Explore 100 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on ancient world history. Perfect for history buffs and students, these questions cover key ancient civilizations, important historical figures, and major events. Test your knowledge now!

  1. Which of the following rivers was associated with the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia?
    • A) Nile
    • B) Tigris
    • C) Amazon
    • D) Ganges
    • Answer: B) Tigris
  2. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built during the reign of which Pharaoh?
    • A) Tutankhamun
    • B) Ramses II
    • C) Khufu
    • D) Akhenaten
    • Answer: C) Khufu
  3. Which ancient civilization is known for developing cuneiform writing?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Sumerians
    • C) Harappans
    • D) Chinese
    • Answer: B) Sumerians
  4. The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian code of law from which king?
    • A) Nebuchadnezzar
    • B) Sargon
    • C) Hammurabi
    • D) Ashurbanipal
    • Answer: C) Hammurabi
  5. Which Greek city-state was known for its military-oriented society?
    • A) Athens
    • B) Sparta
    • C) Corinth
    • D) Thebes
    • Answer: B) Sparta
  6. Who was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire?
    • A) Xerxes
    • B) Darius
    • C) Cyrus the Great
    • D) Cambyses
    • Answer: C) Cyrus the Great
  7. Which ancient city is known for its hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
    • A) Rome
    • B) Athens
    • C) Babylon
    • D) Alexandria
    • Answer: C) Babylon
  8. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between which two groups?
    • A) Romans and Carthaginians
    • B) Greeks and Persians
    • C) Egyptians and Hittites
    • D) Chinese and Mongols
    • Answer: B) Greeks and Persians
  9. Who is considered the father of history?
    • A) Thucydides
    • B) Herodotus
    • C) Xenophon
    • D) Plato
    • Answer: B) Herodotus
  10. Which ancient civilization built the city of Machu Picchu?
    • A) Aztecs
    • B) Mayans
    • C) Incas
    • D) Olmecs
    • Answer: C) Incas
  11. The Rosetta Stone was key to deciphering which ancient script?
    • A) Cuneiform
    • B) Hieroglyphics
    • C) Linear B
    • D) Sanskrit
    • Answer: B) Hieroglyphics
  12. The epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” are attributed to which ancient Greek poet?
    • A) Homer
    • B) Hesiod
    • C) Sophocles
    • D) Euripides
    • Answer: A) Homer
  13. Which ancient empire was ruled by the Pharaohs?
    • A) Persian Empire
    • B) Greek Empire
    • C) Roman Empire
    • D) Egyptian Empire
    • Answer: D) Egyptian Empire
  14. The ancient city of Carthage was located in which modern-day country?
    • A) Egypt
    • B) Italy
    • C) Tunisia
    • D) Spain
    • Answer: C) Tunisia
  15. Which ancient civilization is credited with the invention of the wheel?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Sumerians
