Classical Greece and Roman Republic Quiz
Use the stimulus sources provided to answer the following questions.
Group 1
Our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people. When it is a question of settling private disputes, everyone is equal before the law; when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility, what counts is not membership of a particular class, but the actual ability which the man possesses.
Excerpt from Pericles’ Funeral Oration (431 BCE)
Question 1a
Which of the following best describes the political system Pericles is referring to in the excerpt?
Oligarchy
Tyranny
Monarchy
Democracy
Question 1b
The political system described in the excerpt was most closely associated with which Greek city-state?
Sparta
Corinth
Athens
Thebes
Question 1c
What was one limitation of the Athenian democracy described by Pericles?
Only wealthy citizens could participate in government.
Slaves, women, and non-citizens were excluded from political participation.
The military held all political power.
Political positions were inherited by birthright.
Group 2
The map shows Athens as the leader of the Delian League, with city-states across the Aegean Sea contributing ships, soldiers, and money to a shared defense force.
Question 2a
What was the primary purpose of the Delian League?
To promote trade across the Mediterranean
To defend against Persian invasions
To expand the Spartan military
To support the construction of the Parthenon
Question 2b
How did Athens’ leadership of the Delian League contribute to tensions with other Greek city-states?
Athens used League resources to build its own power and empire.
Athens forced member states to adopt democratic governments.
Athens demanded all city-states worship its patron goddess, Athena.
Athens refused to participate in military campaigns.
Group 3
The Roman constitution has three elements: the rule of the Consuls, the Senate, and the People. Each has its own share in the government. The Consuls command the armies, the Senate controls the treasury and foreign affairs, and the People decide on laws and elect magistrates.
Polybius, Histories
Question 3a
What does Polybius’s description of the Roman constitution suggest about its political structure?
It was a monarchy ruled by a single leader.
It was a system of checks and balances with shared powers.
It was a direct democracy similar to Athens.
It relied entirely on the decisions of the Senate.
Question 3b
What key feature of the Roman Republic allowed the People to participate in government, as described in the excerpt?
The role of the Senate
The use of assemblies to vote on laws
The creation of an emperor to rule over the masses
The appointment of consuls for life
Group 4
Tiberius Gracchus proposed a law that no one should hold more than 500 iugera of public land, and that the surplus should be distributed to the poor. This angered the wealthy, who saw it as an attack on their property. When Tiberius sought re-election as tribune, a group of senators, armed with clubs and stones, attacked and killed him. Later, his brother Gaius attempted similar reforms, but he too was met with fierce opposition and violence from the Senate.
Plutarch, Life of Tiberius Gracchus
Question 4a
What do the deaths of the Gracchi brothers reveal about the Roman Republic?
The Republic supported peaceful reforms for the lower classes.
The Senate widely supported land redistribution to the poor.
Social and economic inequality created significant political tension.
The Republic was ruled by a single dictator during this period.
Question 4b
The reforms proposed by the Gracchi brothers were most directly opposed by which group in Roman society?
The plebeians
The patricians
The military
Foreign allies
Question 4c
What broader trend in Roman politics is reflected in the violent deaths of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus?
The growing militarization of Roman politics as generals seized power.
The expansion of Roman citizenship to conquered peoples.
The dominance of plebeian assemblies over the Senate.
The inability of the Republic to resolve class conflicts peacefully.
Question 5
Explain one significant difference between the governments of two Greek city-states.
Question 6
Explain one significant way Alexander the Great's conquests affected the cultures of the regions he conquered.
Question 7
Explain one way social conflict during the Roman Republic led to reforms, such as the Twelve Tables.
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