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The 1st and 2nd Century

Can you guess these notable people, places, and things from the years 1–200 AD?
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Gassu
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Last updated: May 2, 2021
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First submittedJuly 20, 2018
Times taken30,470
Average score75.0%
Rating4.61
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Year
Description
Answer
180
This stoic philosopher and emperor dies, marking the start of the long decline of the Roman Empire
Marcus Aurelius
165–180
The Roman Empire is struck by a plague, thought to be this disease
Smallpox
c. 140
Ptolemy completes his "Almagest", an astrological treatise which places this at the center of the universe
Earth
122–128
This defensive fortification in northern England is constructed
Hadrian's Wall
126
This temple to all gods is dedicated in Rome
Pantheon
117
Under this emperor, the Roman Empire reaches its maximal extent
Trajan
c. 100
In China, Cai Lun invents a new technique for making this substance, forever changing how information is transmitted
Paper
c. 100
The Pyramid of the Sun is completed in the city of Teotihuacán, located in this modern-day country
Mexico
c.100
"Codexes", or modern books, replace these as the preferred method of preserving written information in the Roman Empire
Scrolls
c. 95
This last book of the New Testament is written by John of Patmos
Revelation
80
This Roman amphitheatre is completed
Colosseum
79
This volcano erupts, destroying Pompeii and Herculaneum
Mt. Vesuvius
70
The Temple in this city is destroyed by Roman troops
Jerusalem
64
Much of the city of Rome is destroyed by fire. This emperor would later be accused of "fiddling" while it burned.
Nero
61
This Celtic queen dies in a revolt against the Romans
Boudica
58–75
This religion spreads into China during the reign of Emperor Ming
Buddhism
47
Romans found this city on the River Thames
Londinium
c. 30
Jesus is crucified after a trial presided over by this Roman governor
Pontius Pilate
14
This first Roman Emperor dies after a reign of 40 years
Augustus
2
The population of China is recorded as 59,594,978 – most of whom live near this river
Yellow River
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30 Comments
FentonsDad
+2
Level 89
Jul 7, 2020
Very picky detail, but I know you're attentive to this kind of thing! In the clue "This Pyramid of the Sun,,," I believe you meant the first word to be "The."

I've enjoyed these early history quizzes!

Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Jul 8, 2020
Fixed
Gassu
+2
Level 69
Jul 8, 2020
I'm really glad you like those quizzes. Also thank you QM for improving and featuring them!
Vindicus
+16
Level 73
Jul 8, 2020
Should Flavian Amphitheater be accepted for Colosseum?
nsoper
+5
Level 68
Mar 15, 2021
I agree, that is the technical name of it.
Temp190
+1
Level 74
Aug 30, 2023
The Favian Amphitheatre is not the "technical name", but the correct name. Colosseum referred to a large statue in the area and hence the area is known as Colosseum not the amphitheatre.
Dontforget
+2
Level 76
May 23, 2025
Was the favian amphitheatre in honour of the beans emperor or something?
Tramp
+10
Level 79
Jul 19, 2020
Very Roman-centric, but it's kinda hard to avoid that in the first/second centuries.
WillemLAif
+12
Level 81
Aug 2, 2020
That's what they teach in most schools from the era.

I quickly checked what was the big whoop at the time and there were things from India and China I'm sure almost no one had ever heard of and fleetingly interesting trivia like lions became extinct in Western Europe, the god Quetzalcoatl was invented, Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka first write down Buddha's teachings... But these things would probably make the quiz too hard. Maybe for the hard core version, then?

AlexThirkell
+10
Level 74
Mar 15, 2021
I like the lions in Western Europe one. I wondered when they were killed off, as they're pretty common around Greece during the Peloponnesian War period, according to the Assassin's Creed collection of historical treatises.
JWatson24
+5
Level 71
Mar 15, 2021
Wow I didn't know that lions once lived in Europe! That's really cool.

Also, can you please add type-ins for "Aurelius"? I had a lot of trouble spelling it.

Dollyfroggy
+1
Level 63
Aug 29, 2023
"Whose teachings are written down by Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka for the first time?" I don't know how many would know this, but it's fairly guessable.
loganite
+17
Level 93
Sep 25, 2020
60 million people lived near it's banks with no indoor plumbing? Yellow river indeed! ;)
SpencerGT
+1
Level 68
Mar 15, 2021
Dang, I tried ink. Didn't think of paper.
alexandertorres1978
+2
Level 70
Mar 15, 2021
I have a quibble. The Pantheon was originally built on the orders of Agrippa, still in the 1st century BC. I know what we see today in Rome is a Hadrianic reconstruction but it was never meant to be perceived as anything but the original building from the time of Augustus, as no mention of Hadrian's intervention was made, and we only know this when recent archaeological work found stamps on the bricks from a builder of the 2nd century AD.

Great quiz nonetheless!

roleybob
+1
Level 73
Mar 16, 2021
The question doesn't say built, it says dedicated
martay
+4
Level 69
Mar 15, 2021
I believe it was Gluteus Maximus who reined during the height of the Roman Empire.
Malbaby
+7
Level 70
Mar 17, 2021
I think he was prominent during the bottom period.
ddddan
+4
Level 85
Mar 28, 2021
Reined? Horse or donkey?
FunGhoul
+1
Level 53
Mar 19, 2021
Had to think a bit about Marc Aurel, Pontius Pilatus and the Vesuv, because that's how I know them from my language, but randomly adding latin endings usually does the trick :) Good Quiz!
Anderis
+1
Level 76
Sep 28, 2021
Damn, I always misspell Trajan as Traian.
Alexquiz17
+1
Level 94
Nov 19, 2021
Love this quiz
Hectorselector
+2
Level 59
Dec 12, 2022
The reference to a wall in England is ahistoric. It wasn't in England for another 500 years. Either modern UK or the province of Britannia would be better.
DictatorTalia
+7
Level 95
May 11, 2023
I'm going to be ultra-nitpicky (sorry), but the plural of "codex" is apparently "codices". Love these quizzes btw, they are quite fun! :)
freehuggs
+1
Level 68
Jul 16, 2023
Is "Vesuvius" without the "Mt." prefix accepted? I'm not sure if I didn't get credit because I misspelled it or because I didn't include "Mount" or "Mt." in my answer.
Dollyfroggy
+1
Level 63
Aug 29, 2023
It is. You can test it.
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 79
Aug 14, 2023
Missed Trajan and Boudica. Been meaning to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Kazzkolo
+5
Level 64
Aug 29, 2023
Pontius Pilatus also should be accepted.
GuybrushT
+2
Level 66
Nov 19, 2025
I agree, since it's the correct name in the orginal language.
Julius
+1
Level 60
Nov 20, 2025
Pontius Pilatus should definitly be accepted
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