Ancient Rome Quiz 4
Which of the following statements about Augustus's early rule is FALSE? -Augustus had governorship of provinces that tended to be garrisoned, making him commander of the vast bulk of the Roman army. -The result of Augustus's military policies was to transform the Roman army into a permanent frontier force, physically separating the soldiers from Rome. -Though others began to refer to Augustus as "princeps," he himself called the collection of duties that the Senate delegated, and the people confirmed, his "statio," a term that evoked the image of a man on guard duty to protect the state from chaos. -Augustus had very little interest in continuing expansion of the borders of Rome's territory, and instead preferred to work on internal social and political issues.
Augustus had very little interest in continuing expansion of the borders of Rome's territory, and instead preferred to work on internal social and political issues.
Who were the members of the Second Triumvirate?
Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian
Which of the following statements concerning the rise of the Roman autocracy is FALSE? -The Roman Republic fell because the self-interest of the ruling class prevented it from adapting fast enough to the changing environment that stemmed from the acquisition of the empire. -The growth of the empire had made it necessary to have some mechanism for creating longer-serving officials than had previously been the case. -The Republic fell even though government did its best to help the average Italian, both before and after citizenship, both in Italy and in the provinces. -Later Republican officials dominated politics because they were able to exploit the traditions of popular politics and doctrine of popular sovereignty to create extra-constitutional positions to deal with the empire, but outside the senatorial class few supported the idea of government simply by the Senate and people.
The Republic fell even though government did its best to help the average Italian, both before and after citizenship, both in Italy and in the provinces.
The tribune Clodius:
Introduced a law stating that any man who had put a Roman citizen to death without a trial should be put to death—but the law applied only to Cicero
Which of the following statements about Julius Caesar is FALSE? -Julius Caesar was unwilling to accept anyone who would submit to his service, preferring instead to build his base through terror tactics alone. -Julius Caesar's conquests and alliances laid the foundation for the growth of a provincial society in which Gallic leaders gradually adopted forms of Roman culture that enabled ever greater communication with, and ultimately membership of, the Roman governing class. -Julius Caesar provoked a war against the Germanic king Ariovistus after his defeat of the Helvetians, despite Ariovistus previously being deemed a friend and ally. -During his years of conquest in Gaul, Caesar amassed a fortune and a loyal network of dependents and extremely skilled warriors that was effectively independent of oversight.
Julius Caesar was unwilling to accept anyone who would submit to his service, preferring instead to build his base through terror tactics alone.
Which of the following was NOT a pillar of the Augustan regime? -The promise of dignified jobs for loyal members of the governing class, with some respect for their opinions -The care and feeding of the population of Rome -A continued program of chronic expansion and conquest intended to last well beyond Augustus's rule -The loyalty of the army to the princeps
A continued program of chronic expansion and conquest intended to last well beyond Augustus's rule
Which of the following did NOT happen at the funeral for Julius Caesar? -A funeral procession through Rome -A peaceful commemoration of the Dictator-for-Life and consul Caesar's life -A fiery speech by Antony, in which he displayed the bloody garment Caesar had been wearing when he was murdered and a wax effigy displaying Caesar's wounds -A riot in which the body in the forum was burned and the assassin's houses were attacked
A peaceful commemoration of the Dictator-for-Life and consul Caesar's life
Which of the following was NOT a part of the Roman conquest of Britain? -The revolt of the British chieftain Caratacus -A ready conquest and occupation of the majority of the island in only a few years -The revolt of the Iceni, led by Boudicca -The establishment of a provincial governorship that consolidated Roman control
A ready conquest and occupation of the majority of the island in only a few years
Which of the following was NOT a sign that the government of the Republic was losing control of its own foreign policy? -All of these answers are correct. -The restoration of King Ptolemy XIII to the Egyptian throne by the governor of Syria -Crassus's attack on the Parthian Empire -Caesar's operations in Gaul
All of these answers are correct.
How did Octavian gain sole power of the Roman state? -Octavian's army defeated Antony's forces at Actium, leaving Octavian the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. -He entered Rome at the head of an armed guard, marched into the Senate house, seated himself between the consults, and proclaimed his continuing authority as head of state. -All of these are actions that Octavian accomplished in his drive to obtain sole supreme governmental control over the Roman state. -He produced what he claimed was a copy of Antony's will, which said that Antony intended to move the Roman capital to Alexandria, and the consuls fled to Egypt; he then used that crisis to gain additional supreme authority from the Senate.
