a goddess and asked the locals for parcels of land

47.

What were the Carthaginians originally known for? This helped them create their empire.

a)

Strong government

b)

Their military

c)

Their ability to trade

d)

Their friendship with the ancient Greeks

e)

Their ability to develop new technologies

48.

What was the capital city of Carthage?

a)

Dido

b)

Carthage

c)

Tyre

d)

Carthaginian

e)

Alexandria

49.

A long struggle over the island of Sicily.

a)

1st Punic War

b)

2nd Punic War

c)

3rd Punic War

d)

5th Punic War

50.

The Carthaginians attack Rome by surprisingly marching through the Alps. They win most of the key battles but end up losing the war to Rome.

a)

1st Punic War

b)

2nd Punic War

c)

3rd Punic War

d)

5th Punic War

51.

The Romans were at a disadvantage until they found abandoned Carthaginian warships, copied and innovated them for battle!

a)

1st Punic War

b)

2nd Punic War

c)

3rd Punic War

d)

5th Punic War

52.

Rome wanted to get revenge on Carthage so they provoked (started) a war. Once Rome won, they tried to erase the evidence of Carthage by destroying the cities and pouring salt into the ground.

a)

1st Punic War

b)

2nd Punic War

c)

3rd Punic War

d)

5th Punic War

53.

Hannibal leads Carthage in which war?

a)

1st Punic War

b)

2nd Punic War

c)

3rd Punic War

d)

4th Punic War

54.

Why did Hannibal never conquer the city of Rome?

a)

Rome had large city walls and effective defensive batteries

b)

He actually did conquer the city, but this was short lived as he had to leave to defend his homeland

c)

He did not have siege equipment

d)

Hannibal had several legions in his way that he was never able to beat

55.

Who creates the plan to defeat Hannibal?

a)

Gaius Marius

b)

Hamilcar

c)

Pompey the Great

d)

Scipio

e)

Remus the Redeemer

56.

Hannibal defeats a Roman army of 80,000 legionaries. Because of this victory (80,000 troops either killed or captured), Rome no longer has a trained army. What was the name of this battle?

a)

Cape Ecnomus

b)

Zama

c)

Canne

d)

Troy

e)

Salamis

57.

Hannibal’s army during the 2nd Punic War was made up of the following groups. Select all that apply:

a)

Carthaginians

b)

Gallic (from France)

c)

Romans

d)

Iberians (from Spain)

58.

How does Scipio re-build the Roman army after its destroyed at Cannae?

a)

Allowed slaves to join the military

b)

Allowed Greeks and Egyptians join

c)

Allowed criminals join the military

d)

Did not require men to own property

59.

How was Hannibal finally defeated (at the Battle of Zama)?

a)

The Romans finally surrounded him and asked him to surrender at Cannae. He refused

b)

He chose to fight with 300 of his finest men and challenged Scipio. They barely lost

c)

Carthage was being attacked and he was ordered home to defend the city. Before the main battle some of his units betrayed him, leading to his defeat

d)

Hannibal ran out of war elephants and the Romans adapted tactics to defeat them

60.

What statements are true about the Punic Wars? Select all that apply:

a)

Whoever won would control the Western Mediterranean Sea

b)

At times both sides were exhausted and near collapse due to these wars

c)

Rome never recovered from these wars and this was the end of their empire

d)

Carthage, needing money to continue fighting, had asked Egypt for a loan which was denied