Q 01/05

In which city does the Colosseum stand?

A) Naples

B) Rome

C) Istanbul

D) Athens

Answer · why

B) Rome

It sits just east of the Forum, in the city centre rather than the outskirts where most amphitheatres were built.

Q 02/05

Which emperor began construction of the Colosseum in AD 72?

A) Caligula

B) Augustus

C) Hadrian

D) Vespasian

Answer · why

D) Vespasian

He died in 79 with three storeys complete; his son Titus finished the top level.

Q 03/05

By what other name is the Colosseum known, after the imperial dynasty that built it?

A) Flavian Amphitheatre

B) Severan Amphitheatre

C) Antonine Amphitheatre

D) Julian Amphitheatre

Answer · why

A) Flavian Amphitheatre

There is no evidence the name was actually used in antiquity; Romans may have called it the Amphitheatrum Caesareum.

Q 04/05

The name "Colosseum" is believed to derive from a colossal statue of which emperor that stood nearby?

A) Constantine

B) Nero

C) Vespasian

D) Trajan

Answer · why

B) Nero

The giant bronze, remodelled as a sun god, was moved next to the amphitheatre by Hadrian.

Q 05/05

What did the Colosseum's site hold before construction, as part of Nero's Domus Aurea?

A) An artificial lake

B) A racetrack

C) A temple to Apollo

D) A military parade ground

Answer · why

A) An artificial lake

Vespasian's decision to build on the drained lake was a populist gesture returning Nero's private land to the people.