Question 1

What specific function did the Roman Senate fulfill during the years of the Roman republic?

Accepted Answer

A)  It drafted and passed legislation. 
B)  It advised and consulted with the highest republican officials. 
C)  It appointed consuls and tribunals. 
D)  It had formal veto power over the decisions of the assemblies. 
A)  It drafted and passed legislation. 
B)  It advised and consulted with the highest republican officials. 
C)  It appointed consuls and tribunals. 
D)  It had formal veto power over the decisions of the assemblies.

Question 2

How did the Roman republican system ensure that consuls would have sufficient experience to fulfill their duties?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 3

Gaius Marius (c. 157-86 B.C.E.) changed Roman history when he reformed the army entrance requirements. Explain Marius's rise to power and the influence of his reform on the nature of the Roman army.

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 4

What was the cause of the Social War that took place between 91 and 87 B.C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)  Rome's Italian allies demanded unrestricted Roman citizenship. 
B)  The Senate wanted to purge the social order of marriages between Romans and foreigners. 
C)  Rome's Italian allies wanted to sever their ties with Rome and establish independent states. 
D)  The patricians in Rome tried to undermine the tribunes and bar the plebeians from the assemblies. 
A)  Rome's Italian allies demanded unrestricted Roman citizenship. 
B)  The Senate wanted to purge the social order of marriages between Romans and foreigners. 
C)  Rome's Italian allies wanted to sever their ties with Rome and establish independent states. 
D)  The patricians in Rome tried to undermine the tribunes and bar the plebeians from the assemblies.

Question 5

Freed slaves in the Roman republic could not hold elective office or serve in the army,

Accepted Answer

A)  but their children possessed citizenship without any limitations. 
B)  and often as a result they emigrated to nations that gave them more rights. 
C)  making them a dangerous source of civil discontent. 
D)  unless they accumulated enough wealth to qualify as equestrians or equites. 
A)  but their children possessed citizenship without any limitations. 
B)  and often as a result they emigrated to nations that gave them more rights. 
C)  making them a dangerous source of civil discontent. 
D)  unless they accumulated enough wealth to qualify as equestrians or equites.

Question 6

How were the violent deaths of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus a turning point in the history of the Roman republic?

Accepted Answer

A)  Their deaths broke with the traditional taboo against political violence and introduced factions into Roman politics. 
B)  Their deaths saw the end of the democratic reforms enacted during the republic, which had given commoners the majority say in political life. 
C)  Their murder at the hands of senators convinced other senators that a strong, sole ruler was needed to prevent civil war. 
D)  Their murders made the landless commoners realize that they too could dictate policy through the threat of violence. 
A)  Their deaths broke with the traditional taboo against political violence and introduced factions into Roman politics. 
B)  Their deaths saw the end of the democratic reforms enacted during the republic, which had given commoners the majority say in political life. 
C)  Their murder at the hands of senators convinced other senators that a strong, sole ruler was needed to prevent civil war. 
D)  Their murders made the landless commoners realize that they too could dictate policy through the threat of violence.

Question 7

How did the Roman elites who profited from Rome's expansion undermine traditional Roman values?

Accepted Answer

A)  By marrying wealthy foreign women and adopting their cultural norms 
B)  By using governmental posts in the provinces to extort fortunes from the local inhabitants 
C)  By creating private armies of mercenary soldiers that staged raids beyond Rome's borders 
D)  By building new temples to foreign gods to bring in wealth from believers 
A)  By marrying wealthy foreign women and adopting their cultural norms 
B)  By using governmental posts in the provinces to extort fortunes from the local inhabitants 
C)  By creating private armies of mercenary soldiers that staged raids beyond Rome's borders 
D)  By building new temples to foreign gods to bring in wealth from believers

Question 8

What factor enabled Julius Caesar to triumph in the civil war that lasted from 49 to 45 B.C.E.?

Accepted Answer

A)  His love affair with Cleopatra ensured him the support of the Ptolemaic army in Egypt, which proved indispensable in defeating Pompey. 
B)  He wielded immense popular support, and his army remained loyal even in the most difficult of times. 
C)  He succeeded in engineering the deaths of his two leading rivals, Crassus and Pompey. 
D)  His daughter, Julia, who was placed in an arranged marriage with Caesar's rival Pompey, turned against her husband and had him assassinated. 
A)  His love affair with Cleopatra ensured him the support of the Ptolemaic army in Egypt, which proved indispensable in defeating Pompey. 
B)  He wielded immense popular support, and his army remained loyal even in the most difficult of times. 
C)  He succeeded in engineering the deaths of his two leading rivals, Crassus and Pompey. 
D)  His daughter, Julia, who was placed in an arranged marriage with Caesar's rival Pompey, turned against her husband and had him assassinated.