    • C) Mayans
    • D) Greeks
    • Answer: B) Sumerians
  16. Which ancient Indian emperor converted to Buddhism and spread its teachings?
    • A) Chandragupta Maurya
    • B) Ashoka
    • C) Harsha
    • D) Samudragupta
    • Answer: B) Ashoka
  17. The Peloponnesian War was fought between which two Greek city-states?
    • A) Athens and Corinth
    • B) Sparta and Thebes
    • C) Athens and Sparta
    • D) Thebes and Corinth
    • Answer: C) Athens and Sparta
  18. The ancient kingdom of Kush was located to the south of which civilization?
    • A) Greek
    • B) Egyptian
    • C) Roman
    • D) Chinese
    • Answer: B) Egyptian
  19. Which ancient philosopher was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle?
    • A) Plato
    • B) Pythagoras
    • C) Zeno
    • D) Epicurus
    • Answer: A) Plato
  20. The Indus Valley Civilization is known for which major cities?
    • A) Athens and Sparta
    • B) Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
    • C) Rome and Carthage
    • D) Babylon and Nineveh
    • Answer: B) Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
  21. Who was the Macedonian king that created one of the largest empires in ancient history?
    • A) Alexander the Great
    • B) Philip II
    • C) Darius III
    • D) Pericles
    • Answer: A) Alexander the Great
  22. Which Roman emperor initiated the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and stability?
    • A) Julius Caesar
    • B) Augustus
    • C) Nero
    • D) Constantine
    • Answer: B) Augustus
  23. The ancient Olympic Games were held in honor of which Greek god?
    • A) Zeus
    • B) Apollo
    • C) Athena
    • D) Poseidon
    • Answer: A) Zeus
  24. The Colosseum, an iconic symbol of ancient Rome, was used for what purpose?
    • A) Religious ceremonies
    • B) Gladiatorial contests
    • C) Political meetings
    • D) Educational lectures
    • Answer: B) Gladiatorial contests
  25. Which Chinese dynasty is credited with the construction of the Great Wall of China?
  26. The term “Pharaoh” originally referred to what in ancient Egypt?
    • A) A god
    • B) A king’s palace
    • C) A high priest
    • D) A river
    • Answer: B) A king’s palace
  27. Which ancient civilization is known for the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth?
    • A) Egyptian
    • B) Minoan
    • C) Phoenician
    • D) Sumerian
    • Answer: B) Minoan
  28. Which of the following was a major seafaring and trading civilization located in present-day Lebanon?
    • A) Etruscans
    • B) Mycenaeans
    • C) Phoenicians
    • D) Persians
    • Answer: C) Phoenicians
  29. Who was the first emperor of a unified China?
    • A) Confucius
    • B) Laozi
    • C) Qin Shi Huang
    • D) Han Wudi
    • Answer: C) Qin Shi Huang
  30. The Trojan War, a central event in Greek mythology, was fought between the Trojans and which other group?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Persians
    • C) Greeks
    • D) Romans
    • Answer: C) Greeks
  31. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were reportedly built by which king?
