View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Germanicus ask Claudius to do?

2. What nickname do people use for Claudius?

3. How long has Augustus ruled Rome?

4. What does Augustus do when he discovers that Julia is having sexual affairs?

5. What does Livia refuse to do in the same room as Claudius?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Germanicus send his wife Agrippina, back to Rome?

2. How does Claudius feel about his son, Drusillus?

3. Why is it better for Claudius that Livia thinks he is an idiot?

4. Why does Tiberius need Livia's help in running the government?

5. How does Tiberius react to Germanicus's loyal quelling of the troop revolts?

6. Why is Germanicus's support necessary to redeem Postumus in Rome?

7. What book does Claudius write after finishing his history on Augustus's religious reforms?

8. Why is Rome so vulnerable to attack by the German forces after Varus dies?

9. How does Claudius describe his father's relationship to his troops?

10. Describe the book that Livia writes

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research a paper about the institution of slavery in Ancient Rome.

Essay Topic 2

Contrast the Roman path to power with the American path. What does it take to be a successful person in Rome compared to what it takes in our country? Are the definitions of success the same in both cultures? If not, how do they differ?

Essay Topic 3

Historical fiction is a blend of fact and imagination. Write a paper pointing out when Robert Graves is basing his story on fact and when he is allowing himself to imagine what might have happened.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 513 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample