Literacy and History: The Romans by Teacher Superstore

RIC-6289 5.4/316

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Literacy and history – The Egyptians Literacy and history – The Greeks Literacy and history – The Celts

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Foreword Literacy and history – The Romans is one title in a series of four books designed to develop students’ literacy skills in the areas of comprehension, vocabulary and spelling and to enhance their academic skills and historical knowledge. The books are designed to strengthen the links between the subjects of language and history. Each book deals with an ancient society and contains 12 units which deal with different aspects of each society and the people who lived in them. Each unit covers a wide variety of topics and includes a range of fictional texts based on historical fact. Each unit has a comprehension section, a cloze procedure section, a word study section and a cross-curricular section, which provides activities from other areas of the curriculum such as history, geography, science and mathematics. Titles in the series:

Literacy and history – The Romans Literacy and history – The Greeks

Contents

Literacy and history – The Egyptians Literacy and history – The Celts

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Teachers notes........................................................................... iv – vii Glossary..................................................................................... viii – x

Unit 1: The founding of the city of Rome....................................... 2–9 Teachers notes.................................................................................. 2–3 Reading — Newspaper report................................................................ 4 Comprehension questions...................................................................... 5 Cloze exercise....................................................................................... 6 Word study exercises............................................................................. 7 Cross-curricular activities .................................................................. 8–9

Unit 7: A dialogue between two Roman slaves......................... 50–57 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 50–51 Reading — Dialogue............................................................................ 52 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 53 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 54 Word study exercises........................................................................... 55 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 56–57

Unit 2: An extract from a secret diary....................................... 10–17 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 10–11 Reading — Diary extract...................................................................... 12 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 13 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 14 Word study exercises........................................................................... 15 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 16–17

Unit 8: An interview with a gladiator trainer............................. 58–65 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 58–59 Reading — Newspaper interview.......................................................... 60 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 61 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 62 Word study exercises........................................................................... 63 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 64–65

Unit 3: A letter from a Roman traveller...................................... 18–25 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 18–19 Reading — Letter................................................................................ 20 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 21 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 22 Word study exercises........................................................................... 23 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 24–25

Unit 9: A safety report by a Roman fireman.............................. 66–73 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 66–67 Reading — Safety report...................................................................... 68 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 69 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 70 Word study exercises........................................................................... 71 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 72–73

Unit 4: A Roman matron organises a dinner............................. 26–33 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 26–27 Reading — Dialogue............................................................................ 28 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 29 Close exercise..................................................................................... 30 Word study exercises........................................................................... 31 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 32–33

Unit 10: A tutor presents a school report.................................. 74–81 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 74–75 Reading — School report..................................................................... 76 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 77 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 78 Word study exercises........................................................................... 79 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 80–81

Unit 5 : A letter from a Roman architect.................................... 34–41 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 34–35 Reading — Letter................................................................................ 36 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 37 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 38 Word study exercises........................................................................... 39 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 40–41

Unit 11: A dialogue between two Roman bathers..................... 82–89 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 82–83 Reading — Dialogue............................................................................ 84 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 85 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 86 Word study exercises........................................................................... 87 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 88–89

Unit 6: A letter from a visitor to Rome....................................... 42–49 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 42–43 Reading — Letter................................................................................ 44 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 45 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 46 Word study exercises........................................................................... 47 Cross-curricular activities .............................................................. 48–49

Unit 12: A Roman artist presents his bill................................... 90–97 Teachers notes.............................................................................. 90–91 Reading — Artist’s bill......................................................................... 92 Comprehension questions.................................................................... 93 Cloze exercise..................................................................................... 94 Word study exercises........................................................................... 95 Cross-curricular activities............................................................... 96–97

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Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes Literacy and history – The Romans contains 12 units, each with six pages: Teachers notes Reading Comprehension questions Cloze exercise

Each unit has a teachers notes section, which provides additional information for the teacher. The teachers notes page contains six sections, designed to assist teachers in presenting the worksheets to their students. Each teachers notes section contains: Indicators Background information

Word study exercises Cross-curricular activities

Worksheet information Answers

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Indicators:

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The second indicator states the objectives for the word study exercises page. The third indicator states the objectives for the crosscurricular activities pages.

