What Do You Know About the Empires of the Ancient World?
Written by Regina Munch History Expert
Last updated · 8 min play time
Some of our most famous myths come from this fascinating time, full of philosophical learning, architectural marvels, and deadly battles.
Mesopotamia, also called the Fertile Crescent for its excellent agricultural potential, was constantly embattled in the ancient world. The center of wealth and learning, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean were fought over by Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites, Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and countless other civilizations. Some of our most famous myths and stories come from this fascinating time, full of philosophical learning, architectural marvels, and deadly battles. Do you know anything about the ancient world? Find out!
This quiz was expert written by Regina Munch. Regina has a master's degree in European history and the history of American foreign policy from Boston College. She loves learning and writing about history because it's never dead – things from the past always have relevance to today, and we're discovering things about the past all the time.
Quiz written by
Regina MunchAncient World Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 9.1K Plays · 3 Comments
Question 1
In roughly 3100 BC, Narmer unified Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt to form what we know as the kingdom of ancient Egypt. What river runs through this ancient kingdom?
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AEuphrates
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BAmazon
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CNile
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DYellow
Nile
The Nile River provided fertile lands for farming and reliable transportation. It is unique in that it flows south to north.
Question 2
Hammurabi, king of the Babylonians, was famous for what?
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AMarrying his sisters
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BInventing the wheel
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CBeheading his wives
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DWriting a legal code
Writing a legal code
Hammurabi's Code is one of the most famous and influential legal systems in history. It advocated a philosophy of "an eye for an eye," and dictated customs for wages, inheritance, land ownership, and the status of slaves.
Question 3
Hammurabi and the Babylonians fought to control all of Mesopotamia by 1760 BC, just a few years after Hammurabi ascended the throne. What major empire did he defeat?
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AAssyrian
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BFrench
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CBritish
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DRoman
Assyrian
Hammurabi and the Babylonians conquered Assyria and many smaller city-states and empires.
Question 4
In 1506-1502 BC, this Egyptian pharaoh and his successors (who had the same name) conquered massive amounts of northeast Africa and Mesopotamia. Who was it?
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AThutmose
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BAlexander the Great
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CMentuhotep
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DCharlemagne
Thutmose
The Egyptian empire expanded into Nubia, Canaan, and Phoenicia under Thutmose I and his successors, Thutmose II and Thutmose III.
Question 5
This person, often remembered the most powerful ruler of ancient Egypt, is often called "Ozymandias."
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ATutankhamun
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BRamses II
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CAbraham
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DJulius Caesar
Ramses II
Ramses II is considered the greatest Egyptian pharaoh. He conquered extensive land in Mesopotamia, and is memorable for the number of enormous statues he commissioned of his face on a sphinx's body. The Percy Shelley poem called "Ozymandias" refers to Ramses, and reflects that all great dynasties come to an end.
Question 6
The Trojan War is famous in Greek mythology. According to legend, which Greek woman was stolen from her husband Menelaus and taken to Troy by Paris, launching the war?
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AHelen
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BEleanor of Aquitaine
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CAphrodite
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DCleopatra
Helen
According to legend, Helen of Troy was the most beautiful woman in the world. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, promised Paris that he could have her as his wife. He took her from her husband Menelaus, and thus began the Trojan War. Historians debate how much evidence there is for war between the two empires, but archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann's discoveries suggest that there is some evidence that war took place.
Question 7
According to legend, the Greeks invaded Troy in a giant what? This invasion led to Troy's defeat.
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ACyclops
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BRam
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CHorse
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DPhoenix
Horse
The Greek soldier Odysseus (of the Odyssey) devised a plan to hide Greek soldiers in a giant wooden horse and offer it as a gift to Troy. It worked, and Troy was defeated.
Question 8
Which ancient culture is famous for its seafaring prowess? Despite this, they were conquered by the Assyrians in the 800s BC.
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APhoenicians
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BCarpathians
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CArmenians
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DCanaanites
Phoenicians
The Phoenicians were a powerful maritime power in the ancient world. Because they developed ships that could withstand travel on the open sea, they were able to defend their land and establish a lucrative trade.
Question 9
In 612 BC, the Assyrians were defeated in a famous battle by the Babylonians. What powerful city did the Babylonians capture?
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ANineveh
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BLondon
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CJerusalem
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DConstantinople
Nineveh
The Battle of Nineveh was the end of Assyrian dominance in Mesopotamia and led to the resurgence of the Babylonian empire.
Question 10
In 586 BC, this group was defeated by the Babylonians. What group became slaves in Egypt in what is known as the "Babylonian Exile"?
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AChristians
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BEthiopians
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CEgyptians
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DJews
Jews
When Babylonian forces captured the Jewish Kingdom of Judah, they took Jews into captivity and forced many into slavery.
Question 11
Under this ruler, the Persians conquered Babylon and much of Mesopotamia. He is widely respected for his reform of governance and laws regarding human rights.
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AMark Antony
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BPtolemy
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CCyrus
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DXerxes
Cyrus
Cyrus the Great created the largest empire in history at the time, and is widely respected for his administrative abilities, respect for his citizens' diversity, and new laws about human rights. Thomas Jefferson was an admirer of his rule.
Question 12
In the Greco-Persian Wars of 499-448 BC, a loose federation of Greek city-states went up against the powerful Persian empire. Against the odds, they managed to reclaim some territory from Persia. Which of these was NOT a city-state that fought Persia?
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AAthens
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BConstantinople
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CThebes
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DSparta
Constantinople
Sparta, Athens, Thebes, and other Greek city-states fought against the Persians in the Greco-Persian Wars.
Question 13
In the Peloponnesian War, Athens fought an alliance led by Sparta. Sparta, with its organized and fearsome military, defeated Athens. Which famous historian catalogued these events?
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AThucydides
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BSocrates
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CPlato
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DNero
Thucydides
Thucydides, one of the great ancient historians, catalogued the Peloponnesian Wars. One of the most famous depictions is the Melian Dialogue, which still influences political theory today.
Question 14
A battle in the Peloponnesian War, the Battle of Thermopylae, is depicted (incorrectly) in what movie?
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A300
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BTroy
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CSpartacus
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DGladiator
300
The movie 300 received much criticism for its unfavorable depiction of Persian culture.
Question 15
Alexander the Great, a Greek emperor considered one of the most successful military leaders in history, conquered territory from Greece to India in 334-323 BC. He spread Hellenistic (Greek) culture in the lands he conquered. What is NOT an aspect of Hellenistic culture?
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ALanguage
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BPhilosophy
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CEpic literature
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DChristianity
Christianity
Alexander the Great's conquests across the Mediterranean to India spread Greek language, philosophy, and literature, and led to an interchange of ideas and cultures that had not occurred before.
Question 16
When the Greek empire dissolved after Alexander's death, the successors to Alexander's rule conquered more territory and restored Egyptian greatness. What was the name of the Egyptian ruling dynasty?
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APtolemy
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BHohenzollern
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CDahoney
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DTudor
Ptolemy
The Ptolemys were the rulers of Egypt, but not Egyptian themselves. They ruled until 30 BC, when they were conquered by the Romans.
Question 17
As the Roman republic expanded in the 200s and 100s BC, it conflicted with Carthage, which wanted to expand into Europe, in the Punic Wars. Who was the famous ruler of Carthage who was defeated by Roman general Scipio Africanus?
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AHammurabi
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BXerxes
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CHannibal
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DLouis XVI
Hannibal
Hannibal Barca was a Carthaginian general who made incursions into Europe, but was defeated by the Roman army.
Question 18
With the Roman republic firmly in the seat of power in the Mediterranean, this general conducted a campaign to conquer most of continental Europe for the Roman empire in 58-50 BC before returning to Rome to proclaim himself emperor.
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AJulius Caesar
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BJesus Christ
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CAurelian
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DPlato
Julius Caesar
In the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar commanded the powerful Roman army to conquer much of Gaul, what is now western Europe.
Question 19
What Egyptian queen was the lover of both Julius Caesar and Marcus Anthony? She was defeated by Caesar's nephew Octavian when she and Antony challenged his rule.
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AAmenhotep I
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BNefertiti
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CCleopatra VII
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DHatshepsut
Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra VII is famous in popular culture for her wealth and cunning. She had a child with Julius Caesar to solidify her throne, but allied with Marcus Antony against Caesar's nephew Octavian. Octavian defeated them, and became Caesar Augustus.
Question 20
Rome eventually succumbed to invasions by Germanic groups. Which was NOT one of these groups?
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AOstrogoths
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BGauls
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CMongols
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DVisigoths
Mongols
Germanic groups such as Visigoths, Gauls, and Ostrogoths attacked a weakened Roman empire, which eventually split into eastern and western empires.
Comments (3)
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Loved this one. I thought I would do better because I am a student of history.I really love this stuff. From Adam in the bible to middle 20th. century.You have to love history to even be in the game. Good luck to all that take this one. Olivan Leach
20/20 100% correct.
fun & difficult