World & People

Ancient Civilizations Trivia

Pharaohs and pyramids, Greek city-states, the Roman Empire, Mesopotamia, the Maya and the civilizations of ancient China and India. These questions cover the people and places where history begins.

Every answer is typed, and each question comes with a short fact from archaeology or the ancient sources.

  • 196questions
  • 37easy
  • 50medium
  • 109hard

What's covered

  • Ancient Egypt
  • Ancient Greece
  • Roman Empire
  • Mesopotamia
  • Maya & Aztec
  • Ancient wonders

Ancient Civilizations Trivia: sample questions

Answer in your head, then tap to check. In the game you type it.

  1. easy

    Which Greek city-state is traditionally called the birthplace of democracy, thanks to citizen-assembly reforms introduced by the statesman Cleisthenes in 508 BC?

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    Athens

    Athenian democracy was direct rather than representative — male citizens debated and voted on laws themselves in the Assembly, with no elected stand-ins.

  2. easy

    Which Roman dictator, recently declared 'dictator for life,' was stabbed to death by a group of senators led by Brutus and Cassius on March 15, 44 BC?

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    Julius Caesar

    Ancient historian Suetonius recorded that Caesar was stabbed 23 times by the conspirators.

  3. medium

    In Roman legend, which twin killed his brother Remus in a quarrel over where to build a new city, then went on to found Rome and rule as its first king in 753 BC?

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    Romulus

    Roman tradition held that Romulus and his brother had been suckled as infants by a she-wolf on the banks of the Tiber.

  4. medium

    Which Greek philosopher, tried in Athens on charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, was executed in 399 BC by being made to drink a cup of poison?

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    Socrates

    According to Plato's dialogue Phaedo, Socrates spent his final hours calmly discussing the immortality of the soul with his students before drinking the poison.

  5. hard

    Who became Rome's first emperor in 27 BC, ushering in the long era of peace known as the Pax Romana after defeating Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium?

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    Augustus

    He was born Gaius Octavius and rose to power as the adopted great-nephew and heir of Julius Caesar.

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