120+ Best Ancient & Medieval History Trivia Questions & Answers

Question: What did the ancient Egyptians make papyrus out of?

Answer: River Reeds

Question: Which ancient civilization invented papyrus?

Answer: Egyptian

Question: Which of his family members did Nero, the Roman emperor, kill?

Answer: His Wife and Mother

Question: In which country was pottery invented?

Answer: China

Question: The ancient Romans built 'aqueducts' to carry what?

Answer: Water

Question: In what year were the Romans expelled from Britain?

Answer: 406 AD

Question: The fall of the city of Troy is explicitly featured in which ancient epic poem?

Answer: The Aeneid

Question: On which religion are the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama based?

Answer: Buddhism

Question: Which philosopher was Aristotle a student of?

Answer: Plato

Question: In the Middle Ages, women would give thyme to warriors for what?

Answer: Courage

Question: Sparta, Athens and Crete are all cities of which ancient empire?

Answer: Greek

Question: In which country was Boudica queen of a tribe?

Answer: Britain

Question: In which year were the Romans expelled from Britain?

Answer: 406 AD

Question: In which country did Ashoka the Great rule?

Answer: India

Question: How was the French able to invade and built settlements in Brazil?

Answer: many of the Portuguese settlements failing

Question: In Ancient Rome, what was a 'lanista'?

Answer: Gladiator trainer

Question: Which of these is a famous landmark and ancient Greek temple?

Answer: Parthenon

Question: The ancient Greeks battled which other nation during the Battle of Thermopylae?

Answer: Persia

Question: Which of these Greeks is famous for his theorem on right-angled triangles?

Answer: Pythagoras

Question: Which ancient woman was known in Roman times as a skilled orator?

Answer: Hortensia

Question: In ancient Greek mythology, where did the gods live?

Answer: Mount Olympus

Question: In ancient Greek mythology, the Minotaur is supposed to inhabit which island?

Answer: Crete

Question: In ancient Greek mythology, which hero defeats the Minotaur?

Answer: Theseus

Question: In Greek mythology, Apollo had a twin sister. Who was she?

Answer: Artemis

Question: The armed combatants who battled to death in Roman times were known as what?

Answer: Gladiators

Question: In lieu of toilet paper, what did the ancient Romans use?

Answer: A Wet Sponge

Question: What was the ancient Egyptian god Re responsible for?

Answer: The Sun

Question: In ancient Rome, what was Spartacus famous for?

Answer: Slave

Question: Which of these ancient women was known in Roman times as a skilled orator?

Answer: Hortensia

Question: In which ancient civilization's religion was Jupiter the king of the gods?

Answer: Roman

Question: In the Middle Ages, which Italian city did The Medici's rule?

Answer: Florence

Question: Which ancient empire included the cities Sparta, Athens, and Crete?

Answer: Greek

Question: Which civilization is associated with the implementation of aqueducts and roads?

Answer: Rome

Question: Which of these women did Commodus order the execution of?

Answer: Lucilla

Question: Claudius was succeeded by who as Roman emperor?

Answer: Nero

Question: The Roman goddess of luck went by which name?

Answer: Fortuna

Question: Who was the 3rd wife of Claudius renowned for her promiscuity?

Answer: Valeria Messalina

Question: The famous theater in ancient Rome, Circus Maximus, had a capacity for how many people?

Answer: 150,000

Question: Which civilization is associated with the implementation of aqueducts and roads?

Answer: Rome

Question: What was the ancient Egyptian god Re responsible for?

Answer: The Sun

Question: Which civilization is associated with the implementation of aqueducts and roads?

Answer: Rome

Question: Hieroglyphs were used by which of these civilizations?

Answer: Egypt

Question: Pharaohs ruled in which ancient empire?

Answer: Egypt

Question: Papyrus was invented by which ancient civilization?

Answer: Egyptian

Question: Which of these ancient empires is famous for mummies, pharaohs, and pyramids?

Answer: Egypt

Question: What is the missing word in the Egyptian landmark, The Great ... of Giza?

Answer: Sphinx

Question: The Mayan codices are what?

Answer: Books

Question: Which ancient civilization did Hannibal rule?

Answer: Carthage

Question: Which civilization is associated with the implementation of aqueducts and roads?

Answer: Rome

Question: The Battle of Hastings occurred in which country?

Answer: England

Question: In which battle did the Romans fight the combined forces of Greece in 280 BC?

Answer: Heraclea

Question: In Roman times, which modern-day country was split into regions including Pisidia, Lycia, and Pamphylla?

Answer: Turkey

Question: Pottery was invented in which country?

Answer: China

Question: In ancient Rome, it was considered treason to wear which color if you were not an emperor?

Answer: Purple

Question: Darius I ruled in which ancient empire?

Answer: Persia

Question: Paris of Troy famously stole away which woman during the Trojan War?

Answer: Helen

Question: Which of these gods has a day of the week named after them?

Answer: Saturn

Question: Which region did The Vikings come from?

Answer: Scandinavia

Question: Which of these men is best known as Cleopatra's lover?

Answer: Mark Antony

Question: Who was the first emperor and founder of the Roman Empire?