Question 9

Why was Rome's geography perfect for territorial expansion?

Accepted Answer

A)  Rome's winters featured prolonged cold periods that killed the mosquitos that spread malaria. 
B)  Rome's location at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean meant that it could expand easily into northern and western Europe. 
C)  Located far from the active seismic zones in the Mediterranean, Rome was free of natural disasters. 
D)  Rome possessed a river, fertile farmland, and a port on the Mediterranean. 
A)  Rome's winters featured prolonged cold periods that killed the mosquitos that spread malaria. 
B)  Rome's location at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean meant that it could expand easily into northern and western Europe. 
C)  Located far from the active seismic zones in the Mediterranean, Rome was free of natural disasters. 
D)  Rome possessed a river, fertile farmland, and a port on the Mediterranean.

Question 10

How did Rome convince many of their vanquished foes in Italy to willingly accept Roman domination?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 11

The Roman concept of authority was based on the belief that

Accepted Answer

A)  in an egalitarian society, authority could be earned only through virtuous living and charity toward others. 
B)  society had to be hierarchical to be just. 
C)  emperors were the perfect embodiment of patriarchal authority. 
D)  women and men should share responsibilities and power equally. 
A)  in an egalitarian society, authority could be earned only through virtuous living and charity toward others. 
B)  society had to be hierarchical to be just. 
C)  emperors were the perfect embodiment of patriarchal authority. 
D)  women and men should share responsibilities and power equally.

Question 12

What Roman woman of the second century B.C.E. gained fame for having turned down a marriage offer from King Ptolemy VIII of Egypt and giving birth to two leading politicians, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lucretia 
B)  Cornelia 
C)  Tullia 
D)  Alexandria 
A)  Lucretia 
B)  Cornelia 
C)  Tullia 
D)  Alexandria

Question 13

Which of the following statements is supported by this map?
​
  ​

Accepted Answer

A)  In ancient Italy, Rome had very little control over territory. 
B)  Ancient Italy was largely run by the Carthaginians. 
C)  Most of ancient Italy was dominated by Roman influence. 
D)  The Gauls had a significant influence on ancient Italian culture. 
A)  In ancient Italy, Rome had very little control over territory. 
B)  Ancient Italy was largely run by the Carthaginians. 
C)  Most of ancient Italy was dominated by Roman influence. 
D)  The Gauls had a significant influence on ancient Italian culture.

Question 14

Although the Romans finally won the Punic Wars, why were the hard-won victories ultimately disastrous for the soldiers and their families?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 15

In the Roman republic, the highest officials were known as consuls. Consuls were elected each year and were expected to command the army. How did the Romans ensure that the elected consuls would be sufficiently experienced to carry out such an important task? Explain in detail.

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 16

How did the general and politician Gnaeus Pompey shatter Roman tradition?

Accepted Answer

A)  By appealing to the urban poor, whose numbers were swelling in Rome 
B)  By inflicting massive defeats upon Rome's enemies abroad 
C)  By demanding and receiving a consulship long before he had reached the legal age 
D)  By providing support for Sulla 
A)  By appealing to the urban poor, whose numbers were swelling in Rome 
B)  By inflicting massive defeats upon Rome's enemies abroad 
C)  By demanding and receiving a consulship long before he had reached the legal age 
D)  By providing support for Sulla

Question 17

This map of the Roman roads demonstrates what about the Roman republic around 110 B.C.E.?
​
  ​

Accepted Answer

A)  The republic functioned with a series of large nodes in its road systems. 
B)  Major seaports dotted Italy at this time period. 
C)  Romans, despite impressive engineering feats, could not develop effective bridges. 
D)  All roads led to Rome, the economic, political, and cultural capital. 
A)  The republic functioned with a series of large nodes in its road systems. 
B)  Major seaports dotted Italy at this time period. 
C)  Romans, despite impressive engineering feats, could not develop effective bridges. 
D)  All roads led to Rome, the economic, political, and cultural capital.

Question 18

The expansion of Rome increased the disparity between rich and poor because the elites gained wealth and increased their estates through the spoils of war, while the soldiers, all of whom were small landholders, were unable to maintain their farms while they were away at war and often lost their land altogether. How did the Gracchus brothers and Gaius Marius try to remedy this situation?

Accepted Answer

Answer would ideally include the followi

Question 19

What was the most common reason for men to seek public office in the early Roman republic?

