GCSE History | Crime and Punishment in the Ancient World

History Quiz - Crime And Punishment: The Ancient World (Questions)

In GCSE History, students will look at how crime and punishment has changed over the centuries. One era they will study is the ancient world.

The Romans are considered by many to be the most civilised of all cultures in the ancient world. They had a highly developed system of law, which to some extent, they were able to impose on outlying parts of their Empire. However, they practised slavery, and some of their forms of punishment for a crime would be considered barbaric by modern standards.

Find out more about crime and punishment in the ancient world in this revealing quiz.

Which arena in Rome was regularly used for fights to the death between men or between men and animals?

[ ]	The Forum
[ ]	The Palatine Hill
[ ]	The Hippodrome
[ ]	The Colosseum

The punishment of fighting to the death in the arena was only imposed for exceptionally serious crimes, such as refusing to obey the Emperor's authority. What name was given to those with whom the condemned had to fight?

[ ]	Pugilists
[ ]	Gladiators
[ ]	Combatants
[ ]	Warriors

Decimation was a punishment inflicted on whole legions (Roman military units). What did this punishment consist of?

[ ]	Executing half of the regiment
[ ]	Executing one tenth of the legion's members
[ ]	Fining the legionaries 10% of their pay
[ ]	Fining the legionaries half of their pay

Who created the laws in the Roman Empire?

[ ]	The Emperor alone
[ ]	The Emperor and the Senate together
[ ]	The Senate by itself
[ ]	All free citizens of Rome

In Rome itself, slaves could be branded if they tried to escape, and put to death if they tried to kill their master. In the latter case, what form of execution was employed?

[ ]	Crucifixion
[ ]	Beheading
[ ]	Stoning
[ ]	Being hurled from a cliff

The Emperor was protected by a special guard, which only reacted with force to very serious threats to the Emperor's person - like assassination attempts. What was the name of this force?

[ ]	The Imperial Guard
[ ]	The Royal Guard
[ ]	The Proconsular Guard
[ ]	The Praetorian Guard

In the provinces, the role of a police force was taken by which group?

[ ]	Locally raised constables
[ ]	Units of the Roman Army
[ ]	Locally recruited paramilitaries
[ ]	Freed slaves

Slaves had no legal identity and couldn't own property. Which special form of punishment was reserved for them?

[ ]	Fines
[ ]	Burning at the Stake
[ ]	Whipping
[ ]	Torture

Which paid officials could fine people for selling underweight bread or leaving a mess in the street?

[ ]	Vigiles
[ ]	The Urban Cohort
[ ]	Aediles
[ ]	Local magistrates

10.

Throughout the Empire religious toleration was the norm, but certain conditions applied. What were these?

[ ]	Honour had to be accorded to Roman gods
[ ]	Other religions' holidays had to be observed
[ ]	Freedom to change religion was guaranteed
[ ]	All other faiths would receive the same level of toleration, subject to similar terms

History Quiz - Crime And Punishment: The Ancient World (Answers)

Which arena in Rome was regularly used for fights to the death between men or between men and animals?

[ ]	The Forum
[ ]	The Palatine Hill
[ ]	The Hippodrome
[x]	The Colosseum

Such occasions were enormously popular with Romans

[ ]	Pugilists
[x]	Gladiators
[ ]	Combatants
[ ]	Warriors

These fights were of course always to the death. Entering the arena the men would shout in the direction of the Emperor: "Caesar! Those who are about to die salute you!"

Decimation was a punishment inflicted on whole legions (Roman military units). What did this punishment consist of?

[ ]	Executing half of the regiment
[x]	Executing one tenth of the legion's members
[ ]	Fining the legionaries 10% of their pay
[ ]	Fining the legionaries half of their pay

This form of collective punishment was regarded by the authorities as a useful deterrent

Who created the laws in the Roman Empire?

[ ]	The Emperor alone
[x]	The Emperor and the Senate together
[ ]	The Senate by itself
[ ]	All free citizens of Rome

From time to time a new code of laws was drawn up

In Rome itself, slaves could be branded if they tried to escape, and put to death if they tried to kill their master. In the latter case, what form of execution was employed?

[x]	Crucifixion
[ ]	Beheading
[ ]	Stoning
[ ]	Being hurled from a cliff

This was public execution, designed to deter onlookers from committing a similar offence

The Emperor was protected by a special guard, which only reacted with force to very serious threats to the Emperor's person - like assassination attempts. What was the name of this force?

[ ]	The Imperial Guard
[ ]	The Royal Guard
[ ]	The Proconsular Guard
[x]	The Praetorian Guard

The Guard would deal savagely with any perceived threat

In the provinces, the role of a police force was taken by which group?

[ ]	Locally raised constables
[x]	Units of the Roman Army
[ ]	Locally recruited paramilitaries
[ ]	Freed slaves

Rome hoped that crime and disorder would be rare, as the outlying parts of the Empire were (in Rome's view) leniently governed

Slaves had no legal identity and couldn't own property. Which special form of punishment was reserved for them?

[ ]	Fines
[ ]	Burning at the Stake
[ ]	Whipping
[x]	Torture

Other sections of society, like nobles and ordinary citizens, had their own certain punishments - reserved just for them!

Which paid officials could fine people for selling underweight bread or leaving a mess in the street?

[ ]	Vigiles
[ ]	The Urban Cohort
[x]	Aediles
[ ]	Local magistrates

Most of the powers of the Aediles were removed by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus

10.

Throughout the Empire religious toleration was the norm, but certain conditions applied. What were these?

[x]	Honour had to be accorded to Roman gods
[ ]	Other religions' holidays had to be observed
[ ]	Freedom to change religion was guaranteed
[ ]	All other faiths would receive the same level of toleration, subject to similar terms

Breach of these conditions would provoke punishment like enslavement or confiscation of goods