Ides of March

Here is the promised Ides of March quiz

Once again, the questions are graded from easy to hard, allowing a trimming-off to be applied. All answers should be findable on the Web.

Details of the minimal copyright restrictions on quizzes may be found at http://members.ozemail.com.au/~macinnis/writing/quizzes.htm, where you can also read about the service I provide (for a small fee) to schools needing Trivia Night packages. There is NO charge for the stuff I provide here, and no restriction beyond a prohibition on selling the questions. Share (freely) as you see fit, though a credit and a pointer to that URL would be appreciated.

1. On what date did the Ides of March occur in the year a Roman leader died on that day?
(A) 17th March
(B) 15th March
(C) 10th March
(D) 1st March

2. Which Roman leader was killed on the Ides of March?
(A) Tiberius Caesar
(B) Caligula Caesar
(C) Augustus Caesar
(D) Julius Caesar

3. Who speaks the line "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears"?
(A) Brutus in "Julius Caesar"
(B) Mark Antony in "Julius Caesar"
(C) Cleopatra in "Julius Caesar"

4. How did Julius Caesar die?
(A) Stabbed by conspirators
(B) Crushed by a falling statue
(C) Poisoned by his mistress
(D) Fed to the lions

5. What language did Julius Caesar most commonly speak and write in?
(A) Greek
(B) Romany
(C) Latin
(D) Etrurian

6. Where, by tradition, did all roads lead?
(A) To Rome
(B) In a straight line
(C) To Greece
(D) To the provinces

7. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar, what warning does the soothsayer give?
(A) Beware the Ides of March!
(B) Where are the snows of yesteryear?
(C) The shades of night are falling fast!
(D) Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

8. Roughly how many soldiers were led by a centurion?
(A) 100
(B) 50
(C) 10
(D) 1000

9. In what year did Julius Caesar die?
(A) 38 BC
(B) 44 BC
(C) 35 BC
(D) 41 BC

10. What was the meaning of the term 'Pax Romana'?
(A) A Roman road
(B) A Roman peace
(C) A Roman army
(D) A Roman religion

11. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', Caesar tells the soothsayer that the Ides are here. What does the soothsayer reply?
(A) Aye, Caesar, but not gone!
(B) There's always next year.
(C) Are you sure, Caesar?
(D) Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

12. One month before he died, Caesar refused a public offer of a crown. Who offered it to him?
(A) Mark Antony
(B) Brutus
(C) Cicero
(D) Octavian

13. What popular flower gets its name from a similarity to the short sword of the roman legionary?
(A) Claimorus
(B) Snickersnee
(C) Gladiolus
(D) Secateur

14. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', who was described as having a lean and hungry look?
(A) Caesar
(B) Cassius
(C) Mark Antony
(D) Brutus

15. Who were the members of the first triumvirate?
(A) Caesar, Crassus and Pompey
(B) Caesar, Cato and Pompey
(C) Caesar, Cato, and Crassus
(D) Cato, Crassus and Pompey

16. In 52 BC, Caesar defeated two large armies in Gaul in one engagement at Alesia. Who was the leader of the Gauls?
(A) Boadicea
(B) Caractacus
(C) Vercingetorix
(D) Asterix

17. By Caesar's will, Gaius Octavius became Caesar's adopted son. What name do we know him by today?
(A) Emperor Tiberius
(B) Emperor Nero
(C) Emperor Augustus
(D) Emperor Caligula

18. Caligula was the nickname given to him by his father's soldiers. What did it mean?
(A) Little army boot
(B) Little head
(C) Little monster
(D) Little prince

19. What name was given to the standards carried before Roman legions?
(A) The eagles
(B) The flags
(C) The banners
(D) The colours

20. What river did Caesar cross, committing himself to civil war?
(A) The Tiber
(B) The Po
(C) The Rubicon
(D) The Euphrates

21. When Roman legionaries formed a 'testudo', what was it?
(A) A stretcher made of shields, to carry the wounded
(B) A barbecue, using a shield as the plate
(C) A din made by striking the shields with a sword
(D) A defensive arrangement of shields, a 'tortoise'

22. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', what was the name of the soothsayer?
(A) Nostradamus
(B) Delphic
(C) Artemidorus
(D) Sophocles

23. Early in 44 BC, Caesar began wearing something that the ancient kings of Italy had worn. What did he wear?
(A) Golden armour
(B) High red boots
(C) A purple toga with gold facings
(D) A jewelled purple crown

24. In 53 BC, Caesar's great rival, Crassus, died. How was he killed?
(A) Stabbed in the senate in Rome
(B) Lured into a trap near modern Iraq
(C) Torn apart by wild horses
(D) He had molten metal poured down his throat

25. The standards of Roman legions always had SPQR on them. What did this stand for?
(A) Senices Pueri Quis Requiescat
(B) Small Profits, Quick Returns
(C) Senatus Populusque Romanus
(D) Secundus, Primus Qui Romanus

26. What bond of kinship between Caesar and Pompey ended in 54 BC with a death?
(A) Pompey's sister, Caesar's wife, died
(B) Caesar's daughter, Pompey's wife, died
(C) Pompey's daughter, Caesar's wife, died
(D) Caesar's sister Pompey's wife, died

27. With Cleopatra carrying Caesar's child, Ptolemy fled and died. How did he die?
(A) He fell in the Nile and was eaten by a crocodile
(B) He died of a fever, probably West Nile fever
(C) He was drowned when he fell in the Nile in golden armour
(D) He fell in the Nile and was eaten by a hippopotamus

28. In 46 BC, Caesar's great rival, Cato, died. How did he die?
(A) He fell from his horse and got blood poisoning
(B) He stabbed himself
(C) He was bitten by an asp
(D) He was beheaded by an Egyptian assassin

29. By Caesar's will, Gaius Octavius became Caesar's adopted son. What was
their relationship before that?
(A) He was Caesar's grand-nephew
(B) He was Caesar's nephew
(C) He was Caesar's cousin
(D) He was Caesar's grandson

30. In 58 BC, one of Caesar's rivals invaded Cyprus. Who was it?
(A) Crassus
(B) Mark Antony
(C) Cato
(D) Pompey

1. On what date did the Ides of March occur in the year a Roman leader
died on that day?
2. Which Roman leader was killed on the Ides of March?
3. Who speaks the line "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears"?
4. How did Julius Caesar die?
5. What language did Julius Caesar most commonly speak and write in?
6. Where, by tradition, did all roads lead?
7. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar, what warning does the soothsayer give?
8. Roughly how many soldiers were led by a centurion?
9. In what year did Julius Caesar die?
10. What was the meaning of the term 'Pax Romana'?
11. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', Caesar tells the soothsayer
that the Ides are here. What does the soothsayer reply?
12. One month before he died, Caesar refused a public offer of a crown.
Who offered it to him?
13. What popular flower gets its name from a similarity to the short sword of the roman legionary?
14. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', who was described as having a lean and hungry look?
15. Who were the members of the first triumvirate?
16. In 52 BC, Caesar defeated two large armies in Gaul in one engagement at Alesia. Who was the leader of the Gauls?
17. By Caesar's will, Gaius Octavius became Caesar's adopted son. What name do we know him by today?
18. Caligula was the nickname given to him by his father's soldiers. What did it mean?
19. What name was given to the standards carried before Roman legions?
20. What river did Caesar cross, committing himself to civil war?
21. When Roman legionaries formed a 'testudo', what was it?
22. In Shakespeare's play, 'Julius Caesar', what was the name of the soothsayer?
23. Early in 44 BC, Caesar began wearing something that the ancient kings of Italy had worn. What did he wear?
24. In 53 BC, Caesar's great rival, Crassus, died. How was he killed?
25. The standards of Roman legions always had SPQR on them. What did this stand for?
26. What bond of kinship between Caesar and Pompey ended in 54 BC with a death?
27. With Cleopatra carrying Caesar's child, Ptolemy fled and died. How did he die?
28. In 46 BC, Caesar's great rival, Cato, died. How did he die?
29. By Caesar's will, Gaius Octavius became Caesar's adopted son. What was their relationship before that?
30. In 58 BC, one of Caesar's rivals invaded Cyprus. Who was it?