Background information: Presented in bullet points, this section identifies the type of text used and provides a definition of the type. A wide variety of styles have been included in the book including letters, dialogues, reports and interviews. More bullet points provide detailed historical background information to help teachers and students understand the content.

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The first indicator states the objectives for the reading/ comprehension/cloze pages.

Presented in bullet points, this section includes background information that may be required by the teacher before students complete the questions and activities in the worksheets. There may be some suggestions for websites relevant to the theme of the unit.

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Answers:

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o c . che e r o t r s super Cross-curricular activities: This section provides the answers for all questions where applicable. Answers are always given for literal and deductive questions where appropriate. Evaluative and open-ended questions and activities will require the teacher to check the answers during or following class discussion. This is indicated by ‘Teacher check’.

Presented in bullet points, this section provides suggestions for extra activities linked to the theme of the particular unit. There are also suggestions for relevant websites for further research.

Curriculum links: Presented in table form, this section illustrates how the activities in each unit match curriculum subjects such as Society and Environment, Science and Health.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes Each unit has five student pages, which are structured in the following way: Exercise A: Reading Exercise B: Comprehension questions Exercise C: Cloze exercise Exercise D: Word study exercises Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities Example:

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Unit 1: The founding of the city of Rome

Page 4: Exercise A: Reading

This page contains an extract from a newspaper report. Students have to read the extract carefully. Other units include texts such as dialogues, reports, diary entries, artists’ bills and letters.

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Page 5: Exercise B: Comprehension questions

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This page contains a series of questions for students to answer. This exercise requires students to read the text in Exercise A carefully and answer questions related to the text. These questions require students to move between literal answers, deductive answers and evaluative answers. There is an assortment of question types, each designed to help students to think and to prepare for tests and examinations. The order in which questions appear do not necessarily follow the order of the information as it appears in the text, providing an additional challenge for students. Students may find the answers to some of the comprehension questions in the footnotes underneath the text. There are also suggestions for further research related to the topics covered in the unit.

Literacy and history – The Romans

Teachers Notes

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This is a cloze exercise which requires students to correctly choose words that fit within a given block of text. It allows students to develop their vocabulary and spelling skills. There is variety in the presentation to encourage creativity and the development of language skills such as spelling and decoding. There is a word bank provided with the cloze exercise, containing a list of words for students to choose from. These words are not arranged in order.

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Page 6: Exercise C: Cloze exercise

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Page 7: Exercise D: Word study exercises

This page contains a range of word study exercises, each designed to help students develop their reading, writing and spelling skills. The exercises include: selecting and/or circling correct words, matching the beginning and endings of sentences, arranging the correct order of sentences in a paragraph or passage of text, correcting misspellings, completing word searches, completing sentences, identifying true and false items of information and using matching and decoding skills to find correct answers. Students are encouraged to engage in dictionary work to assist in the completion of these exercises.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes

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These pages contain activities and suggestions for further cross-curricular activities linked to the subject matter and theme of the unit. Activities include decoding, unscrambling and matching exercises, selecting correct answers and studying the meanings and uses of keywords and phrases found in the units. There are also suggestions for further research activities and discussion points appropriate to the unit’s theme and text. Students are encouraged to develop their research skills by using the library and the Internet, if they wish. There are activities related to the subjects of Society and Environment, Mathematics, Science and Art.

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Pages 8–9: Exercise E: Crosscurricular activities

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There are discussion points included in some of the crosscurricular sections, designed to encourage students to reflect on some of the topics raised in the unit, to expand their knowledge and to develop informed opinions on the topic. Some units contain suggestions for further research in areas referred to within the unit. Students can research these topics by using resources such as their school library, public libraries and the Internet.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

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Glossary A Apollo—The games of Apollo, the Ludi Apollinares, were held every year between 6–13th July (See also Ludi Apollonires)

Colosseum—(sometimes known as the Florian Amphitheatre) was constructed by the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and completed by his son, Titus, in 80 AD

atrium—the central courtyard where guests were formally received. It had an opening, which allowed light into the courtyard.

domus—a large Roman townhouse, usually the home of a wealthy family. It sometimes had shops at the front but was surprisingly private and spacious inside. The rooms faced onto a central courtyard, called an atrium, and there were no windows onto the street. A villa was a large country house.

