Roman Reason ♠
Which of these was not an honorable profession in ancient Rome?
A: conscriptus
B: mendicus
C: mercator
CORRECT ANSWER
B: mendicus (beggar)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: conscriptus (senator)
C: mercator (merchant)
What would be something you would not want to take to a fight in ancient Rome?
A: acutus gladius
B: accuratus hasta
C: nugamentum stridens
CORRECT ANSWER:
C: nugamentum stridens (squeaky toy)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: Sharp sword
B: precise spear
Julius Caesar says, "March into Gaul!" Which command should his soldiers follow?
A: in Galliam procedite
B: in Britannia manete
C: Romam fugite
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: in Galliam procedite (march into Gaul)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: stay in Britain
C: flee to Rome
Jupiter is going on a jaunt around Mount Olympus. What weapon does the King of the Gods pack to show off his ultimate power?
A: fulmen potens
B: arcus parvus
C: scutum ligneum
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: fulmen potens (a powerful lightning bolt)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: a small bow
C: a wooden shield
You are walking through a bustling Roman forum when a smooth-talking street vendor tries to scam you by passing off cheap, base metals coated in a microscopic layer of real silver as high-value currency. What illegal item are they pushing?
A: denarius falsus
B: panis bonus
C: toga munda
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: denarius falsus (a counterfeit coin—a massive underworld industry in ancient Rome!)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: good bread
C: a clean toga
If a Roman man gave you the choice of being hit by a dagger, knife, or balloon sword, what would you say in Latin to survive?
A: sica
B: culter
C: aerius
CORRECT ANSWER:
C: aerius (balloon)
ANSWERS THAT WILL GET YOU KILLED:
A: sica (dagger)
B: culter (knife)
What would a wealthy Roman host be most embarrassed to accidentally serve at a high-class dinner party?
A: glis frictus
B: garum putridum
C: vinum dulce
CORRECT ANSWER:
B: garum putridum (rotten fish sauce)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: fried dormouse (a prized ancient luxury dish)
C: sweet wine
Julius Caesar says, "Bring me my favorite writing instrument!" What are you looking for?
A: gladius ferreus
B: stilus acutus
C: amphora vini
CORRECT ANSWER:
B: stilus acutus (a sharp stylus)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: an iron sword
C: a jar of wine
Jupiter decides to disguise himself as a majestic animal for a covert jaunt to Earth. Which form does he famously choose to visit Europa?
A: taurus albus
B: serpens viridis
C: piscis parvus
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: taurus albus (a white bull)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: a green snake
C: a small fish
You want to pull off the ultimate provincial scam by selling the exact same group of laborers twice, then exploiting the fact that administrative systems in neighboring Roman provinces don't talk to each other to hide the crime. What are you fraudulently trading?
A: servi ficti
B: equae celeres
C: amphorae olei
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: servi ficti (fictitious/fraudulent slaves—a real-life scheme recovered from a 1,900-year-old legal papyrus)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: fast mares
C: jars of oil
Which of these would be a good thing to stick your head into?
A: latrina
B: campana
C: placenta
CORRECT ANSWER:
C: placenta (pie)
ANSWERS YOU WILL REGRET:
B: campana (town bell)
C: latrina (toilet)
If you are a gladiator stepping into the arena, which status would you least want your equipment to have?
A: scutum firmum
B: galea splendens
C: gladius fractus
CORRECT ANSWER:
C: gladius fractus (a broken sword)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: a firm shield
B: a gleaming helmet
Julius Caesar says, "The die is cast!" Which Latin phrase did he famously utter?
A: veni vidi vici
B: et tu Brute
C: alea iacta est
CORRECT ANSWER:
C: alea iacta est (the die is cast)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: I came, I saw, I conquered
B: Even you, Brutus?
Jupiter needs to send a swift message while traveling. Which of his sacred companion birds does he send to fly the errand?
