Ancient Rome Trivia

Saft · **Reply #20 on:** July 01, 2010, 01:16:29 PM

Seven hills of Roma:
Capitoline was the most important of the hills as it had the forum for example (so ie: centre), Palatine and Aventine (running between them is the Circus Maximus) then there are the Caelian, Equiline, Viminal and finally the Quirinal.

Malte279 · **Reply #21 on:** July 01, 2010, 05:24:34 PM

That's right. Your turn Katie

Noname · **Reply #22 on:** July 02, 2010, 07:11:54 AM

Just to let you know, I just checked both, and they are in fact, correct. Good job, everyone. And yes, it is her turn.

Saft · **Reply #23 on:** July 02, 2010, 01:06:08 PM

^
I'm glad they are right, otherwise I would have to rethink what I'd like to take for university.

Okay question time...erm...
Bit of an easy one...I think..but what date was the last western emperor (of Rome) deposed?

Noname · **Reply #24 on:** July 02, 2010, 10:58:37 PM

September 4th, 476. At least, in the West. It was understood that the Empire was not dead, just transferred to the East.

Saft · **Reply #25 on:** July 04, 2010, 06:29:57 AM

Yeah....your turn Noname.

Noname · **Reply #26 on:** July 04, 2010, 07:34:18 PM

What were the 12 divisions of the Roman Empire called under Emperor Diocletian.

Hint: I'm looking for a one-word answer.

Saft · **Reply #27 on:** July 13, 2010, 11:15:44 AM

Not sure if this is absolutely correct on what you are looking for but are they the Dioceses?

Noname · **Reply #28 on:** September 11, 2010, 11:17:04 AM

Correct! At the late part of the empire, one state was divided into two main imperial divisions, Eastern Roman and Western Roman (the latter fell in 476 AD, the latter in 1453 AD), and each of those was divided into two parts, so that there were 4 emperors as a whole. This was called a Tetrarchy, from the Greek word "tetra", meaning "four."

To make matters more confusing, each of the four divisions had three dioceses, making for 12 in all. Underneath all of THAT were the provinces, whose numbers Diocletian had increased to something like 100. Altogether, it was a complex, archaic, confusing, and ultimately doomed system which attempted to keep the warlords who effectively ran the empire together, keeping it in "one" piece for another couple of centuries. If there was anything "good" about this arrangement, it is that it gave Europe the concept of vassalage, which, while not a good thing in itself, did provide a foundation for at least some expected order, even when proper government failed.

Your turn, Saft.

Nick22 · **Reply #29 on:** September 23, 2010, 10:34:42 PM

Mind if i give it a stab. How did the Coliseum get its name?

Malte279 · **Reply #30 on:** September 24, 2010, 04:11:17 AM

It got that name only quite a while after it had been built (not quite sure but I think the name came up as late as the middle ages). It was named after a nearby "colossal" statue of a former Roman empire (not a hundred percent certain, but I think that statue depicted Nero). Before that renaming it had simply been referred to as the "Amphitheatrum novum" (new amphitheater) or "Amphitheatrum Flavium" (after the dynasty of the Flavians which included Vespasian who had ordered the building of the Colosseum).

Noname · **Reply #31 on:** September 24, 2010, 04:16:26 AM

Absolutely correct, Malte, although I thought it was Saft's turn. Still, if she is not here, and since you are willing to participate, you can go next. Feel free to ask away.

And yes, it was the megalomaniac emperor Nero.

EDIT: Forgot to add the "s."

Malte279 · **Reply #32 on:** September 24, 2010, 04:41:59 AM

Sticking to Colosseum related questions, what little story and famous quote is related to it and to the odor of currency?

Noname · **Reply #33 on:** September 24, 2010, 05:16:33 AM

Does this have to do with the taxes levied by Vespasian, who was the emperor who built the Colosseum? One of his taxes was on public urinals in the city of Rome. :blink:

When asked by his son about how undignified a toilet tax was, the emperor asked him to smell a coin that came from the odd source of revenue, and when Titus, his son, replied that it had no odor, Vespasian said:

"Pecunia non olet" meaning "Money does not smell."

I think that is it. Not sure about the quote.

Malte279 · **Reply #34 on:** September 24, 2010, 05:49:00 AM

Right

It is not absolutely certain what exactly Vespasian said. Some reports have him hold some coins under his son's nose just saying "Non olet!" with the "pecunia" being added to the quote when the context is not so clear.
Your turn Noname.

Saft · **Reply #35 on:** September 24, 2010, 06:40:10 AM

^
It's fine, it doesn't matter. I'm rather used to it by now anyway. I was going to ask a question but it's probably not interesting or anything...I'll save it to ask another time if I get another question correct..so you can just continue on this chain..and bypass me.

(Also, I'm female....I don't know whether that was a typing error).

Nick22 · **Reply #36 on:** September 24, 2010, 11:07:05 PM

my apologies to you saft. you can ask a question the next time someone takes awhile to respond.

Saft · **Reply #37 on:** February 06, 2011, 03:55:16 PM

*Bump*
I have a question that will be considered a little lengthy in the requirement for the answer but WHY was Julius Caesar killed?