Answer: Augustus

Question: Erasmus was from which country?

Answer: Holland

Question: When did slaves from Africa arrive in Brazil?

Answer: 1550

Question: In which constituent country of the United Kingdom can Stonehenge be found?

Answer: England

Question: In 46 BC, who gave Greek doctors the right to become Roman citizens?

Answer: Julius Caesar

Question: For which battle in the 2nd Punic War did the Romans travel to Spain?

Answer: Ilipa

Question: Banknotes were invented by which ancient civilization?

Answer: China

Question: When was slavery abolished in Brazil?

Answer: 1888

Question: Who was the son of the Roman god Jupiter?

Answer: Hercules

Question: Used in ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus is the equivalent of what modern-day item?

Answer: Coffin

Question: Which ancient civilization created the Olympic Games?

Answer: Greek

Question: The Roman equivalent of Zeus is known as what?

Answer: Jupiter

Question: The ancient Egyptians made papyrus out of what?

Answer: River Reeds

Question: Against whom did ancient Rome fight the Punic wars?

Answer: Carthage

Question: The ancient Romans invented which of these?

Answer: Under floor heating

Question: Which ancient civilization are public bath houses closely associated with?

Answer: Roman

Question: The ancient Greeks are often credited with inventing which social system?

Answer: Democracy

Question: Which ancient civilization was Alaric king of?

Answer: Visigoths

Question: Which ancient empire did Darius I rule?

Answer: Persia

Question: Which ancient civilization was Nebuchadnezzar II the leader of?

Answer: Babylonian

Question: In ancient Greek mythology, which island was the minotaur supposed to inhabit?

Answer: Crete

Question: The Roman equivalent of Zeus is known as what?

Answer: Jupiter

Question: The Roman goddess of wisdom was known as what?

Answer: Minerva

Question: In Greek Mythology, who was the twin sister of Apollo?

Answer: Artemis

Question: Who was the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth?

Answer: Juno

Question: Who was the Roman goddess of the hunt?

Answer: Diana

Question: The ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife, Anubis, has the head of which animal?

Answer: A Jackal

Question: The Greek mythological creature known as the Minotaur, had the head of a what?

Answer: Bull

Question: According to Greek mythology, everything King Midas touched turned to what?

Answer: Gold

Question: Which Inca symbol is widely regarded as their equivalent of the tree of life in other mythologies?

Answer: Chakana

Question: Killed in the Black Death, what was the nickname of the Russian ruler Simeon I?

Answer: The Proud

Question: Henry VIII was King of which country during the Renaissance?

Answer: England

Question: Ashoka the Great ruled which country?

Answer: India

Question: Who became Roman emperor after the assassination of Domitian?

Answer: Nerva

Question: Who preceeded the Roman emperor Hadrian?

Answer: Trajan

Question: The Flavian dynasty was founded by which emperor?

Answer: Vespasian

Question: In which modern-day country is the ancient city of Babylon?

Answer: Iraq

Question: The Roman emperor, Nero, famously killed which of his family members?

Answer: His Wife and Mother

Question: Which Roman Emperor resided in the Villa Jovis on the Isle of Capri?

Answer: Tiberius

Question: Who was the first Roman emperor to succeed his biological father?

Answer: Titus

Question: The Trojan War featured a giant wooden what?

Answer: Horse

Question: In Roman times, what was the second biggest city after London?

Answer: Cirencester

Question: In which battle did Julius Caesar lead the Romans in 57 BC?

Answer: The Sabis

Question: The main engagement of the 3rd Punic War was which battle in 149 BC?

Answer: Carthage

Question: The Romans were expelled from Britain in which year?

Answer: 406 AD

Question: Hannibal defeated the Romans in which battle in 279 BC?

Answer: Asculum

Question: The end of the second Punic War was marked by which battle in 202 BC?

Answer: Zama

Question: Which battle did the Gauls beat the Romans in 390 BC?

Answer: Allia

Question: When approximately were 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey' written?

Answer: 890 BC

Question: In what year did the Romans successfully invade Britain?

Answer: 43 AD

Question: What name was given to the studded glove which Roman boxers wore?

Answer: Cestus

Question: Solomon's Temple was located in which city?

Answer: Jerusalem

Question: The creature Cerberus' job was to keep people out of where?

Answer: The Underworld

Question: The Trojan War is famous for a hollow sculpture of what animal?

Answer: Horse

Question: The flute was first invented in which modern-day country?

Answer: Germany

Question: Which of these was the Roman name for 'market day'?

Answer: Nundine

Question: What was the number of tribes present by the time the Portuguese arrived?

Answer: 1000

Question: Confucius is said to have written how many 'classics'?

Answer: Five

Question: The 'golden apples' of Greek mythology were what?

Answer: Apricots

Question: What is the Roman numeral for 101?

Answer: CI

Question: The ancient Italian town of Pompeii was buried when a volcano near Naples erupted in 79AD. Name the volcano?

Answer: Vesuvius

Question: What alcoholic drink did ancient Greeks drink mostly?

Answer: Wine

Question: When was the colony built by the French evicted by the Portuguese?

Answer: 1567

Question: Which language was used across the Roman empire?

Answer: Latin