Roman Emperors Quiz
Instructions: Can you recall the emperors who ruled the mighty Roman Empire?
- 1.
Which emperor is famous for reportedly fiddling while Rome burned in 64 AD?
ACaligulaBTiberiusCCommodusDNero - 2.
Which emperor legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD?
ADiocletianBAugustusCConstantine IDTrajan - 3.
Which emperor built Hadrian's Wall in northern England?
AAntoninus PiusBTrajanCHadrianDMarcus Aurelius - 4.
Which emperor was known as a mad tyrant who allegedly made his horse a consul?
ANeroBDomitianCCaligulaDCommodus - 5.
Under which emperor did the Roman Empire reach its greatest territorial extent?
ATrajanBAugustusCHadrianDMarcus Aurelius - 6.
Which emperor split the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western halves for easier governance?
AConstantine IBTheodosius ICDiocletianDValentinian I - 7.
Which emperor ordered the construction of the Colosseum?
ADomitianBTitusCNeroDVespasian - 8.
Which emperor was the last to rule over a united Roman Empire?
ATheodosius IBConstantine ICValentinian IDJulian - 9.
Which emperor established the Pax Romana, a long period of relative peace?
AJulius CaesarBTiberiusCAugustusDTrajan - 10.
Which emperor was a gladiator who fought in the arena and was eventually assassinated?
ANeroBCommodusCElagabalusDCaligula - 11.
Which philosopher-emperor wrote 'Meditations' and was the last of the Five Good Emperors?
AAntoninus PiusBTrajanCMarcus AureliusDHadrian - 12.
Which emperor was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15, 44 BC)?
ATiberiusBAugustusCNeroDJulius Caesar - 13.
Which emperor moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople?
ADiocletianBConstantine ICTheodosius IDJustinian I - 14.
Which was the last Western Roman Emperor, deposed in 476 AD?
ARomulus AugustulusBHonoriusCValentinian IIIDJulius Nepos - 15.
Which emperor adopted Trajan as his successor, starting a tradition of adoptive succession?
ATitusBNervaCDomitianDVespasian
Answer Key
While the story is likely a myth (the fiddle hadn't been invented yet), Emperor Nero is traditionally associated with the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD.
Emperor Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, granting religious tolerance throughout the empire and ending the persecution of Christians.
Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of the wall in 122 AD to mark the northern boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain.
Emperor Caligula (Gaius Caesar) was known for his cruelty and extravagance. The story about his horse Incitatus being made consul is likely exaggerated.
Emperor Trajan expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest extent by 117 AD, including conquests in Dacia (modern Romania) and Mesopotamia.
Emperor Diocletian established the Tetrarchy in 293 AD, dividing the empire into Eastern and Western administrative units.
Emperor Vespasian began construction of the Colosseum around 70 AD. It was completed under his son Titus in 80 AD.
Theodosius I was the last emperor to rule over both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. After his death in 395 AD, the empire was permanently divided.
Augustus (Octavian) established the Pax Romana beginning in 27 BC, a roughly 200-year period of relative peace and stability across the Roman Empire.
Emperor Commodus was obsessed with gladiatorial combat and fought in the arena himself. He was assassinated by strangling in 192 AD.
Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD) was the last of the Five Good Emperors and wrote his famous Stoic philosophical work 'Meditations.'
Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators on March 15, 44 BC. While technically a dictator rather than emperor, his death led to the empire.
Constantine I founded Constantinople (modern Istanbul) in 330 AD as the new capital of the Roman Empire, on the site of ancient Byzantium.
Romulus Augustulus was deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer in 476 AD, traditionally marking the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Emperor Nerva adopted Trajan as his heir in 97 AD, beginning the era of the Five Good Emperors and the practice of choosing the most capable successor.