Name: ________________________________
Ancient Rome Unit Test
1. Who first ruled early Rome?
A. Etruscan kings
B. military consuls
C. Roman senators
D. plebeian assemblies
2. In the Roman Republic, patricians referred to
A. every adult male citizen.
B. everyone except slaves.
C. wealthy landowning families.
D. people with Greek ancestors.
3. Why were plebeians unhappy when the Roman Republic was
first set up?
A. They had lost the right to vote.
B. They preferred living in an empire.
C. They had no say in making the laws.
D. They preferred being ruled by a king.
4. Who set up the Roman Republic?
A. plebeians
B. patricians
C. Greek settlers
D. Etruscan princes
5. How did plebeians serve the republic during its early years?
A. as priests
B. as soldiers
C. as foreign advisers
D. as government officials
6. In the Roman Republic, who might have spoken these words?
“I was elected to the group that holds most of the power. I will
keep this office all my life. I help make laws and serve as a judge.”
A. a scribe
B. a consul
C. a tribune
D. a senator
7. What was one major job of the consuls?
A. to command the army
B. to choose the lawmakers
C. to perform religious rituals
D. to construct public buildings
8. What was a result of the Conflict of the Orders?
A. Plebeians lost the right to vote.
B. Patricians gave up some power.
C. Romans defeated the Greek navy.
D. Etruscans won control over Rome.
9. How could a Roman become a tribune?
A. have a consul appoint him
B. win the favor of the senators
C. inherit the job from his father
D. get the plebeians to elect him
10. The power of the tribunes increased when they gained the
right to
A. make laws for the plebeians.
B. appoint a special dictator.
C. lead the army in wartime.
D. veto actions by the Senate.
11. Why did the plebeians want laws to be written?
A. so the patricians could not change laws whenever they wished
B. so their land would be protected by the government
C. so the government could not pass new laws too quickly
D. so their children could learn to read in Roman schools
12. Why are both the Roman Republic and the United States
today considered republics?
A. All the citizens vote directly on all the laws.
B. Any citizen can voice an opinion about the laws.
C. The people give a leader the right to veto some laws.
D. The people elect representatives to make laws for them.
13. What could a foreign visitor to Rome expect to see in the
Forum?
A. a track for chariot races
B. a central gathering place
C. a wealthy country house
D. a site of fights with lions
14. What was a common way to become a Roman slave?
A. having skill at a craft
B. doing poorly in school
C. being captured in a war
D. losing a political election
15. Why did the Roman emperors give the poor “bread and
circuses”?
A. so the poor would not rebel
B. so the poor could learn to read
C. so the poor would not eat meat
D. so the poor could make more money
16. What is one example of the rule of law in the Roman Empire?
A. The emperor had to obey the Senate.
B. Senators carried an ax to protect themselves.
C. The punishments were the same for rich and poor.
D. Any Roman could accuse someone of a crime.
17. Who made the decisions at Roman trials?
A. a jury
B. a senator
C. the victim
D. the emperor
18. Why would a Roman family throw a small cake into the fire?
A. They considered burned cakes a treat.
B. They did not have enough wood to use as fuel.
C. They thought only large cakes were worth eating.
D. They were making an offering to the goddess of the hearth.
19. When did a man become a paterfamilias?
A. when he got married
B. when his own father died
C. when he became a grandfather
D. when he gave his toys to the gods
20. The poor often ate food that was
A. bought at "fast-food" shops.
B. prepared for them by slaves.
C. cooked in their kitchen at home.
D. from a fancy, expensive market.
21. Where would one most likely see the foods listed below?
• mice cooked in honey
• roasted parrots stuffed with dates
• salted jellyfish
• snails dipped in milk
A. in a major offering to the gods
B. at a poor Roman's breakfast
C. at a wealthy Roman's dinner
D. in the stands at a chariot race
28. Which of these made the empire harder to defend as it
grew?
A. slow communication
B. diminishing resources
C. variety of conflicting laws
D. revolts by prosperous colonies
29. In the later empire, why did large numbers of Roman small
farmers move to the cities?
A. They could sell more food by moving closer to the markets.
B. They knew jobs were available for all who wanted to work.
C. They could not compete with large landowners who had
slaves.
D. They felt that cities were safer and more secure.
30. What protected the borders of the Roman Empire?
A. treaties
B. soldiers
C. wild lions
D. wood fences
31. Study this timeline. Which event belongs on the blank line?
22. Why was the home of a wealthy Roman unlikely to burn
down?