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aromatarii—were perfume shops which sold perfumes made from aromatic plants from the eastern Mediterranean such as iris and narcissus. Saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamon were used as well.

commissatio—a series of toasts, consisting of several rounds drunk to the health of important guests cubiculum—a bedroom. The Romans preferred their bedrooms to be bare and clutter-free

eclipses (solar)—occur when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and were extremely frightening to ancient people who believed they brought misfortune

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amphorae— were large terracotta jars, which held liquids such as wine and olive oil.

Elysium—the Roman heaven, where Romans went after death. A paradise which was believed to be inhabited by the great and the good. Hades was the name of the Roman hell. Some Romans believed that only the privileged could enter Elysium.

kitchen where, wealthy © Rculina—a . I . C. Pu binl i cat i ons homes, slaves prepared meals and performed household chores of the skill •f orr evi ew pur poseEngineers—evidence sonl y• and innovation of Roman engineers

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buccheri—terracotta jars containing perfumes and perfumed oils and balms

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caldarium—similar to a suana. In the caldarium or steam room, bathers took a dip in the hot pool or sat and sweated while they talked. Some baths had an exercise area called a gymnasium where bathers could exercise. Campania—known as the happy land or ‘Campania Felix’ in Latin. cena—the most important meal of the day for Romans and was eaten in the evenings. viii

damascena—breed of rose found in the ancient Greek colony of Paestum. It bloomed twice yearly and was highly valued by the Romans who prized roses above all other flowers.

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and builders can still be seen today. The Romans built great aqueducts to carry water into towns and cities. They also invented mortar for building and were the first to develop an underfloor central heating system, called a hypocaust system.

Every Roman household made fresh garlands to decorate their household altars and to celebrate feasts. They wore them in their hair and around their bodies and hung them around the house. dies nefastus—days on which no business could be held. The Romans had a large number of days throughout the Calendar known as dies nefastus domina—a Latin word meaning ‘lady’. The title was given to the mistress of the household and was used at all times by the slaves of the household. Husbands used the term when speaking in public.

Ancient Romans – A literacy perspective

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Glossary F

Falernian wine—considered the finest by the Romans and was from the province of Campania. The vines were grown in the vineyards around the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. It cost 4 asses or 1 sestertius, compared to other wines which only cost 1 and 2 asses.

gustatio— the first course of dinner and consisted of several appetisers followed by wine sweetened with honey

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Festivals—the Romans held many festivals, throughout the year. Each festival held religious and social significance. They were often public holidays.

Flaminia—is a Roman girl who was sold to her master as a child. Slaves were bought and sold at slave markets. Slaves were captured in wars, purchased from slave traders or born to slave parents. People were also condemned to slavery as punishment for serious crimes. Slaves could not leave their masters and wore tags around their necks with their master’s name as identification. They could be beaten, punished or neglected badly. (See also Slaves)

Herculaneum—a wealthy town in the Roman province of Campania, lies on the coast near the Bay of Naples, about 145 kilometres south-east of Rome. Many wealthy Romans had villas there. It was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius on 24 August, 79 AD, when avalanches of pumice, ash and volcanic gases, followed by a mass of volcanic debris and mud, completely buried the town. Excavations have been ongoing in Herculaneum and it is open to visitors. The Romans called this area ‘Campania Felix’ which means ‘fortunate countryside’ because of the fertility of its volcanic soils, its variety of abundant crops and its idyllic landscape of sea and sky around the Bay of Naples

Kalends—the first day of every month according to the Roman calendar

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Juno—Jupiter's wife and the goddess of marriage and the well-being of women

lanista—the chief gladiator trainer whose tasks included ensuring that there was always a supply of new gladiators available to fight in the games. He went to the slave auctions and bid for the fittest men. lararium—a shrine built to honour the household gods. The household gods were extremely important to the Romans who honoured them with offerings of wine and honey cakes and lit candles to them. The Lares and the Penates were worshipped three days of each month; the Kalends (the first day of the month, the Nones (the fifth or seventh day depending on the month); and the Ides (the thirteenth or fifteenth day of the month). The Lares were the household gods who protected the family and the Penates were the gods of the larder, ensuring a steady supply of food.

blossoming plants. People celebrated by dancing in honour of the goddess, Flora, and wore brightly coloured garlands of flowers

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fountain—a structure from which jets of water spurt

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frescoes—wall paintings, made by painting directly onto freshly plastered walls. Roman frescoes often showed garden scenes with birds, animals, gods and goddesses. Fresco artists had to work quickly before the plaster dried.