    • A) Hammurabi
    • B) Nebuchadnezzar II
    • C) Sargon
    • D) Ashurbanipal
    • Answer: B) Nebuchadnezzar II
  32. Which ancient civilization used the Quipu as a recording system?
    • A) Maya
    • B) Inca
    • C) Aztec
    • D) Olmec
    • Answer: B) Inca
  33. Which famous ancient library was located in Egypt and considered one of the largest of its time?
    • A) Library of Alexandria
    • B) Library of Pergamum
    • C) Library of Athens
    • D) Library of Nineveh
    • Answer: A) Library of Alexandria
  34. The ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of which volcano?
    • A) Mount Etna
    • B) Mount Vesuvius
    • C) Mount Olympus
    • D) Mount Parnassus
    • Answer: B) Mount Vesuvius
  35. Which ancient philosopher wrote “The Republic”?
    • A) Aristotle
    • B) Socrates
    • C) Plato
    • D) Pythagoras
    • Answer: C) Plato
  36. The Maurya Empire reached its height under which ruler?
    • A) Chandragupta Maurya
    • B) Bindusara
    • C) Ashoka
    • D) Samudragupta
    • Answer: C) Ashoka
  37. Which ancient civilization is known for its pyramids and mummies?
    • A) Greek
    • B) Roman
    • C) Egyptian
    • D) Mesopotamian
    • Answer: C) Egyptian
  38. The ancient law code known as the Twelve Tables was created in which civilization?
    • A) Greece
    • B) Rome
    • C) Persia
    • D) Egypt
    • Answer: B) Rome
  39. The Parthenon is a temple dedicated to which Greek goddess?
    • A) Hera
    • B) Artemis
    • C) Athena
    • D) Aphrodite
    • Answer: C) Athena
  40. Which civilization built the city of Teotihuacan?
    • A) Maya
    • B) Inca
    • C) Aztec
    • D) Olmec
    • Answer: C) Aztec
  41. The ancient civilization of Mycenae was located in which present-day country?
    • A) Italy
    • B) Turkey
    • C) Greece
    • D) Egypt
    • Answer: C) Greece
  42. Which Carthaginian general famously crossed the Alps with elephants to invade Italy?
    • A) Hamilcar
    • B) Hannibal
    • C) Hasdrubal
    • D) Mago
    • Answer: B) Hannibal
  43. The Battle of Actium in 31 BCE was a decisive conflict between which two leaders?
    • A) Julius Caesar and Pompey
    • B) Octavian and Mark Antony
    • C) Nero and Caligula
    • D) Constantine and Maxentius
    • Answer: B) Octavian and Mark Antony
  44. Which ancient civilization is known for the development of the zodiac system?
    • A) Chinese
    • B) Mesopotamian
    • C) Egyptian
    • D) Indian
    • Answer: B) Mesopotamian
  45. Which Persian king attempted to conquer Greece in the early 5th century BCE?
    • A) Cyrus the Great
    • B) Darius I
    • C) Xerxes I
    • D) Artaxerxes I
    • Answer: B) Darius I
  46. Which ancient Roman structure was used for chariot races?
    • A) Colosseum
    • B) Pantheon
    • C) Circus Maximus
    • D) Forum
    • Answer: C) Circus Maximus
  47. Which dynasty is considered the first historically confirmed Chinese dynasty?
    • A) Shang
    • B) Zhou
    • C) Qin
    • D) Han
    • Answer: A) Shang
  48. The Hittites were an ancient civilization located in which region?
    • A) Mesopotamia
    • B) Anatolia
    • C) Levant
    • D) Persia
    • Answer: B) Anatolia
  49. Which Greek philosopher taught Alexander the Great?
    • A) Socrates
    • B) Plato
    • C) Aristotle
    • D) Pythagoras
    • Answer: C) Aristotle
  50. The ancient city of Troy is located in which modern-day country?
  51. Which Roman emperor is known for his extensive building projects, including a wall in Britain?
    • A) Nero
    • B) Hadrian
    • C) Trajan
    • D) Augustus
    • Answer: B) Hadrian
  52. Which ancient civilization is credited with the invention of paper?
    • A) Egyptian
    • B) Chinese
    • C) Greek
    • D) Roman
    • Answer: B) Chinese
  53. The Vedas are ancient texts associated with which religion?
    • A) Buddhism
    • B) Hinduism
    • C) Jainism
    • D) Zoroastrianism
    • Answer: B) Hinduism
  54. Which ancient ruler is known for his conquests and the subsequent spread of Hellenistic culture?
    • A) Julius Caesar
    • B) Alexander the Great
    • C) Darius the Great
    • D) Ramses II
    • Answer: B) Alexander the Great
  55. Which early civilization developed the concept of zero?
    • A) Greek
    • B) Roman
    • C) Indian
    • D) Egyptian
    • Answer: C) Indian
  56. Which ancient civilization built the city of Petra?
    • A) Phoenicians
    • B) Nabataeans
    • C) Egyptians
    • D) Sumerians
    • Answer: B) Nabataeans
  57. Which ancient philosopher is known for the quote “I think, therefore I am”?
    • A) Aristotle
    • B) Plato
    • C) Socrates
    • D) None of the above
    • Answer: D) None of the above (The quote is by René Descartes, who is not an ancient philosopher)
  58. The Oracle of Delphi was a priestess dedicated to which Greek god?
    • A) Zeus
    • B) Apollo
    • C) Athena
    • D) Poseidon
    • Answer: B) Apollo
  59. The ancient city of Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of which empire?
    • A) Roman Empire
    • B) Greek Empire
    • C) Persian Empire
    • D) Egyptian Empire
    • Answer: C) Persian Empire
  60. Which ancient Greek historian wrote “The History of the Peloponnesian War”?
    • A) Herodotus
    • B) Thucydides
    • C) Xenophon
    • D) Plutarch
    • Answer: B) Thucydides
  61. The Bhagavad Gita is a sacred text in which religion?
    • A) Buddhism
    • B) Hinduism
    • C) Jainism
    • D) Sikhism
    • Answer: B) Hinduism
  62. Which ancient civilization is known for creating the first alphabet?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Phoenicians
    • C) Sumerians
    • D) Greeks
    • Answer: B) Phoenicians
  63. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were constructed under the rule of which king?
