Histories of Mysteries
Pompeii
Crime or Conservation
The Odyssey
Ancient History Random
100
What is this?
Nazca Lines
100
This volcano erupted in 79CE, destroying the Roman city of Pompeii.
Mount Vesuvius
100
What does repatriation mean?
Returning things to their country of origin
100
In Homer’s epic and the 2026 film adaptation, this long-suffering king Odysseus is trying to get back to his home, where?
Ithica
100
This ancient city starting with 'P' is famous for rock-cut buildings in modern Jordan.
Petra
200
What is this? :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-185295512-5c4b1deb46e0fb0001119fbd.jpg)
An Olmec colossal head sculpture
200
This ancient Roman writer is famous for describing the eruption of Vesuvius in letters to Tacitus, giving us one of the best firsthand accounts.
Pliny the Younger
200
What was the name of the Lord who removed the Parthenon Marbles from Athens?
Lord Elgin
200
This goddess of wisdom is Odysseus’ main divine supporter. Bonus point: Name the actress who portrays her in the film
Athena / Zendaya
200
Cleopatra VII lived closer to the release of the first iPhone than she did the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. True or False?
True.
Approximately 2,530 years passed between the construction of the pyramids and the era of Cleopatra. But between Cleopatra's reign and the release of the first iPhone, the time gap is only about 2,037 years
300
Which Mesoamerican society crafted colossal heads for potential artistic, spirtual, or political importance?
The Olmecs
300
The deadly surge of superheated gas, ash, and rock that buried Pompeii is known by this two-word scientific term.
Pyroclastic surge / flow
300
These famous Nigerian artworks, taken by British forces in 1897, are central to many repatriation debates.
The Benin Bronzes
300
The name of the cyclops Odysseus and his men attempt to outwit during their journey home.
Polyphemus
300
This ancient civilisation built cities such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.
The Indus Valley Civilisation
400
Where is Stonehenge located? (Need county name - not just the country)
Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England
400
In the film, Milo is said to come from this group of people of Britain, wiped out by the Romans.
Celts / Celtic tribes of Britannia
400
Many disputed artefacts were taken during this 19th-century era of empire-building and foreign control.
Colonialism / Imperialism
400
Which contemporary rapper cameos in the opening scenes of the film.
Travis Scott
400
This emperor reportedly made his horse a priest, and maybe wanted him as consul too.
Caligula
500
The Yonaguni monument has been colloquially termed "the Japanese Atlantis"... Which ancient Greek philosopher first wrote about Atlantis?
Plato (around 360BCE)
500
This Roman city, also destroyed in the 79 CE eruption, was buried even deeper than Pompeii.
Herculaneum
500
The Rosetta Stone provided text in three languages. Name all three
1. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs
2. Egyptian Demotic
3. Ancient Greek
500
The Odyssey has been translated over many centuries by many individuals who have tried to capture the essence of Homer's epic. Name one.
Any of:
- George Chapman
- Alexander Pope
- William Cowper
- Samuel Butler
- Robert Fitzgerald
- Richmond Lattimore
- Robert Fagles
- E. V. Rieu
- Emily Wilson
- Stanley Lombardo
500
This ancient writer of The Histories is often called the “Father of History.”
Herodotus