Ides—occurred on the 13th or 15 of each month according to the Roman calendar impluvium—a rectangular basin into which rainwater fell through the opening in the roof of the atrium of the house

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frigidarium—cold room, usually had an unheated pool and was sometimes partly open-air. This area allowed bathers to take an icy plunge to refresh themselves at the end of their visit to baths

Iphigenia—slave brought from Sicily to Rome. Iphigenia is a Greek, not a Roman name. Sicily and southern Italy were colonised by the Greeks in 750 BC and these areas still retained Greek culture and customs long after the Romans took over. People from the south of Italy were referred to as ‘Greeks’ by the Romans.

J Julius—the month of July and named after Julius Caesar, the famous Roman general

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Ancient Romans – A literacy perspective

Glossary N Ludi Apollinares—the games of Apollo, held every year between the 6th to the 13th of July Lupercalia—15 February, was a feast celebrating the founding of Rome

Nero—emperor blamed for starting the fire of 64 AD even though he was not present in Rome when the fire began during the night of 18 July. One of the reasons that Nero was suspected was because he took the opportunity to clear land and buildings devastated by the fire to construct an enormous new palace complex called Domus Aurea or ‘Golden House’ and built among acres of magnificent gardens. A lake on these grounds was the subsequent site for Rome’s most magnificent amphitheatre, the Colosseum.

Roman gods and located in the Campus Martius, the Field of Mars; and the Circus Maximus, the largest racetrack in the Roman empire and located in front of the Palatine Hill, where the Roman emperors traditionally built their palaces.

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Mars—was the Roman god of war and father of Romulus and Remus. He was one of the most powerful Roman gods. The month of March is named after him and was the first month of the Roman year.

O–P Parentalia—13–21 February, was a festival to honour dead ancestors. Romans visited the tombs of their parents outside the city walls and laid flowers and wine on the graves so that they would not be hungry in the afterlife and return to haunt the living. They travelled to the Via Appia, a road to the south lined with tombs and built in 312 BC by Appius Claudius.

Saturnalia—17–23 December, a

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marriage—Roman girls from wealthy backgrounds were expected to marry the man chosen by their father. Girls were prepared for marriage from 12 years of age and could be married as young as 13 years of age. Marriage was seen as the union of two families and usually had a political and economic dimension.

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Nemausus—Roman name for the modern French city of Nimes

festival to honour Saturn, the God of Farming. The biggest festival of the Roman year. Roles were reversed during the feast and masters waited on their slaves. scented walkway—climbing roses

secutor—class of gladiator, armed with a shield and a distinctive egg-shaped helmet

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peristyle—a colonnaded, rectangular garden which provided a shaded walkway at the rear of the house Praefectus Vigilum—in charge of Rome’s fire fighters and responsible for fire safety in the city

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murmillo—class of gladiator, wore a helmet with images of fish on them

slaves—bought and sold at slave markets. Slaves were captured in wars, purchased from slave traders or born to slave parents. People were also condemned to slavery as punishment for serious crimes. Slaves could not leave their masters and wore tags around their necks with their master’s name as identification. They could be beaten, punished or neglected badly. It was possible for slaves to achieve freedom if their master was willing to grant them such. Some slaves were left money by their masters and bought their freedom. Others were granted freedom as a reward for faithful service. Freed slaves retained their master’s name.

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‘tesserae’, (cubes of glass, stone or pottery) which were then pressed into soft cement. Mosaic artists also had to work quickly before the cement set. Typical Roman mosaics showed hunting scenes, Roman gods or the harvest. The Romans often used geometric patterns as borders. They were influenced by the Greeks, who used elaborate geometric borders in their mosaics. The Romans further developed the art of the mosaic by introducing new shapes including squares, circles, spirals, triangles, hexagons, pentagons, octagons, oblongs, stars and cones.

