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History Quiz - Roman Army (Questions)

A major theme of KS2 history is the Roman Empire. This is the first of four quizzes on the subject focussing in particular on the organisation and units of the Roman army, such as legions and cohorts.

The army of the Roman Empire was made up of legions, cohorts and centuries, manned by legionaries and centurions. The Roman Army was well trained and very efficient at invading other lands. It was an important tool in conquering tribes and creating the Roman Empire. Just like in the modern army, Roman soldiers spent only a small part of their lives at war. Most of their time was spent on routine military duties such as training, patrolling and maintenance of equipment.

Can you tell the difference between legions and cohorts? Do you know how many legionaries were in a century? Take this quiz to see how much you know about the army of the Roman Empire.

1. What was a Roman soldier called?
[ ] A centurion
[ ] A troop
[ ] A legionary
[ ] A scout
2. How many soldiers were in a legion?
[ ] 100 - 500 soldiers
[ ] 1,000 - 2,000 soldiers
[ ] 4,000 - 6,000 soldiers
[ ] 10,000 soldiers
3. What was the leader of a legion called?
[ ] A centurion
[ ] A legate
[ ] A cohort
[ ] A general
4. How many cohorts were in a legion?
[ ] 5
[ ] 10
[ ] 20
[ ] 50
5. What did a centurion lead?
[ ] A century
[ ] A cohort
[ ] A legion
[ ] An army
6. How many legionaries were in a century?
[ ] 50
[ ] 80
[ ] 100
[ ] 1,000
7. Which of these was not a Roman weapon?
[ ] Catapult
[ ] Cannon
[ ] Javelin
[ ] Sword
8. What was a Roman legionary’s armour made of?
[ ] Metal strips
[ ] Wooden strips
[ ] Leather strips
[ ] Paper strips
9. How many years was a legionary required to serve in the army?
[ ] 10
[ ] 15
[ ] 25
[ ] 30
10. What did a legionary receive when they retired?
[ ] A watch
[ ] A golden sword
[ ] A house
[ ] A pension

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What was life like in the Roman army?

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History Quiz - Roman Army (Answers)
1. What was a Roman soldier called?
[ ] A centurion
[ ] A troop
[x] A legionary
[ ] A scout
Legionaries were grouped together in legions
2. How many soldiers were in a legion?
[ ] 100 - 500 soldiers
[ ] 1,000 - 2,000 soldiers
[x] 4,000 - 6,000 soldiers
[ ] 10,000 soldiers
The legions were the Roman army's elite heavy infantry
3. What was the leader of a legion called?
[ ] A centurion
[x] A legate
[ ] A cohort
[ ] A general
There were around 30 legions in the Roman Army
4. How many cohorts were in a legion?
[ ] 5
[x] 10
[ ] 20
[ ] 50
The commanding officer of the first cohort was the leader of the legion
5. What did a centurion lead?
[x] A century
[ ] A cohort
[ ] A legion
[ ] An army
There were six centuries in a cohort
6. How many legionaries were in a century?
[ ] 50
[x] 80
[ ] 100
[ ] 1,000
A century had 100 men but only 80 were legionaries
7. Which of these was not a Roman weapon?
[ ] Catapult
[x] Cannon
[ ] Javelin
[ ] Sword
Cannons were not used in Europe until the 11th or 12th century
8. What was a Roman legionary’s armour made of?
[x] Metal strips
[ ] Wooden strips
[ ] Leather strips
[ ] Paper strips
The armour was surprisingly effective
9. How many years was a legionary required to serve in the army?
[ ] 10
[ ] 15
[x] 25
[ ] 30
Legionaries were Roman citizens under the age of 45 who signed up for 25 years in the army
10. What did a legionary receive when they retired?
[ ] A watch
[ ] A golden sword
[ ] A house
[x] A pension
Instead of a pension some soldiers were given a gift of farmland