Card 0 of 20
The following is taken from a speech by Cicero to the Roman Senate:
The oration then made by Marcus Antonius was an admirable one; his disposition, too, appeared excellent; and lastly, by his means and by his sons’, peace was ratified with the most illustrious of the citizens and everything else was consistent with this beginning. He invited the chief men of the state to those deliberations which he held at his own house concerning the state of the republic; he referred all the most important matters to this order. Nothing was at that time found among the papers of Caius Cæsar except what was already well known to everybody; and he gave answers to every question that was asked of him with the greatest consistency. Were any exiles restored? He said that one was, and only one. Were any immunities granted? He answered, None. He wished us even to adopt the proposition of Servius Sulpicius, 3 that most illustrious man, that no tablet purporting to contain any decree or grant of Cæsar’s should be published after the Ides of March were expired. I pass over many other things, all excellent—for I am hastening to come to a very extraordinary act of virtue of Marcus Antonius. He utterly abolished from the constitution of the republic the dictatorship, which had by this time attained to the authority of regal power. And that measure was not even offered to us for discussion. He brought with him a decree of the senate, ready drawn up, ordering what he chose to have done; and when it had been read, we all submitted to his authority in the matter with the greatest eagerness; and, by another resolution of the senate, we returned him thanks in the most honorable and complimentary language.
Based on the passage, what can be inferred about Anthony's oration?
Cicero was very much against Antony. Antony's flagrant disregard for traditional Roman political policy rubbed Cicero, as well as much of the Roman Senate, the wrong way. This would show in their thorough support of Octavian in the coming civil war.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The Twelve Tables was the earliest known attempt at establishing a legal system in __________.
The Twelve Tables were the earliest known attempt at establishing a legal system in Ancient Rome in the fifth century BCE.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of the following was NOT a part of the Roman Empire's system of government?
The correct answer is "none of the other answers" because the Roman Empire's system of government did include a Senate, two popular assemblies (comitia centuriata and tributa), magistrates, and censors.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Popular assemblies (Centuriata and Tributa) in the Roman Empire had which of the following powers?
The correct answer is "none of these". The popular assemblies in the Roman Empire lacked all legislative powers.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
How many kings did ancient Sparta have at any given time?
Sparta's dual-kingship system ensured that there was always a king in the city while also enabling one king to command military operations outside Sparta. The most notable example of this is Leonidas' presence (and subsequent death) at the Battle of Thermopylae did not sent Sparta into disarray, as his co-ruler Cleomenes still reined. In this way, both military and civil life in Sparta continued to run smoothly.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
How many Emperors were part of the Flavian dynasty?
The Flavian dynasty, which rose with Vespasian out of the Year of the Four Emperors, and was the first dynasty after the Julio-Claudians. It consisted of Vespasian and his sons, Titus and Domitian. It ended with the assassination of Domitian, which predictably led to civil war.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which Athenian leader presided over the "Golden Age" of the city?
Pericles, the city's dictator, ruled Athens at the height of the city's military and cultural influence. Both a great statesman and soldier, he is considered one of the most important figures in ancient history. Unfortunately, he was carried off by plague in 429 BC and the city was never the same.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which ancient society featured a government structured as a republic?
The Roman Republic was governed by a senate that elected government officials and created laws that dictated day to day living in the state. All power was concentrated in the elite "patrician" class and all government officials were also elected from within this elite group. This elitism led to an uprising of the lower class "plebeians," which earned them an assembly that could veto the Senate, much like the bicameral system used by the United States.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which Emperor allegedly played his violin as Rome burned?
The Great Fire of Rome of 64 AD destroyed a majority of the city, and many accused Nero himself of starting the fire in order to clear land for the new buildings and renovations he had planned for the city (including an elaborate palace for himself). While these accusations were largely unproven, the image of Nero joyfully celebrating has remained iconic in popular culture to this day.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Although many different ethno-linguistic groups inhabited the Iranian plateau, some of them living in large tribal confederacies, __________________.
The Iranian plateau is a geographic area that has always been ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous but Cyrus the Great, a Persian, was the first local to found an imperial dynasty.
The Iranian plateau has never been homogenous.
Alexander the Great did enter the area but he conquered the pre-exiting Achaemenid empire.
The Persian empire was always heterogeneous; although over time some tribal groups were suppressed, homogeneity was never an ideological goal of the empire which sought to rule the whole world.
The Ottomans existed thousands of years after the Achaemenid empire had already fallen, and Cyrus the Great was not installed by any foreign power.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Cyrus the Great is remembered for __________.
Cyrus the Great is remembered as the founder of the Persian Empire. Cyrus ruled from 559 BCE until 530 BCE and laid the foundations for the subsequent growth of the Persian Empire.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
In the Persian Empire of Darius I what were satraps?
Darius I is often remembered as the great administrator of the Persian Empire. It was during his rule that satraps emerged. Satraps were provincial governors, given control over satrapies (districts/provinces). This allowed Darius I to control a large empire without having to directly oversee each individual province.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which Greek city is usually referred as the first democracy?
While not a democracy in the modern sense, Athens allowed citizens to cast votes that determined who held public office; however, as in most early or proto-democracies the definition of citizen was very stringent; a citizen had to be a free, male landowner. Democracy was also not a perpetual state of affairs in the city; it slipped in and out of dictatorship and oligarchy.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Formed after the Battle of Plataea, which organization was founded to continue fighting the Persians?
The Delian League was founded by Athens to continue fighting the Persians. Eventually, Athenian handling of the league led to the Peloponnesian War. After the war, the Delian League was disbanded and most of its members joined the Peloponnesian League.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of these most accurately describes the term polis?
A polis is the name given to a city-state in Ancient Greece. Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, and Thessaloniki are all examples of polis’.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
Which of these statements best describes the changes made to the Roman Republic as a result of the actions of Lucius Sulla?
Lucius Sulla led an armed march on the city of Rome during the Roman Civil Wars and had himself crowned as emperor. His actions would eventually contribute to the decline of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, but the initial consequences were that the Roman Republic became far more conservative as power was further concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The ancient Athenian Solon is primarily remembered for __________.
Solon was a notable Athenian statesman and reformer who lived in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. He is primarily remembered for the legal reforms that he encouraged which are often credited with laying the foundation for the development of Athenian democracy. Solon restructured Athenian law in an attempt to correct the moral and political decline of Athens and to prevent tyrannical rule.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The ancient Athens Pericles is known for __________.
Pericles is probably the most famous and esteemed statesman of ancient Athenian society. He lived in the fifth century BCE. The time of Pericles, between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, is often referred to as the Golden Age of Athens. Pericles encouraged the growth of Athenian democracy and expanded the electorate; he promoted the growth of arts and literature; he organized the renovation of Athens’ ancient monuments, like the acropolis; and he contributed to the defense of the city from Spartan invasion.
Compare your answer with the correct one above
What was the role of tribunes in the Roman Republic?
Tribunes were elected officials in the ancient Roman Republic. The role of tribunes was to protect the interest of the plebeians (lower class) and act as a check on the power of the Roman Senate (which primarily served the interests of the aristocracy).
Compare your answer with the correct one above
The Persian ruler Darius I is most often remembered __________.
Darius I is one of the most famous rulers of the classical Persian Empire. He ruled over a vast territory and is most often remembered for his efficient administration, his bureaucratic reforms, and his improvements in internal infrastructure - including the construction of the Persian Royal Road and the establishment of a postal service.
Compare your answer with the correct one above