Accepted Answer

A)  To increase their wealth through government contracts 
B)  To achieve status and glory through service to the republic 
C)  To benefit from the patron-client system 
D)  To move their families into the elite ranks of the nobles 
A)  To increase their wealth through government contracts 
B)  To achieve status and glory through service to the republic 
C)  To benefit from the patron-client system 
D)  To move their families into the elite ranks of the nobles

Question 20

What was the main tactic used by the plebeians to force the patricians to make political and economic concessions?

Accepted Answer

A)  They pressured the patricians by periodically refusing to perform military service. 
B)  They invaded patrician estates and freed their slaves. 
C)  They instructed their tribunes to veto every measure that the patricians strove to pass in the Tribal Assembly. 
D)  They rioted, destroying a significant part of the Roman forum. 
A)  They pressured the patricians by periodically refusing to perform military service. 
B)  They invaded patrician estates and freed their slaves. 
C)  They instructed their tribunes to veto every measure that the patricians strove to pass in the Tribal Assembly. 
D)  They rioted, destroying a significant part of the Roman forum.

Exam 5: The Rise of Rome and Its Republic, 753-44 B.C.E

What specific function did the Roman Senate fulfill during the years of the Roman republic?

How did the Roman republican system ensure that consuls would have sufficient experience to fulfill their duties?

Gaius Marius (c. 157-86 B.C.E.) changed Roman history when he reformed the army entrance requirements. Explain Marius's rise to power and the influence of his reform on the nature of the Roman army.

What was the cause of the Social War that took place between 91 and 87 B.C.E.?

Freed slaves in the Roman republic could not hold elective office or serve in the army,

How were the violent deaths of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus a turning point in the history of the Roman republic?

How did the Roman elites who profited from Rome's expansion undermine traditional Roman values?

What factor enabled Julius Caesar to triumph in the civil war that lasted from 49 to 45 B.C.E.?

Why was Rome's geography perfect for territorial expansion?

How did Rome convince many of their vanquished foes in Italy to willingly accept Roman domination?

The Roman concept of authority was based on the belief that

What Roman woman of the second century B.C.E. gained fame for having turned down a marriage offer from King Ptolemy VIII of Egypt and giving birth to two leading politicians, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus?

Which of the following statements is supported by this map? ​ ​

Although the Romans finally won the Punic Wars, why were the hard-won victories ultimately disastrous for the soldiers and their families?

In the Roman republic, the highest officials were known as consuls. Consuls were elected each year and were expected to command the army. How did the Romans ensure that the elected consuls would be sufficiently experienced to carry out such an important task? Explain in detail.

How did the general and politician Gnaeus Pompey shatter Roman tradition?

This map of the Roman roads demonstrates what about the Roman republic around 110 B.C.E.? ​ ​

What was the most common reason for men to seek public office in the early Roman republic?

What was the main tactic used by the plebeians to force the patricians to make political and economic concessions?

Early Western Civilization, 400,000-1000 B.C.E

Near East Empires and the Reemergence of Civilization in Greece, 1000-500 B.C.E

The Greek Golden Age, C 500-C 400 B.C.E

From the Classical to the Hellenistic World, 400-30 B.C.E

The Creation of the Roman Empire, 44 B.C.E-284 C.E

The Transformation of the Roman Empire, 284-600 C.E

The Heirs of Rome: Islam, Byzantium, and Europe, 600-750

From Centralization to Fragmentation, 750-1050

Commercial Quickening and Religious Reform, 1050-1150

The Flowering of the Middle Ages, 1150-1215

The Medieval Synthesis and Its Cracks, 1215-1340

Crisis and Renaissance, 1340-1492

Global Encounters and the Shock of the Reformation, 1492-1560

Wars of Religion and the Clash of Worldviews, 1560-1648

Absolutism, Constitutionalism, and the Search for Order, 1640-1700

The Atlantic System and Its Consequences, 1700-1750

The Promise of Enlightenment, 1750-1789

The Cataclysm of Revolution, 1789-1799

Napoleon and the Revolutionary Legacy, 1800-1830

Industrialization and Social Ferment, 1830-1850

Politics and Culture of the Nation-State, 1850-1870

Empire, Industry, and Everyday Life, 1870-1890

Modernity and the Road to War, 1890-1914

World War I and Its Aftermath, 1914-1929

The Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945

The Cold War and the Remaking of Europe, 1945-1960s

Postindustrial Society and the End of the Cold War Order, 1960s-1989

A New Globalism, 1989 to the Present

Filters

Which of the following statements is supported by this map?

This map of the Roman roads demonstrates what about the Roman republic around 110 B.C.E.?