Rome—city developed on the seven hills alongside the Tiber River. Famous sites and buildings in Rome include the Colosseum, built on the site of the emperor Nero’s Golden Palace; the Curia, located in the Roman Forum and the place where senators debated and decided on the future of Rome; the Pantheon, a temple built to honour the

Ancient Romans – A literacy perspective

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strigils—curved skin scrapers made of metal, bone or wood

T ‘the tenth hour’—late afternoon, around 6 pm

vomitorium—a special room for vomiting if guests felt ill. It was not always used during dinners and, contrary to popular belief, it was not usual for dinner guests to make themselves sick. However guests who felt ill could use the vomitorium if they wished.

waive—to forgo payment

Thracian—fought with a round shield and a curved dagger and sometimes wore a helmet

X–Y–Z

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tepidarium—a warm area where bathers used perfumed oils and instruments called strigils to scrape off dirt. Slaves often assisted the bathers.

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Rome. They were chosen from the leading families in Rome while they were very young. They dressed in white, were not allowed to marry and had to serve for 30 years. Any insult to them was punishable by death.

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tunics—sleeveless dress worn by women and girls that was pleated and reached to their feet tutors—wealthy Roman families engaged private tutors to teach their children at home. These tutors were often of Greek origin. A slave-tutor, called a magister ludi, often worked in the ludus or primary school. The children were accompanied to school by a special slave called a pedagogus.

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triclinium—Roman dining room which often had three couches, seating nine guests. Cushions were provided to make guests more comfortable. Dinner was eaten sitting or reclining on the couches. Often opened onto the garden.

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u–V Venus—Roman goddess of love Vesta—Roman goddess of the home Vestal Virgins— six unmarried priestesses who served the goddess, Vesta, goddess sacred to Rome. They guarded the sacred flame in her temple in R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Ancient Romans – A literacy perspective

Teachers Notes

Unit 1: The founding of the city of Rome Indicators Student reads text about the legend surrounding the founding of Rome and completes comprehension and cloze activities based on the text.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Background information

Student develops vocabulary relating to the Romans by correcting spellings, circling correct words and using a dictionary to write definitions of keywords relating to Roman society.

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Student completes activities identifying the location of important Roman sites and buildings by plotting significant events in the history of Rome, using keywords/phrases and completing sentences.

This text is a newspaper report. Writing for a newspaper or magazine is called journalistic writing. Journalistic writing is usually formal and structured and aims to present information accurately, clearly and efficiently rather than to present and develop an individual writer’s style. It is usually written in the third person. In this case, the journalistic style is tabloid. Tabloid newspapers usually put less emphasis on presenting the facts accurately and more emphasis on presenting them in a sensational way to attract the reader’s attention. The story of Romulus and Remus is one of the most ancient Roman legends. The legend is told as though the events were actual historical events. They may or may not be based on an elaborated version of an historical event. Legends are usually about human beings, although gods may intervene in some way throughout the story. This particular legend tells the story of how the founders of Rome were abandoned as babies to die in the Tiber River and how they were saved by a she-wolf who reared them.

The city of Rome was the centre of the Roman Empire. The city developed on seven hills alongside the left bank of the Tiber River. The seven hills are called the Palatine, the Capitoline, the Quirinal, the Esquiline, the Viminal, the Aventine and the Caelian Hill. A small settlement was first built by merchants on the Palatine Hill. Other settlements developed on the other six hills and when these settlements joined up over time, the city began to grow. By the first century AD, over a million people lived in Rome.

Worksheet information

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The Roman Empire was a vast empire that stretched around the Mediterranean Sea and from Britain in the north to the Middle East. From the time of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, until around the end of the second century AD, the Romans completely dominated the Mediterranean. A state of peace known as the Pax Romana or ‘Roman Peace’ was maintained, which meant that there were few wars or conflicts within the empire. Roman civilisation and culture flourished and grew, spreading its influence throughout Europe and beyond. Archaeological evidence of the Romans still exists today in the structures they left behind, such as Hadrian’s Wall on the borders of England and Scotland and the El Djem amphitheatre in eastern Tunisia in North Africa.

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Students can find further information on aspects of Roman life at <www.dl.Ket.org/latin1/things/romanlife/index.htm>. Students may need to use a dictionary to complete Question 2 in Exercise D.