All of these are actions that Octavian accomplished in his drive to obtain sole supreme governmental control over the Roman state.
What was the general Roman view of government following the death of Augustus? -Diverse groups within Roman society each developed their own reasons for wishing to maintain the Augustan system—even after the upheaval of Nero's rule and the eighteen months that followed. -Despite the fac that none of Augustus's successors possessed strong administrative skills, causing various types of disruptions, the strength of the Augustan system meant that the functions of the state continued essentially unaffected. -Though there was one proposal to eradicate the imperial structures established under Augustus, it was never seriously considered. -All of these responses are accurate.
All of these responses are accurate.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
Although the Augustan regime's ability to govern remained relatively stable, the later years of Augustus's rule were characterized by personal and dynastic disruptions.
Which of the following was NOT a sign of the split between Caesar's supporters and Antony after Caesar's death? -Resentments generated by the public reading of Caesar's will, by which Caesar left lavish gifts to the Roman people and adopted Octavian as his heir -Antony's blocking of Octavian's adoption, while failing to deal with the assassins -Antony joining Lepidus and the assassins for dinner a few days after Caesar's death -Antony's exploitation of a decree confirmed the day Caesar died that gave legal force to Caesar's unpublished decisions, allowing Antony to claim that his decisions were really those of Caesar
Antony joining Lepidus and the assassins for dinner a few days after Caesar's death
Which of the following statements about Augustus's policies is FALSE? -Augustus reduced the army by more than 50% to a permanent force of twenty-eight legions, or about 150,000 men, with supporting auxiliaries of cavalry, archers, and other lightly-armed infantry. -Augustus received both his name "Augustus" and the governorship of a number of provinces, which were directly administered by legates who were either former praetors or former consuls. -Augustus resettled demobilized troops on confiscated land in Italy, which generated difficulties about land tenure and limited space. -Augustus retained two important powers associated with the tribunes of the plebs: personal sacrosanctity and the right to veto legislation.
Augustus resettled demobilized troops on confiscated land in Italy, which generated difficulties about land tenure and limited space.
Which of the following observations about Augustus is FALSE? -Under Augustus's early rule, the world was divided between "Restored Republic" and "civil war." -Augustus respected the traditional status of the Senate, took care to entertain and feed the people of Rome, looked after the army, defended the provinces from outside attack, ensured that the laws had force, and honored the gods. -Augustus ruled at the head of a victorious coalition. -Augustus summarily executed all former enemies and refused to show mercy to any who asked.
Augustus summarily executed all former enemies and refused to show mercy to any who asked.
hich of the following was NOT a vehicle of Augustan ideological expression? -Patronage of poets, who were permitted to express dissenting opinions as long as they stopped well short of the type of free speech allowed under prior generations, and whose works showed a confident incorporation of Greek cultural heritage -Augustus's building of a new forum centered around a temple to Mars the Avenger -Augustus's building of the new Senate house, or Curia Julia -Augustus's repair of the extensive Roman road system
Augustus's repair of the extensive Roman road system
Which of the following was NOT a success of Augustus? -Ending a civil war -Ensuring the basic comfort of his people -Balancing private happiness with public success -Demonstrating the point that the Roman state ran better with a chief executive
Balancing private happiness with public success
Why is it so difficult to get a clear view of what happened at Actium in 31 BCE?
Because all the evidence that survives comes from sources controlled by Octavian
Why was Augustus granted imperium maius?
Because he needed to be able to govern his provincial territories without the consulship, which he had laid down
Which of the following statements about Julius Caesar is TRUE?
Caesar lived an incredibly scandalous private life in the 70s and 60s BCE, including being accused of sleeping with numerous men and women even if they were married.
Which of the following was NOT a resentment that contributed to the assassination of Julius Caesar? -Caesar's adoption of his nephew Octavian as his heir -Caesar's decision to regularize the calendar -Caesar's apparent attraction to royal status instead of republican office -Caesar's determination to invade the Parthian Empire to avenge Crassus's death
Caesar's adoption of his nephew Octavian as his heir
Which of the following statements about the rule of Caligula is FALSE? -Caligula was very popular and was greeted with enormous enthusiasm, which he rewarded with a series of chariot races, plays, and gladiatorial shows. -Caligula lacked experience in collective decision-making due to his upbringing in the company of the sons of eastern client-kings, and he thought that power was exercised by telling people what to do while generally doing whatever he liked. -Caligula executed the praetorian prefect who might have modulated his behavior, and then began to suggest that he was a god while refusing to rein in those of his party who routinely sexually assaulted upper-class female guests. -Caligula had a long political track record and a legal position nearly equivalent to that of his predecessor when he took office.