A: aquila regia
B: strix nocturna
C: columba alba
ORRECT ANSWER:
A: aquila regia (a royal eagle)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: a nocturnal owl (associated with Minerva)
C: a white dove (associated with Venus)
You are an incredibly corrupt governor in Asia Minor. To line your own pockets, you collect massive amounts of cash from the locals, but you submit forged paperwork to the Emperor in Constantinople claiming the region is broke. What crime did you just commit?
A: fraudatio tributi
B: donatio benigna
C: aedificatio templi
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: fraudatio tributi (tax fraud/evasion—a massive problem that historically forced the Emperor to threaten corrupt officials with the death penalty)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: a generous donation
C: the building of a temple
What would you want to call the Roman Emperor to be respectful?
A: "O regalis magnitudo"
B: "O regalis matella"
C:"O regalis asine"
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: "O regalis magnitudo" ("Your royal greatness")
ANSWERS THAT WILL GET YOU KILLED:
B: "O regalis metella" ("your royal chamber pot")
C: "O regalis asine" ("your royal donkey")
What would a superstitious Roman general least want to see the sacred chickens do right before a major naval battle?
A: grana avide consumere
B: pulli non pascentes
C: ova laeta parere
CORRECT ANSWER:
B: pulli non pascentes (chickens refusing to eat, which historically signaled a disastrous omen)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: greedily consuming grain
C: laying joyful eggs
Julius Caesar says, "Cross the Rubicon with speed!" Which river are you actually crossing?
A: Rubico flumen
B: Tiberis flumen
C: Nilus flumen
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: Rubico flumen (the Rubicon river)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: the Tiber river
C: the Nile river
Jupiter takes a jaunt down to Earth to test human hospitality in disguise. Which elderly couple famously welcomes him into their humble cottage?
A: Romulus et Remus
B: Baucis et Philemon
C: Antonius et Cleopatra
CORRECT ANSWER:
B: Baucis et Philemon (Baucis and Philemon)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: Romulus and Remus
C: Antony and Cleopatra
In a famous scam recorded in the ancient novel Satyricon, a group of grifters arrives in a new town pretending to be a wealthy, shipwrecked old man and his servants. They trick greedy locals into giving them free luxury dinners and gifts by exploiting which common Roman obsession?
A: captatio testamentorum
B: spectaculum gladiatorum
C: cultus deorum
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: captatio testamentorum (legacy-hunting / will-hunting—scamming people by pretending they are going to inherit your non-existent fortune)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: a gladiator show
C: the worship of the gods
What is a statement that everyone would want to come true in latin?
A: "Odobenus sum"
B: "Dives sum"
C: "Arbor sum"
CORRECT ANSWER
B: "I am Rich"
WISHES YOU WILL REGRET:
A: "I am the walrus"
C: "I am a tree"
What would an ambitious Roman politician least want to happen to the toga they are wearing while campaigning for public office in the Forum?
A: toga candida maculata
B: toga picta ornata
C: toga pura munda
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: toga candida maculata (a stained white campaign toga, destroying their clean image)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: an ornate embroidered toga
C: a clean plain toga
Julius Caesar says, "Beware the Ides of March!" Which Roman calendar date is he warning you about?
A: Kalendae Ianuariae
B: Idus Martiae
C: Nonae Octobres
CORRECT ANSWER:
B: Idus Martiae (the Ides of March / March 15th)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
A: the Kalends of January / January 1st
C: the Nones of October / October 7th
Jupiter is furious to find that someone stole fire for mortals during his absence. Which Titan is he going to punish at the end of his jaunt?
A: Prometheus vinctus
B: Saturnus exsul
C: Atlas fessus
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: Prometheus vinctus (Prometheus, who would be bound to a rock)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: the exiled Saturn
C: a weary Atlas
The ultimate Roman state-level financial scam happened when successive Emperors realized they were short on cash, so they melted down the empire's currency and mixed the silver with cheap copper while forcing everyone to accept them at full face value. What is this economy-ruining trick called?
A: devalutatio monetae
B: pax romana
C: panem et circenses
CORRECT ANSWER:
A: devalutatio monetae (currency debasement/devaluation—effectively a government scam that caused massive inflation)
INCORRECT ANSWERS:
B: the Roman peace
C: bread and circuses