A. It had a chimney.
B. It did not have kitchen.
C. It had small rooms.
D. It was built of stone.
200 C.E. Height of the Roman Empire
330 C.E. __________________________
410 C.E. Germanic tribe attacks city of
Rome
476 C.E. Fall of Rome in the west
23. What was a typical home for a poor Roman city-dweller?
A. a villa outside the city walls
B. a house made of mud bricks
C. a large room with thick walls
D. an apartment in a tall building
A. The Roman capital moves to Byzantium.
B. The Praetorian Guard is dissolved.
C. The Romans develop the alphabet.
D. The Romans conquer Gaul.
24. Which of these teens might have been a student in ancient
Rome?
A. a slave girl training to be a midwife
B. a rich boy studying leatherworking
C. a 16-year-old girl going to school
D. a poor boy studying science
32. Whose action reduced the importance of the city of Rome
within the Roman Empire?
A. Caesar Augustus
B. the Praetorian Guard
C. Constantine
D. Marcus Aurelius
25. Why was fighting a regular event in the Colosseum?
A. to protect the city from raids
B. to entertain the audience
C. to express the anger of the poor
D. to decide who should be emperor
33. What event marked the fall of Rome in 476 C.E.?
A. The eastern half of the empire won control over the western
half.
B. Workers in the cities demanded a voice in government.
C. Wealthy families turned their estates into private kingdoms.
D. Germanic tribes overthrew the last emperor in the west.
26. Why did thousands of Romans go to the Circus Maximus?
A. to eat a free meal
B. to watch chariot races
C. to enjoy the dancing bears
D. to shop for everyday clothing
27. Which of the following methods was commonly used to
choose a new Roman emperor?
A. selection by philosophers
B. fighting among private armies
C. secret ballot by the Senate
D. voice vote by Roman citizens
34. What type of Roman sculpture inspired some American
artists?
A. lifelike statues of famous people
B. abstract statues of fanciful beasts
C. large statues of horses in action
D. humorous statues of children playing
35. Which term describes Roman artwork made from small
pieces of tile, glass, or colored stone?
A. cameo
B. fresco
C. mosaic
D. mural
39. Which languages are most closely related to Latin?
A. Greek and Turkish
B. Polish and Russian
C. French and Spanish
D. German and Danish
36. Which of these structures is Roman?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. D
37. The Romans built aqueducts to carry
A. armies.
B. merchants.
C. ships.
D. water.
38. Which engineering feat connected the city of Rome with
territory throughout the empire?
A. canals
B. roads
C. ships
D. runners
40. Which of the following describes how Latin most influences
modern English?
A. prefixes and roots
B. numeral style
C. sentence structure
D. alphabet style
41. Which of these traits did the Stoics value most?
A. courage and self-control
B. imagination and creativity
C. personal ambition and wealth
D. emotions and pleasure
42. Which feature of American democracy comes from the
Romans?
A. All people are born equal.
B. Leaders are elected directly by the people.
C. Government is based on a written constitution.
D. Citizens have certain rights and responsibilities.
Vocabulary
43. ______ A large Roman stadium primarily used for chariot
races.
44. ______ The city on the Eastern edge of Europe, which
Constantine made the capital of the Roman Empire in 330 CE.
45. ______ One of two chief leaders in Rome.
46. ______ A pipe or raised channel built to carry water over a
long distance.
47. ______ To have the greatest influence or control over, or to
be the most noticeable or important person or thing.
48. ______ A large arena in Rome where gladiator contests and
other games and sporting events were held.
49. ______ A person trained to fight for public entertainment.
50. ______ The political leader of a territory containing several
countries or groups of people.
51. ______ In the Roman Republic, a member of the upper,
ruling class.
52. ______ Roman public square.
53. ______ A 200 year period of peace and stability established
and maintained.
54. ______ A picture made up of small pieces of tile, glass, or
colored stone.
A. Aqueduct
B. Circus Maximus
C. Colosseum
D. Constantinople
E. Consul
AB. Dominate
A. Emperor
B. Forum
C. Gladiator
D. Mosaic
E. Patricians
AB. Pax Romana
55. ______ In the Roman Republic, one of the common people.
56. ______ A type of government in which leaders are elected.
57. ______ A group of 300 men elected to govern Rome.
58. ______ To refuse to approve proposals of government.
59. ______ To make change in order to bring about
improvement.
60. ______ Payment made by one ruler or country to another
for protection or as a sign of submission.
61. ______ To cause a person to suffer because of his or her
religious beliefs or differences.
A. Persecute
B. Plebeians
C. Reform
D. Republic
E. Senate
AB. Tribute
AC. Veto
62.There are 10 theories as to why Rome fell. In the space below, draw me a picture of the most important theory. Include a complete one
sentence description on the lines provided. NO COLOR is necessary. (4 points)
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Name: ___________________
Multiple Choice:
/61
Short Answer:
/4
Total:
/65