Caligula had a long political track record and a legal position nearly equivalent to that of his predecessor when he took office.
Which of the following observations about Catullus's poetry is FALSE? -Catullus's poetry makes plain that Catullus admired Cicero and despised Caesar—at least until they were reconciled over lunch. -Catullus's poetry reveals that Catullus had little interest in Greek styles of verse. -Catullus's poetry provides interesting insight into contemporary Rome particularly because he names, praises, and sometimes skewers political and literary figures of his day. -Catullus's poetry suggests that he had a fairly scandalous affair with the sister of the man who attempted to seduce Caesar's wife.
Catullus's poetry reveals that Catullus had little interest in Greek styles of verse.
Which of the following observations about Cicero is FALSE? -Cicero was bilingual, equally fluent in Latin and Greek. -Cicero was a well-known author of guides on oratory, political theory, philosophy, and poetry. -Cicero's political theory and philosophy was completely original, without any recourse to Greek antecedents. -Cicero was particularly well known for his rhetorical skill.
Cicero's political theory and philosophy was completely original, without any recourse to Greek antecedents.
Which of the following observations about Claudius is FALSE? -As time passed, problems within Claudius's household began to overshadow his generally effective governmental administration—including an estrangement from his wife that eventually led to her summary execution. -Claudius was deeply educated but had no real experience in collective decision-making and didn't really get along with the senators. -Claudius ruled for thirteen years, during which he lived down to all of the worst expectations of his enemies. -Claudius kept the army happy, improved the welfare of the people at Rome by reconstructing the port at the mouth of the Tiber, and applied new rules for determining who was a Roman citizen using a "cultural" rather than a "biological" definition.
Claudius ruled for thirteen years, during which he lived down to all of the worst expectations of his enemies.
Which of the following was NOT a public works project Augustus undertook as a means of providing contact between the princeps and the people of Rome? -Enhancing the Circus Maximus -Constructing the first permanent amphitheater for gladiatorial shows -Building a huge new theater in the name of his deceased nephew, Marcellus -Completing the forum dedicated to Venus that had been begun by Julius Caesar
Completing the forum dedicated to Venus that had been begun by Julius Caesar
Which of the following was NOT an Augustan reform? -Emergence of a senatorial career, with real jobs people could hold after their one-year magistracies—jobs like commanding legions or governing provinces -Establishment of a new treasury to guarantee retirement bonuses to soldiers who had completed twenty years of service -Establishment of a considerably-increased standing army -Creation of structures to separate soldiers from their generals, making them dependent upon the emperor for their retirement packages
Establishment of a considerably-increased standing army
Which of the following statements about Caesar—once he had taken up political power in Rome again—is FALSE? -He failed to take into account the impression his strongly-centralized style of governance would have on the elites of Rome. -He successfully reformed the Roman grain distribution system, released thousands of soldiers with grants of land that were purchased rather than confiscated, and made practical arrangements to settle many poor Romans. -He expected to be able to give orders and have them obeyed, rather than having the ability to listen and govern as a member of the group. -He personally conducted business that should have been undertaken by the Senate, ignored the members of the ruling class, and accepted the dictatorship in perpetuity even though the wars were over.
He successfully reformed the Roman grain distribution system, released thousands of soldiers with grants of land that were purchased rather than confiscated, and made practical arrangements to settle many poor Romans.
With which of the following was Nero MOST thoroughly engaged? -Proving his skill as a charioteer -Proving his skill as a diplomat
NOT -Proving his abilities on the battlefield -Proving his political acumen
Which of the following terms came, between 59 BCE and 70 CE, to mean a man endowed with extraordinary legal powers that enabled him to govern the Roman state?
Princeps
Which of the following observations about Octavian's rise to sole power is FALSE? -Octavian, like Antony, had a distinct fondness for overindulging in alcohol, but Octavian handled his liquor much better than Antony did, resulting in less scandal. -Octavian gained increasing support from Roman elites for taking care of business, bringing a semblance of order to government in Italy, while Antony spent his time in drinking and scandal with Cleopatra. -Octavian stopped settling veterans on confiscated land, improved public services in Rome, and made sure that people had enough to eat. -Octavian became involved with a married woman, leading both to get a divorce and then marry each other—but their union seems to have been ideal thereafter.
