Question 1

True or false: Caesar was famously stabbed 23 times by the conspirators on the Ides of March.

Accepted Answer

True. Historical accounts vary, but most sources, including Suetonius, record 23 stab wounds; Caesar's physician noted only one was fatal—the second blow to the chest.

Question 2

True or false: Julius Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March in 44 BC.

Accepted Answer

True. Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of Roman senators on March 15, 44 BC, known as the Ides of March.

Question 3

True or false: Caesar was a direct ancestor of the Roman emperor Augustus.

Accepted Answer

False. Augustus (Octavian) was Caesar's grandnephew and adopted son, but not a direct blood descendant—Caesar had no legitimate surviving children.

Question 4

True or false: Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, the predecessor of the modern Gregorian calendar.

Accepted Answer

True. Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar in 45 BC, creating the Julian calendar with 365 days and a leap year, later refined by Pope Gregory.

Question 5

True or false: Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and treated them like servants before crucifying them.

Accepted Answer

True. Captured in 75 BC, Caesar joked he'd crucify them, raised his ransom, then returned with a fleet to fulfill his promise—a display of ruthless wit.

Question 6

True or false: Caesar was a vegetarian for most of his adult life.

Accepted Answer

False. Caesar was known for his simple diet, but ancient sources mention he ate meat, especially during military campaigns; vegetarianism was rare among Roman aristocrats.

Question 7

True or false: Julius Caesar was the first Roman emperor, known as Augustus.

Accepted Answer

False. Julius Caesar was a dictator, not an emperor. His adopted heir Octavian became the first Roman emperor, taking the name Augustus in 27 BC.

Question 8

True or false: Julius Caesar's last words were 'Et tu, Brute?' as recorded by ancient historians.

Accepted Answer

False. No ancient source records these words. The phrase comes from Shakespeare's play 'Julius Caesar'; real accounts say Caesar said nothing or a Greek phrase.

Question 9

True or false: Julius Caesar successfully conquered and annexed the entire island of Britain.

Accepted Answer

False. Julius Caesar led two expeditions to Britain (55 and 54 BC) but never conquered or annexed the island. He defeated some tribes but withdrew each time.

Question 10

True or false: Julius Caesar was born via a surgical procedure now known as a C-section.

Accepted Answer

True. The term 'Caesarean' derives from Latin 'caesus' (cut), but Caesar's mother Aurelia lived long after his birth, making the myth unlikely—though the name's origin is debated.

Question 11

True or false: Julius Caesar fathered a son, Caesarion, with Cleopatra of Egypt.

Accepted Answer

True. Cleopatra VII claimed Julius Caesar was the father of her son Ptolemy XV Caesarion, born in 47 BC, though Caesar never officially acknowledged him.

Question 12

True or false: Caesar never lost a single battle in his entire military career.

Accepted Answer

False. Though a brilliant general, Caesar suffered defeats at Gergovia (52 BC) and Dyrrhachium (48 BC), though he ultimately won his campaigns.

Question 13

True or false: Caesar introduced the leap year to the Roman calendar.

Accepted Answer

False. Caesar reformed the calendar in 45 BC (the Julian calendar) and added leap days, but the concept of a leap year was already known; he simply systematized it.

Question 14

True or false: Julius Caesar was born via Caesarean section, which is why the procedure is named after Julius Caesar.

Accepted Answer

False. The term 'Caesarean' likely predates Caesar, possibly from Latin 'caedere' (to cut). Caesar's mother Aurelia lived long after his birth, making a C-section impossible then.

Question 15

True or false: Caesar was the first Roman to have his face on a coin while still alive.

Accepted Answer

True. In 44 BC, Caesar broke tradition by placing his portrait on Roman coins, a move that signaled his dominance and paved the way for imperial coinage.

Question 16

True or false: Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates and demanded a higher ransom than they asked.

Accepted Answer

True. According to Plutarch, Julius Caesar was captured by Cilician pirates and insisted they raise his ransom, treating them as inferiors until released.

Julius Caesar Trivia Questions