Total Quiz IV

Archived questions and answers to AE's history contest. See the category link below for more questions
Introduction: Total Quiz IV was a one-part "Christmas Edition" held on December 28 2001. Unlike the past three series, participants answered questions through email rather than answering directly by posting in the forum. Answering through email solved the "first come, first server" problem with answering questions directly on the forum. Thus, scoring now became independent of the chronological order in which users answered questions. Later Quizzes used a more sophisticated method of retrieving answers, by a web form, but the new idea of allowing all users an equal opportunity to answer questions within a larger time frame regardless of answering order became a permanent change in quiz format. Another new addition was bonus point allocations for participating users who also submitted questions to the quiz. The questions of Total Quiz IV are listed below.

-- Summary and Results --
Total Quiz IV Champion: TJK  
Moderator: Serge_L

Total Quiz questions viewing options: Click here to hide answers

Total Quiz IV

1. The Scythians sent Darius the Great, king of Persia, a box containing a bird, mouse, frog and five arrows when they learned he planned to invade Scythia. What did Darius think of the "message"?
Answer: Darius first understood these items to mean that his victory over the Scythians was assured. The arrows prophesied the laying down of the enemy's arms; the mouse signified the surrender of the land; the frog presaged the yielding of their waterways; the bird symbolized the flight of the Scythians from Darius. The Scythians sent an intentionally vague message in the hope it would create uncertainty and indecision. Darius' advisers, already skeptical about the possibility of achieving victory, suggested that the Scythians were warning Darius that he had better fly away like a bird, hide in water like a frog, burrow into the ground like a mouse, or he would be slain by Scythian archers. As a result, Darius thought better of his optimistic outlook, retreated and prevented defeat.
2. Who finished Magellan's journey even tough Magellan himself was killed?
Answer: Sebastian del Cano
3. Zeppelin airships are named after which German count?
Answer: Herr Ferdinand von Zeppelin
4. What was the name of the ship on which Charles Darwin traveled the south seas?
Answer: The Beagle
5. It is reputed that the Ark of the covenant lies in Ethiopia on the island of Axum. Who is its keeper? (See note on the answer key)
Answer: Tefsa Mariam and Abba Mekonen are among the acceptable answers. During the quiz, it was noted that the keeper had changed from the former to the later in recent times. The most "current" answer may be different.
6. What was the name of the people's tribune (tribunus plebis) who vetoed the Lex Agraria of Ti. Sempronius Gracchus and was put out of office after that?
Answer: Marcus Octavius
7. Columbus sailed out to discover the sea route to India. He rediscovered Americas and believed until his death, that he was in India. Now, who at least discovered the sea route to India and when?
Answer: Vasco da Gama, Portugese captain in 1498.
8. During the 14th-19th century, parts of Africa were conquered by Europeans and the Muslims. In tha time, when people conquer or discover a new territory, they would (re)name the country, the mountains and other landmarks. In Africa, there have been various names given to shores - four of them are still popular. One of them remained as the name of a nation today. What are the names and which is the nation?
Answer: Ivorycoast (modern official name: Cote D'Ivoire); Peppercoast (or Grain Coast); Slaverycoast (or Slave Coast); Goldcoast9. Dingaan, king of the Zulus, 1828 - 1840. Like his half-brother Caka, Dingaan was a tyrant, and brutal and cruel to his people and conquered tribes.
9. Which famous leader got the nickname 'The Black Nero'?
Answer: Dingaan, king of the Zulus, 1828 - 1840. Like his half-brother Caka, Dingaan was a tyrant, and brutal and cruel to his people and conquered tribes.
10. The first geopoliticians gave the special name to the pivot region in the world politics (obviously, according those geopolitics). What name was given?
Answer: Heartland: from Eastern Europe to Siberia. This term was used for the first time by James Fairgrieve in 1915.Source. Saul B. Cohen Geopolitics in <i>War</i>, Oxford University Press 1994. As opposed to the "Hearrtland," the "Rimland" includes the countries of Western Europe, Turkey, China, and Japan.
11. This king bought the independence of his land by a payment of 10000 marks to his "heart". Who was he?
Answer: The king of Scotland William I the Lion payed this money to Richard I the Lionheart, who needed money for his crusade.
12. A famous philosopher had to travel a lot during his life, mostly escaping because of his religious ideas, which were considered heretical. He was imprisoned and eventually executed in an auto-da-fé in Rome on 1600, after having been denounced by a Venetian patrician who had hired him hoping to learn from him the mnemotechnique (and maybe also magic!), but was unsatisfied of what he learned. Who was the philosopher and who was the Venetian man who caused his death?
Answer: Giordano Bruno (Nola 1548 - Rome 1600) and Giovanni (or ZUAN, in Venetian) Mocenico (Venice 1558 - ibidem 1623) respectively.
13. A great medieval king was killed on Good Friday during a battle his army won. In that same battle (also one of his sons), other parents, friends and allies of his died, so his kingdom eventually passed back to the one he had deposed. Who was that great King?
Answer: Brian Boru (or Boruma or Borohime), Ard Ri ('supreme king') of Ireland. The battle was that of Clontarf (1014). The previous Ard Ri, who was pacifically deposed by Brian and eventually had back the mantle after his death was Mael Sechnaill II.
14. What did abbot Bato allegedly found on 495 AD?
Answer: The first Shao-lin monastery, in Henan province, China. (Shao-lin are Buddhist monks who are believed to have developed Chinese martial arts for first)
15. Finally, a new kind of question: one about a not-happened-yet historical event! As you all should know (shame on you if you don't), on January 1st, 2002, the new currency Euro (€) will replace the local currencies in many European countries. The Euro coins will have a common side, equal for all countries, and a "national" side. Out of 15 countries, which are currently part of the European Union, only 12 will replace the former currency with the new one. Nevertheless, the national versions of coins will be 15, and not 12. Why?
Answer: The three additional series of coins will be those of San Marino, Vatican City and Principality of Monaco. This three little states, in fact, are not part of the European Union, but by virtue of previous agreements they used French Francs (Monaco) or Italian Lire (the other ones), and were allowed to mint a certain amount of “personalised” Francs or Lire respectively, which will mutually be legal tender (this means you could spend Lire of San Marino in Italy and Italian lire in San Marino, with the same value, etc.). Now, since Italy and France both will adopt the Euro, those agreements were adapted accordingly.
Question Authors: (user who contributed the question) 1. Cyrus Shahmiri; 2. Marcus Petrius Caesar; 3. Marcus Petrius Caesar; 4. Marcus Petrius Caesar; 5. Marcus Petrius Caesar; 6. Marcus Petrius Caesar; 7. Targan Khan; 8. Targan Khan; 9. Targan Khan; 10. Kolovrat; 11. Kolovrat; 12. Serge L; 13. Serge L; 14. Serge L; 15. Serge L;


(The questions have been edited from their original state for grammar and clarity.)

Sources: The original quizzes can still be found on Heavengames' history forum: www.heavengames.com/cgi-bin/forums...