SOL Quiz 11

ROME I

1. Greece and Rome differed from earlier civilizations of the ancient world because Greek and Roman citizens

a. believed in one rather than many gods

b. created large empires containing many national groups

c. had a voice in their government

d. prohibited slavery

Greece and Rome differed from the earlier civilizations of the ancient world because Greek and Roman citizens had a voice in their government.

2. Which modern European country occupies the homeland of the ancient Romans?

a. Germany

b. Italy

c. France

d. England

Italy is the European country that occupies the homeland of the Romans. The Roman Empire included all of France and part of England and Germany.

3. Which body of water connected Rome with North Africa and Asia?

a. Atlantic Ocean

b. Persian Gulf

c. Mediterranean Sea

d. Black Sea

The Mediterranean Sea connected Rome with North Africa and Asia. This body of water was the great highway of commerce between the cultures of Rome, Greece, Egypt, North Africa, Syria, Phoenicia, Palestine and Asia Minor.

4. The Twelve Tables were important in Rome because they

a. laid the basis for the Roman Republic

b. freed all the slaves in Rome

c. gave Rome its first written code of laws

d. gave the emperor the status of a god

The Twelve Tables (about 450 B.C.) gave Rome its first written code of laws. These laws limited the power of the patrician judges who often interpreted the unwritten laws in a way that was unfair to the plebeians.

5. What was the basic cause of the Punic Wars?

a. Rome's acceptance of Christianity

b. Carthage's invasion of Italy

c. Rome's rivalry with Carthage for control of the western

Mediterranean

d. Carthage's support for the plebeians against the patricians

The basic cause of the Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.) was Rome's rivalry with Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean.

6. As a result of the Punic Wars, Rome

a. lost its overseas empire

b. lost control over most of Italy

c. was burned to the ground

d. won control over the western Mediterranean

As a result of the Punic Wars, Rome won control over the western Mediterranean. Carthage was completely destroyed (146 B.C.) and its surviving population was sold into slavery.

7. The term "Pax Romana" refers to the period of

a. peace and prosperity during the first two centuries of the

Roman Empire

b. civil wars between Roman generals which destroyed the Republic

c. democratic government following the abolition of the Senate

d. slave revolts which weakened the Republic

The term "Pax Romana" is the name given to the period of peace and prosperity that occurred during the first two centuries of the Roman Empire.

8. Which major religion was born during a time when the Roman Empire was near its height?

a. Judaism

b. Hinduism

c. Islam

d. Christianity

Christianity was born during the 1st century A.D. at a time when the Roman Empire was reaching its height under Augustus Caesar. Judaism can trace its origins back to a period earlier than 1000 B.C., as can Hinduism.

9. Why was the Roman Empire divided in half during the 3rd century A.D.?

a. invaders had conquered the western half

b. so that land could be given to retired Roman soldiers

c. to make it easier to administer

d. to prevent a civil war between rival emperors

The Roman Empire was divided by the Emperor Diocletian about 285 A.D. to make it easier to administer. Diocletian took control of the wealthier eastern half and appointed a co-emperor to rule over the western half.

10. Which group was responsible for the destruction of the Roman Empire in the west?

a. Byzantines

b. Germanic tribes

c. Huns

d. Persians

The Germanic tribes living north of the Danube River in Europe were responsible for the destruction of the Roman Empire in the west.