Octavian, like Antony, had a distinct fondness for overindulging in alcohol, but Octavian handled his liquor much better than Antony did, resulting in less scandal.
Which of the following did NOT lead Caesar to invade Italy? -The Senate asking Pompey to raise an army -Pompey serving as the sole consul -The Senate expelling the tribunes who supported Caesar from Rome -The Senate passing an "ultimate decree" similar to the one first passed against Gaius Gracchus
Pompey serving as the sole consul
Which of the following was NOT a political or military power Augustus possessed? -Right to veto laws -Right to claim title and office of minister -Right to summon assemblies of the people to vote on laws, as well as to summon meetings of the Senate -Right to bear aid to a Roman citizen who felt oppressed by the actions of the state
Right to claim title and office of minister
Against whom did Augustus launch a politically-useful conquest early in his rule, succeeding well enough to be able to claim he'd solved a problem to Rome that was more than 150 years old despite falling ill himself during the campaign?
Spain
Which of the following statements about the failure of the Republic is FALSE? -The bonds linking the Senate and people of Rome with the army were very weak from at least the age of the Social War. -The change in government from a Republic to an autocracy was solely a feature of the age of Caesar and Augustus. -The institutions of government in Rome were clearly insufficient to accommodate the enlarged citizen body of Rome's new territories. -The fact that the government of the Republic never developed institutions that could promote widespread loyalty to itself was a sign of the inherent weakness of a senatorial administration whose tendency was to oppose any sort of change that could upset the status quo.
The change in government from a Republic to an autocracy was solely a feature of the age of Caesar and Augustus.
Which of the following statements about the empire after the death of Nero is FALSE? -The continuation of the principate and its institutional frameworks was considered to be in serious jeopardy for almost two years. -Galba was killed in the middle of the forum, while his successor Otho committed suicide after his army was defeated by another claimant to the throne. -The eighteen months following the death of Nero saw four emperors, a palace coup, and two civil wars. -Vitellius, the son of Claudius's closest senatorial associate, gained the control of the Rhine legions, defeated the man whom the praetorian guard declared "princeps," and was recognized as "princeps" himself—until forced to surrender by Vespasian
The continuation of the principate and its institutional frameworks was considered to be in serious jeopardy for almost two years..
What event dealt the FIRST blow to the union between Caesar and Pompey?
The death of Caesar's daughter, who was also Pompey's wife
A system of succession was developed to determine those who would follow Augustus that was based on:
The familiar Roman principle of collegiality, in which Augustus named a successor but also promoted the careers of his stepsons
Which of the following was NOT an exceptional step taken by the Roman state between Republic and Empire? -The law granting Julius Caesar his five-year command in 59 BCE -The election of Pompey as his sole consul in 52 BCE -The law eradicating all republican institutions -The passage of a law granting the powers of a principate on Caligula in 37 BCE
The law eradicating all republican institutions
Which of the following observations about the tenure of the Second Triumvirate is FALSE? -Because there wasn't enough money to pay the troops, the triumvirs instituted a proscription which, among other things, resulted in the summary execution of 3,000+ Roman elites, including Cicero. -There was immediate agreement that the triumvirs should automatically provide the replacement for Caesar. -The anxiety and constant fear of common Romans without a connection to the regime resulted in a breakdown in normal human relationships and the sense of mutual obligation that had been at the heart of Roman social relations for centuries -The Caesarean faction became represented by the triumvirs while their opposition faction was led by the assassins.
There was immediate agreement that the triumvirs should automatically provide the replacement for Caesar.
Which of the following is NOT true of Tiberius's reign? -Tiberius had serious doubts about both of his living potential heirs in the last years of his life. -Tiberius seems to have grown tired of governing, and he left Rome in 26 CE to take up residence in a villa on Capri, leaving much of the day-to-day affairs of state to someone else. -Some long-serving provincial governors lapsed into incompetence, including Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judaea, who was dismissed in 36 CE. -Tiberius had no complications in establishing who would be his successor.
Tiberius had no complications in establishing who would be his successor.
One of the important themes of Augustus's regime was that he claimed:
To have restored the proper relationship between Rome and its gods, a relationship seen as damaged by the impiety of the previous generation
What was the defining moment of the war between Caesar and Pompey?
When Caesar released the civilians of the garrison at Corfinium instead of conscripting them—including many leaders of the political opposition