Students will find further information on time lines in Roman history at <www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/rome_timeline. shtml>. Students can look at images and information on the buildings in ancient Rome referred to in Exercise E at <www.rome-tour. co.uk>.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes

Answers Exercise C............................... page 6 centre, Mediterranean, legend, twin, Remus, sons, Mars, Tiber, fig tree, shewolf, father, sacred, city, fought, killed, refuge, Father, Romulus, deluge, eclipse, century

Exercise E......................... pages 8–9 1. (a) Roman Forum (b) The gounds at Nero’s Golden Palace. (c) Campus Martius (d) Palatine Hill 2. (a) Romulus, Remus, brothers (b) Roman Empire, One million people (c) Colosseum (d) Pantheon, dome 3. Teacher check 4. 1. hills 2. Tiber 3. brothers 4. refuge 5. in 753 BC 6. Roman Empire 7. the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern Mediterranean 8. every civilisation since 9. over one million people 10. Teacher check

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Exercise D............................... page 7 1. According, abandoned, float, reared, grew, Mediterranean, great, achievements, gladiators, temple 2. 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (b) 4 (c) 5 (a) 6 (c) 7 (b) 8 (c) 3. Teacher check

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Exercise B............................... page 5 1. 21 April 753 BC 2. Over one million people 3. In a basket floating on the Tiber River. 4. Their father, Mars, the Roman god of war. 5. They were discovered by a shewolf who adopted them. 6. the she-wolf 7. He was savagely killed by his brother. 8. In order to attract people to live there. 9. Father of the Nation 10. He disappeared during an eclipse of the sun. 11. Teacher check 12. Answers should indicate that the population would have grown and new customs and beliefs would have been introduced. 13. (b) and (d) should be ticked

Cross-curricular activities ©R . I . C.Publ i cat i ons

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Students can compare and contrast legends, myths and information on the origins of their own city/town/local area with the legends, myths and information surrounding the founding of the city of Rome. A good website, with information on mythology, including Roman mythology, is <www.pantheon.org>. Students can write a tabloid account of information that they find on the origins of their own city/town/local area.

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Students can visit their local library to investigate the origins of the place names in their local area.

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Curriculum links State

Society and Environment

English

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3 TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

R 4.1, R 4.2, R 4.4, W 4.1, W 4.2

CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

RS 3.5, RS 3.6, RS 3.8, WS 3.10, WS 3.11

Vic.

SOHI 0501, SOHI O502, SOHI 0503, SOHI 0504

ENRE0404, ENWR0403

Qld

TCC 5.1, TCC 5.3, TCC 5.5, CI 5.1

Refer to website <http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

NSW

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise A: Reading Read the following newspaper report carefully. 1 July 55 AD

The Roman Eagle Rome founded by twins!

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Citizens of Rome were stunned today by the news that new information has been uncovered about the founding of our great city. Rome is the centre of the world and is the capital of the Roman Empire that stretches from the eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean. At the present time, our population is over one million people and our city has influenced every civilisation since it was founded on the 21 April 753 BC. Now our reporters can reveal that twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, established the city, having been abandoned as babies by their father, Mars, the Roman god of war.

Saved from starvation by a she-wolf!

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The god, Mars, accused of abandoning his sons!

But the shocking news doesn’t stop there. New information now reveals that, as adults, Romulus and Remus were the founders of our city and established our city on the banks of the Tiber1.

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Brother murders brother in shocking feud!

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Left in a basket to float on the Tiber River, the two children landed on the riverbank near a fig tree where they were discovered by a she-wolf who adopted the twins and cared for them. As Romans, we have always believed that the she-wolf was an animal sacred to Mars. Now, at last, we have discovered the origins of this belief.

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But bitter rivalries developed between them and, in a violent fight, Remus was savagely killed by his brother, allowing Romulus to become the ruler of the city, which was named after him. Our reporter has found evidence to show that Romulus declared his city to be a place of refuge in order to attract people to live there. Our ancestors gave him the title ‘Father of the Nation’. Unfortunately, his death is shrouded in mystery as he disappeared during an eclipse of the sun when a terrible storm caused a deluge of rain to fall on Rome. Our reporters have been instructed to investigate the strange disappearance of our founding father, Romulus.

Buy our next issue to find out what they discovered about this mysterious death! 1. Rome was developed on the seven hills alongside the Tiber River. Famous sites and buildings in the city of Rome include the Colosseum, built on the site of the emperor Nero’s Golden Palace; the Curia, located in the Roman Forum and the place where senators debated and decided on the future of Rome; the Pantheon, a temple built to honour the Roman gods and located in the Campus Martius; the Field of Mars; and the Circus Maximus, the largest racetrack in the Roman empire and located in front of the Palatine Hill, where the Roman emperors traditionally built their palaces. 4

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. According to the article, on what date was the city of Rome founded? 2. What was the population of Rome in the first century AD? 3. Where were Romulus and Remus said to have been abandoned? 4. According to the legend, who abandoned them there? 5. What happened to them when they landed on the riverbank?

