History Quiz III (with rules)

[Finmaster]

Who me? Nah. You ask. I'm more into the "answering" thing anyway

 

[YNCS]

Okay, here's one.

At one point in Candide Voltaire has Candide and Dr. Pangloss in England watching an execution by firing squad on board a warship. Pangloss explains to Candide "Au temps de temps les Anglais tué un amiral pour encourager les aûtres." ("From time to time the English kill an admiral to encourage the others.") What historical incident does this refer to?

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

Admiral Byng for negligence during the sea battle for Minorca in 1756. He allowed the French fleet to escape because he believed his own fleet was in poor condition. He was shot by order of King George II.

Volatire knew Byng when he was in England.

 

[YNCS]

Porphyrogenitos, you got that right. Good job.

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree..."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem Kubla Khan refers to a city named Xanadu. What was the historic (real-life) city it referred to?

(and please no breaking out into Newton-John's 'Xanadu' )

 

[Finmaster]

DARN! I knew this one just a while ago!

It was something like Shanghai but not quite

 

[Pangur Bán]

Shangdu
or Shang-tu

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

Shangdu (the Supreme Capital).

Calgacus is right (Zhenghzou is also a possibility).

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by Porphyrogenitos
Shangdu (the Supreme Capital).

Calgacus is right (Zhenghzou is also a possibility).

a)Who painted this and b)who is portrayed?

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

a. Gentile Bellini (renowned Venetian painter sent to Constantinople in 1479)

b. Mehmet II (the Conqueror). The sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453.

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by Porphyrogenitos
a. Gentile Bellini (renowned Venetian painter sent to Constantinople in 1479)

b. Mehmet II (the Conqueror). The sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453.

I expected you to get that one

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

Which historian was present at the destruction of Carthage in 146 BC?

 

[Peri]

Polybius

What were the 3 towns of Tripoli?

 

[polymath]

Oea, Sabatha and Leptis...I'm not sure of the spelling of the first two.
(Useless fact: That's what 'Tripoli' means in Greek: 'three towns')

 

[polymath]

OK, I'll assume that I'm correct.

Q: According to legend, what was the first of Hercules' twelve labours?

 

[Mark Young]

Killing the Nemean Lion was Hercules first labour

What was Truganini famous for?

 

[Mark Young]

Sorry I feel like I'm butting in on a private game.
Mind if I join in?
If so do I need to wait for confirmation of a correct answer to proceed or do I jump straight in?

 

[onejayhawk]

Greeting Sir Eric. Feal free to join at any time.

IIRC Truganini was a native or aborigional from one of the South Pacific islands near Austrailia who was famous for publicizing the mistreatment of her people.

J

 

[Mark Young]

Originally posted by onejayhawk


IIRC Truganini was a native or aborigional from one of the South Pacific islands near Austrailia who was famous for publicizing the mistreatment of her people.

J

Close but not quite. You are on the right track though

 

[Porphyrogenitos]

Truganini was the last native Aboriginal Tasmanian. Her death in 1876 marked the end of the Tasmanian Aborigines. By a strange twist of fate she herself was responsible for this as she had helped the missionary leader Robinson find the Aboriginals hiding in the mountains. With her help they were all moved to Flinders Island where they all died (bar her who died in Hobart). Her life makes for very very sad reading (rape, exploitation, murder of family and friends, imprisonment, desruction of land etc)