    • A) Hammurabi
    • B) Nebuchadnezzar II
    • C) Sargon
    • D) Cyrus the Great
    • Answer: B) Nebuchadnezzar II
  64. The city of Rome was founded in which year according to legend?
    • A) 753 BCE
    • B) 509 BCE
    • C) 146 BCE
    • D) 27 BCE
    • Answer: A) 753 BCE
  65. The ancient Egyptian writing system is known as what?
    • A) Cuneiform
    • B) Sanskrit
    • C) Hieroglyphics
    • D) Latin
    • Answer: C) Hieroglyphics
  66. Which ancient Greek philosopher is known for his method of questioning?
    • A) Plato
    • B) Aristotle
    • C) Socrates
    • D) Epicurus
    • Answer: C) Socrates
  67. Which civilization built the famous city of Machu Picchu?
    • A) Maya
    • B) Inca
    • C) Aztec
    • D) Olmec
    • Answer: B) Inca
  68. The Roman Empire split into two halves in which year?
    • A) 284 CE
    • B) 330 CE
    • C) 395 CE
    • D) 476 CE
    • Answer: C) 395 CE
  69. Which ancient city is known for its extensive sewer system, including the Great Bath?
    • A) Harappa
    • B) Athens
    • C) Rome
    • D) Babylon
    • Answer: A) Harappa
  70. The legendary founder of the Persian Empire, known for his tolerance and diplomacy, is who?
    • A) Xerxes
    • B) Cyrus the Great
    • C) Darius I
    • D) Artaxerxes
    • Answer: B) Cyrus the Great\
  71. Which of the following rivers was associated with the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia?
    • A) Nile
    • B) Tigris
    • C) Amazon
    • D) Ganges
    • Answer: B) Tigris
  72. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built during the reign of which Pharaoh?
    • A) Tutankhamun
    • B) Ramses II
    • C) Khufu
    • D) Akhenaten
    • Answer: C) Khufu
  73. Which ancient civilization is known for developing cuneiform writing?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Sumerians
    • C) Harappans
    • D) Chinese
    • Answer: B) Sumerians
  74. The Code of Hammurabi is a well-preserved Babylonian code of law from which king?
    • A) Nebuchadnezzar
    • B) Sargon
    • C) Hammurabi
    • D) Ashurbanipal
    • Answer: C) Hammurabi
  75. Which Greek city-state was known for its military-oriented society?
    • A) Athens
    • B) Sparta
    • C) Corinth
    • D) Thebes
    • Answer: B) Sparta
  76. Who was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire?
    • A) Xerxes
    • B) Darius
    • C) Cyrus the Great
    • D) Cambyses
    • Answer: C) Cyrus the Great
  77. Which ancient city is known for its hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
    • A) Rome
    • B) Athens
    • C) Babylon
    • D) Alexandria
    • Answer: C) Babylon
  78. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between which two groups?
    • A) Romans and Carthaginians
    • B) Greeks and Persians
    • C) Egyptians and Hittites
    • D) Chinese and Mongols
    • Answer: B) Greeks and Persians
  79. Who is considered the father of history?
    • A) Thucydides
    • B) Herodotus
    • C) Xenophon
    • D) Plato
    • Answer: B) Herodotus
  80. Which ancient civilization built the city of Machu Picchu?
    • A) Aztecs
    • B) Mayans
    • C) Incas
    • D) Olmecs
    • Answer: C) Incas
  81. The Rosetta Stone was key to deciphering which ancient script?
    • A) Cuneiform
    • B) Hieroglyphics
    • C) Linear B
    • D) Sanskrit
    • Answer: B) Hieroglyphics
  82. The epic poems “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” are attributed to which ancient Greek poet?
    • A) Homer
    • B) Hesiod
    • C) Sophocles
    • D) Euripides
    • Answer: A) Homer
  83. Which ancient empire was ruled by the Pharaohs?
    • A) Persian Empire
    • B) Greek Empire
    • C) Roman Empire
    • D) Egyptian Empire
    • Answer: D) Egyptian Empire
  84. The ancient city of Carthage was located in which modern-day country?
    • A) Egypt
    • B) Italy
    • C) Tunisia
    • D) Spain
    • Answer: C) Tunisia
  85. Which ancient civilization is credited with the invention of the wheel?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Sumerians
    • C) Mayans
    • D) Greeks
    • Answer: B) Sumerians
  86. Which ancient Indian emperor converted to Buddhism and spread its teachings?
    • A) Chandragupta Maurya
    • B) Ashoka
    • C) Harsha
    • D) Samudragupta
    • Answer: B) Ashoka
  87. The Peloponnesian War was fought between which two Greek city-states?
    • A) Athens and Corinth
    • B) Sparta and Thebes
    • C) Athens and Sparta
    • D) Thebes and Corinth
    • Answer: C) Athens and Sparta
  88. The ancient kingdom of Kush was located to the south of which civilization?
    • A) Greek
    • B) Egyptian
    • C) Roman
    • D) Chinese
    • Answer: B) Egyptian
  89. Which ancient philosopher was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle?
    • A) Plato
    • B) Pythagoras
    • C) Zeno
    • D) Epicurus
    • Answer: A) Plato
  90. The Indus Valley Civilization is known for which major cities?
    • A) Athens and Sparta
    • B) Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
    • C) Rome and Carthage
    • D) Babylon and Nineveh
    • Answer: B) Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
  91. Who was the Macedonian king that created one of the largest empires in ancient history?
    • A) Alexander the Great
    • B) Philip II
    • C) Darius III
    • D) Pericles
    • Answer: A) Alexander the Great
  92. Which Roman emperor initiated the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and stability?
    • A) Julius Caesar
    • B) Augustus
    • C) Nero
    • D) Constantine
    • Answer: B) Augustus
  93. The ancient Olympic Games were held in honor of which Greek god?
    • A) Zeus
    • B) Apollo
    • C) Athena
    • D) Poseidon
    • Answer: A) Zeus
  94. The Colosseum, an iconic symbol of ancient Rome, was used for what purpose?
    • A) Religious ceremonies
    • B) Gladiatorial contests
    • C) Political meetings
    • D) Educational lectures
    • Answer: B) Gladiatorial contests
  95. Which Chinese dynasty is credited with the construction of the Great Wall of China?
  96. The term “Pharaoh” originally referred to what in ancient Egypt?
    • A) A god
    • B) A king’s palace
    • C) A high priest
    • D) A river
    • Answer: B) A king’s palace
  97. Which ancient civilization is known for the myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth?
    • A) Egyptian
    • B) Minoan
    • C) Phoenician
    • D) Sumerian
    • Answer: B) Minoan
  98. Which of the following was a major seafaring and trading civilization located in present-day Lebanon?
    • A) Etruscans
    • B) Mycenaeans
    • C) Phoenicians
    • D) Persians
    • Answer: C) Phoenicians
  99. Who was the first emperor of a unified China?
    • A) Confucius
    • B) Laozi
    • C) Qin Shi Huang
    • D) Han Wudi
    • Answer: C) Qin Shi Huang
  100. The Trojan War, a central event in Greek mythology, was fought between the Trojans and which other group?
    • A) Egyptians
    • B) Persians
    • C) Greeks
    • D) Romans
    • Answer: C) Greeks

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