Roman Rights & Law
Which protection most closely reflects Roman citizenship under written codes?
A) Judgment by superstition
B) Equal treatment under published laws
C) Tax immunity for citizens
D) Total power over foreigners
B) Equal treatment under published laws
Romans were renowned for many projects, but not for building:
A) Aqueducts
B) Domes and arches
C) Gridded stone roads
D) Steel skyscrapers
D) Steel skyscrapers
At its height, Rome governed all of these regions EXCEPT:
A) Britain
B) Egypt
C) Spain
D) Japan
D) Japan
Which internal issue weakened late Rome?
A) Falling corruption
B) Expanding slavery and waning civic duty
C) Free top-tier schools for everyone
D) Guaranteed jobs empire-wide
B) Expanding slavery and waning civic duty
Constantine shifted the capital to Constantinople mainly to:
A) Improve access to trade and defend the East
B) Punish the city of Rome
C) Make Persian the court language
D) Escape Christianity
A) Improve access to trade and defend the East
A core Roman legal principle that influenced later nations was:
A) Trials only for soldiers
B) Laws applied equally to citizens
C) Punishment decided by omens
D) No written statutes needed
B) Laws applied equally to citizens
The empire’s road network primarily existed to:
A) Fence off tribal lands forever
B) Speed troop movement, trade, and messages
C) Replace water channels
D) Draw borders with continuous walls
B) Speed troop movement, trade, and messages
A major geographic challenge for Rome’s borders was:
A) Constant pressure along long frontiers
B) Alpine volcano belts surrounding Italy
C) Rising seas drowning the peninsula
D) Deserts spreading into Gaul
A) Constant pressure along long frontiers
The empire’s immense borders became:
A) Cheaper and simpler to guard
B) A costly strain that was hard to defend
C) Irrelevant once the navy grew
D) Protected by deserts alone
B) A costly strain that was hard to defend
Constantinople prospered because it sat:
A) Deep in the Sahara
B) On key land and sea routes between Europe and Asia
C) Behind mountains that blocked merchants
D) Far from usable harbors
B) On key land and sea routes between Europe and Asia
Why did Justinian commission a unified legal collection?
A) Eliminate all taxes permanently
B) Enforce a single new faith
C) Standardize courts and centralize imperial authority
D) Replace Latin everywhere with Greek
C) Standardize courts and centralize imperial authority
Aqueducts’ main purpose was to transport:
A) Timber
B) Water
C) Marble
D) Grain
B) Water
News circulation faltered late in the empire mainly due to:
A) Universal illiteracy overnight
B) Vast distances and unreliable couriers
C) Printing presses failing
D) A Senate ban on speaking in public
B) Vast distances and unreliable couriers
An economic problem that hit Rome was:
A) Stable currency everywhere
B) Coin debasement leading to inflation
C) Endless gold influx from Germania
D) Tax holidays for all citizens
B) Coin debasement leading to inflation
After the move, the Eastern Empire (Byzantium):
A) Vanished within a decade
B) Preserved Roman governance and grew powerful
C) Became a direct democracy
D) Abandoned Christian traditions
B) Preserved Roman governance and grew powerful
The Twelve Tables mattered because they:
A) Stayed secret in the Senate vault
B) Publicly posted laws that limited arbitrary power
C) Listed conquered peoples’ tribute only
D) Served as a festival hymnbook
B) Publicly posted laws that limited arbitrary power
Which element lets builders span space with curved support?
A) Arch
B) Truss
C) Keystone-less lintel
D) Obelisk
A) Arch
Rome’s trade “lake” was the:
A) Baltic
B) Mediterranean
C) Arctic Ocean
D) Caspian
B) Mediterranean
Politically, the late empire saw:
A) Smooth, lawful successions
B) Repeated civil wars and rival claimants
C) Zero military influence on rulers
D) Annual empire-wide elections
B) Repeated civil wars and rival claimants
Which goal best fits Justinian’s program?
A) Dissolve the army and avoid war
B) Reclaim western territories and strengthen administration
C) Replace senators with traders
D) Return the capital to Rome immediately
B) Reclaim western territories and strengthen administration
Which situation best shows rule of law in Rome?
A) Judges follow written codes and precedent
B) Emperor’s whim overrides every verdict
C) Military tribunals hear all civil cases
D) Nobles avoid trials by rank
A) Judges follow written codes and precedent
Choose the accurate match:
A) Pantheon—vast concrete dome with an oculus
B) Colosseum—chief temple to Jupiter
C) Forum—city sewer outlet
D) Via Appia—imperial canal
A) Pantheon—vast concrete dome with an oculus
Which frontier demanded large, ongoing defenses?
A) Rhine–Danube line
B) Sicily’s southern shore
C) Aegean island chain
D) Po River lowlands
A) Rhine–Danube line
Which pair both undermined stability?
A) Plagues and reliance on mercenary troops
B) Strong local identity and perfect mail service
C) Cheap credit and rising birthrates
D) Provincial pride and booming commerce
A) Plagues and reliance on mercenary troops
Which statement best captures the power shift from Constantine’s move?
A) Wealth and influence gravitated toward the East
B) The West gained all tax revenue
C) The capital rotated annually
D) Rome remained the sole power center
A) Wealth and influence gravitated toward the East