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

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Gaius Octavious when Julius Caesar was assassinated?

2. Before the outbreak of the civil war, how much did Cicero owe Julius Caesar?

3. When did the people of Fregellae attempt to break away from Rome, but were crushed by a Roman army led by Lucius Opimius?

4. How many quotations from the poetry of Virgil were scrawled as graffiti on the walls of Pompeii?

5. When did Caesar leave Italy for Gaul for a five-year command that continued on for another five years?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did emperors gain their fortunes?

2. How did Gibbon characterize emperors in his history?

3. How was Roman marriage a simple and private business?

4. What was the uprising of Spartacus?

5. Why could money not protect the rich from the discomforts and harsher sides of ancient life?

6. Why was there not more social and political conflict than is recorded?

7. What loot did Pompey attain after his victory over King Mithradates VI of Pontus?

8. What property did Cicero own, and how wealthy was he?

9. Why did Cicero serve as a lawyer to prosecute Gaius Verres, and what was the outcome of the case?

10. Who was Caesar's heir?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Beard comments that the history of Rome has changed in the 50 years prior to when she wrote the book. How has Roman history changed? Why does history change?

Essay Topic 2

Rome had no system of primogeniture. How does primogeniture help resolve issues of succession? Did Rome have a system of succession? What were the challenges of succession for emperors?

Essay Topic 3

Thousands of writings by Cicero are still available today. What information can be gleaned about ordinary people from Cicero’s writings? How would you describe the lives of ordinary people in Rome based on Cicero’s writings?

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This section contains 952 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample