Quiz on Roman History

[Azeron]

THe correct answers:

What was the punishment for murder? (method of execution)
Being tossed int oa bag with a snake and a monkey and being hurled into the river.


What was the maximum numbner of terms that a consul could hold office for?
2 non-consecutive 6 month terms

Who in the family was leagally entitled to kill a family member?
Oldest living male still in control of his falculties. Much like how the mob is structured as seen in the Sapranos, Roman Familes had the equivilent of a Godfather. It was reffered to as the power os "life and death" appropriately. Ussually to dispose of crippled family members who were hurt in an accident. SIck or insane as well. Known also for those who bought significant disgrace.


When was a child irrevocably the child of a father?
When he picked the child up from his feet for the first time.


What caused the office of Tribune to be established?
A workers strike of the plebiens.

What did a census do?
Take a census of a population, draft people into the army, and assess and collect taxes

Who could hold such the office of census?
Ussually a fomer or current senator

What was the name of the legislative branch of the Roman Government?
Commitius Tributus ( I don't want to get into a debate about which committee in particular. This sums them all up). The senate was an administrative, and oversight body.

How many days could the senate appoint an absolute dictator for?
3 Days

How many days did it take for pompie to squash the pirates?
40 days (quite remarkable considering it was the entire mediteranian.

What was the decisive final battle in the second Punic wars?
The Battle of Zama.


More questions to come.

next topic Roman Military History. I got a couple of requests for it, so lets see if the war experts out there can have thier day.

[IRG CommandoJoe]

Azeron, what was your position on the thread where a British carrier attacked Rome? Lemme find the thread....here:

http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic. ... sc&start=0

And please, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't mind.

[weemadando]

There are allot of people who seem to think they know allot on roman history (eg. Neocron)

-And you judging by the way these questions are phrased. Also, I don't claim to know that much abotu Roman history, I'm just studying it at a tertiary level.

Lets set those in the know apart from the idiots that pretend.

-Lets go.

1st round, be the first to answer one of these questions correctly:

Roman Law:
What was the punishment for murder? (method of execution)

-During what period? Who murdered who? Why? All of these change the class of the crime and the punishment (if any). It could range from compensating the grieved party for their loss (in the case of the murder of a slave) to some nice stuff liek being sold into bondage yourself, or beign placed in a prison program (think forced labour without the chance to get out). Really nasty and unlucky ones found their way to the various arenas (again this depends on when and where the crime was commited). Some were cruxified, others hung, some (especially in Varius' time) were boiled alive until their skin came off and then had salt thrown at them, eventually they died. Note that this was classified as party entertainment by Varius, along with getting guests to eat live parrots.

What was the maximum numbner of terms that a consul could hold office for?

-IIRC officially 2, but this was often broken in the 200s. Also Consulships tended to be at least mildly hereditary (if onlybecause certain families had a lot of influence) and as such a family could hold consulships for quite a while simply by cycling family members through the positions.

Who in the family was leagally entitled to kill a family member?

-The Father, though this law was generall theoretical and any killing of family was generally met with punishment of one form or another despite the law.

When was a child irrevocably the child of a father?

-When the parents (father) accepted it. Depending on what source you go by, it was either when it started walking and talking or at age 4. This also changed according to the period fo the Empire.

What caused the office of Tribune to be established?

-They were there to act as representatives of their tribes. Effectively as an ambassador of sorts in early Roman times.

What did a census do?

-Was purely used for tax purposes.

Who could hold such the office of census?

-The Emperor or later, any of the tetrarchs could order one. I believe the senate also had the capacity to request one.

What was the name of the legislative branch of the Roman Government?

-The emperor. Officially the senate or later, the court, but in reality, the emperor.

How many days could the senate appoint an absolute dictator for?

-Again, IIRC it was 40. And I also believe that this figure changed from time to time. I'd have to re-read some of my old notes.

So, how did I do?

[Azeron]

when otherwise noted, I am reffering to before Augustus, and after the reformation of Rome as a republic.

You did good. most were right.
I should have been clearer on the murder part. But murder of a slave was a prooperty rights violation not murder. and punishment for not being able to pay would fall under civil, not criminal law.

You are off on the father. The family in reference would be the extended family. We were still dealing in an extremely tribal society with multi family housing. Basically the oldest man in the immeidate clan.

tribune was an elected office. Brutushad himself adopted into a plebian family to get back at cicerio. its not really the answer the question was looking for.

You are off on the legislative part of it. The empereor issued what we would call executive orders, but were not laws, but carried the weight of laws. at the time of the empire the senate to a lesser degree held the same capacity. The legislative capacities still remained within the original tribal councils of rome.

the dictator wqas 3 days, this is something I remember in particular because it came into play when I was translating Cicerio and the whole fiasco with Cataline.

You did a good job. Better than most would.

[weemadando]

when otherwise noted, I am reffering to before Augustus, and after the reformation of Rome as a republic.

-That really clears it up a bit. We are talking pre-Imperial Rome.

You did good. most were right.
I should have been clearer on the murder part. But murder of a slave was a prooperty rights violation not murder. and punishment for not being able to pay would fall under civil, not criminal law.

You are off on the father. The family in reference would be the extended family. We were still dealing in an extremely tribal society with multi family housing. Basically the oldest man in the immeidate clan.

-Granted, but it is still generally the father.

tribune was an elected office. Brutushad himself adopted into a plebian family to get back at cicerio. its not really the answer the question was looking for.

-OK.

You are off on the legislative part of it. The empereor issued what we would call executive orders, but were not laws, but carried the weight of laws. at the time of the empire the senate to a lesser degree held the same capacity. The legislative capacities still remained within the original tribal councils of rome.

-I was looking at Roman Imperial Society or the Later Empire where you had the concept of Lex Animata or livign law. Where the Emperor WAS the law.

the dictator wqas 3 days, this is something I remember in particular because it came into play when I was translating Cicerio and the whole fiasco with Cataline.

-Sorry, 40 days is from the Magna Carta referring to the Barons power to temporarily depose the king. How did that get in there?

You did a good job. Better than most would.

Why thankyou. I guess 3 years of study haven't been totally wasted.[/i]

[Azeron]

Yah I take your point on the Emperoer, eventually he really did become the sole authority, but when yhou get into imperial history, and hte powers of king, you have basically have several distinct phases of imperial power:

1) Augustus -- the lifelong council
2) Vespasian -- The first offical empeorer
3) Constantine -- Divides the empire and moves east, leaving tghe senate with the junior ceaser.
4) Justinian -- the end of Rome and hte begining of Byzantium.

Its too complicated to bring the post republican period in to the picture or we will end up debating in circles and looking up exact dates.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

THe correct answers:

What was the punishment for murder? (method of execution)
Being tossed int oa bag with a snake and a monkey and being hurled into the river.

That was not the punishment for all murders in Rome, Azeron. That was only the punishment for parricides, IE, people who murdered their fathers.

What was the maximum numbner of terms that a consul could hold office for?
2 non-consecutive 6 month terms

Incorrect. A consular term was precisely one year. After that a consul was banned from running again for ten years, after of which he could run for the consular office again. If he was re-elected, the same proscription applied - Though I do not believe anyone lived long enough to be constitutionally elected to three consular terms.

Who in the family was leagally entitled to kill a family member?
Oldest living male still in control of his falculties. Much like how the mob is structured as seen in the Sapranos, Roman Familes had the equivilent of a Godfather. It was reffered to as the power os "life and death" appropriately. Ussually to dispose of crippled family members who were hurt in an accident. SIck or insane as well. Known also for those who bought significant disgrace.

This is largely correct but deserves to be elaborated upon. You refer to the pater familias; the Father of the Household; he held the power of life-or-death over his children, his wife, and the wives of his sons, along with, potentially, his grandsons and their wives, until his death. When his daughters married out of the family he no longer held that power over them, of course. Once he died his sons established their own households in the like fashion.

As far as I know, accounts of Roman fathers killing crippled, sick, or insane family members or those who brought significant disgrance are extremely rare at best.

What caused the office of Tribune to be established?
A workers strike of the plebiens.

This is simplistic at best, and rather distorted. It consisted of the entire body of the lower classes physically leaving the city of Rome and moving a hill outside the city (The Mons Sacer); and remaining there until the Patricians agreed to their demands. It could not be considered a worker's strike in the modern sense.

This is also what resulted in the codification of the Twelve Tables, as the plebians demanded to have the laws precisely written down so they could understand their legal standing - There were several "secessions" of the plebians in Roman history, a total of five, though each one is disputed.

What did a census do?
Take a census of a population, draft people into the army, and assess and collect taxes

Are you refering to a censor? A censor conducted the census of the population and did the other things that you refer to. But his post was definitely not also called a "census".

Who could hold such the office of census?
Ussually a fomer or current senator

The office of censor - a collegiate position - was open for election on 18-month terms, once every five years - And since the senatorial positions were for life I don't understand what the hell you're saying by "former" Senator. A former Senator would be someone who is banished and not viable for any political position in Rome.

In fact, the position started around 444 BC and the first Plebian was elected in 351 BC.

What was the name of the legislative branch of the Roman Government?
Commitius Tributus ( I don't want to get into a debate about which committee in particular. This sums them all up). The senate was an administrative, and oversight body.

There were three legislative bodies within the legislative branch of the Roman government, and you've only named one, and furthermore you've mangled its name.

They were:

The Curiate Assembly, the organization of the 30 Curiae of the city, based on clan and family associations - The oldest body of the Republic, and eventually obsolete as a legislative body. Still used however in theory for the approval of the power of imperium to individuals.

The Centuriate Assembly, 193 Centuries based on wealth and age (Presumably what you are referring to), originally military units with membership based on ability to furnish a group of 100 armed men - A century. Also sometimes referred to as the "Military Assembly". 118 centuries controlled by top 3 of 9 classes; so it was effectively a body of the landed aristocracy.

Passed some laws, served as highest court in capital cases, elected censors and magistrates with imperium (consuls, praetors), proper body for declaration of war.

And finally the Tribal Assembly, originally for the election of Tribunes and deliberation of plebians, organized into the urban and 31 rural tribes - based on place of residence. Elected lower magistrates; presence in Rome required to cast ballot. Eventually became the chief law-making body (Gained the power to pass plebiscites that eventually had the same power as lex - laws). - Civil litigation was also heard by panels from its members.

How many days could the senate appoint an absolute dictator for?
3 Days

Six months or duration of crisis, whichever was shorter - He could be appointed by the Consuls or the Senate.

How many days did it take for pompie to squash the pirates?
40 days (quite remarkable considering it was the entire mediteranian.

You've done extensive study on Rome, eh?

EDIT: Just to comment on my amusement:

1. It took him three months, not fourty days, and those campaigns hardly totally cleared the Med - Just suppressed piracy sufficiently that he could claim that.

2. His name is Pompey.

P.S. Yes, my comments on the government of the Roman Republic are based on a rather traditional Mommsenian reconstruction.

[NecronLord]

I hope I haven't missed all the fun?

[Azeron]

Duchasses,

Whne I have more time, I will properly reply to your challenege.

--Azeron

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Jesus Christ, you really can't type, can you?

[Azeron]

Look spanky, you got to learn, I don't like you in that way. My cock is only for a woman, and although you are feminie, your are no lady.

so go masterbate on some rusty nails or something

[Dalton]

That was the definition of "fucking random".