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6. Which animal did the Romans believe to be sacred to Mars?

8. Why did Romulus declare his city to be a place of refuge?

9. What title was Romulus given by the Romans? 10. What is mysterious about his death?

11. What do you think happened to him?

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7. How does the article say that Remus died?

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons 12. Romulus declared the city of Rome to be a place of refuge and it became a melting pot of diverse peoples and or r evabsorbed i ewintop ur po se sthink on yof• cultures• thatf were successfully Roman society. How do you the l policy accepting refugees

would have affected the life of the city?

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13. Read the following statements and tick those that are correct.

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(a) Romulus and Remus were abandoned as young men. .........................

(b) Romulus and Remus were adopted by a she-wolf................................

(d) Rome was established on the banks of the Tiber River..........................

(e) We know how Romulus met his death.................................................

(f) Romulus was given a title by his brother..............................................

Further research Find out more information about the following topics. Mars, the Roman god of war. The great buildings of Rome. The rights and responsibilities of Roman citizens. The decline of the city of Rome. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise C: Cloze exercise Use the words from the word bank to complete the sentences.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Word Bank

Father

centre

Mars

Mediterranean

fig tree

she-wolf

century

sons

The city of Rome was the

father

Tiber

legend

city

Romulus

twin

killed

deluge

Remus

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refuge

eclipse

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fought

sacred

of the ancient world. The empire of Rome stretched from the eastern Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. A

tells us that the city was founded by

River, and they floated there until they landed underneath a . They were found there by a

–

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and adopted them. The Romans believed that the twins’

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The she-wolf became an animal

, Mars, had sent her to care for them. to the Romans because of this.

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As adults, Romulus and Remus set up a new

on the banks of the Tiber. However, they

bitterly with each other and Remus was Rome was declared to be a city of

by his brother, Romulus.

by Romulus, who became its ruler and gave it its name. The

Romans gave him the title of

of the Nation.

mysteriously disappeared when a during an

who looked after them

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Mars left them in a basket on the

of the sun. By the middle of the first

of rain fell on the city AD,

Rome’s population had grown to one million people.

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Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. Read the following paragraph on Rome and correct the spelling errors. There are 10 errors in total. Acording to legend, the city of Rome was founded by two twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were abondoned as babies. They were abandoned by their father, the god Mars, who left them to floot on the Tiber. They were adopted by a shewolf, who raered them and looked after them. The city grewe to become the centre of the Roman Empire, which controlled most of the countries around the Mediteranean Sea. The Romans were great builders and many of their grate architectural

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acheivements can still be seen in the city of Rome today. These buildings include the Colosseum, where gladiters fought, and the Pantheon, a tempel built to honour all of the Roman gods.

1. The city of Rome was founded on (a) 31 April 572 BC. (b) 21 April 753 BC. (c) 1 April 578 BC.

2. By the 1st century AD the city’s population was (a) over two million people. (b) over half a million people. (c) over one million people.

6. The babies were adopted by a she (a) bear. (b) tiger. (c) wolf. 7. Rivalries developed between them and (a) Remus killed Romulus in a fight. (b) Romulus killed Remus in a fight. (c) they both died in a fight.

on u the Tiber © R. I . C.P bl i cat i ons River in a p (a) u basket. The city was r the capital of the • f o r e v i e w r posesonl y• (a) the Romulan Empire. (b) bowl. (b) the Roman Empire. (c) the Remus Empire.

5. They were left

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He was given the title (a) Father of Rome. (b) Father of the Romans. (c) Father of the Nation.

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4. Romulus and Remus were abandoned by (a) their mother, the goddess Venus. (b) their uncle, the god Vulcan. (c) their father, the god, Mars.

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2. Circle the correct answers. If you need to, you can check the facts in Exercise A.

3. Here is a list of keywords used in this unit. Using your dictionary if you need to, write a definition to explain each

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word as clearly as possible.

(a) population

(b) civilisation

(d) refuge

(e) eclipse

(f) savagely

(g) rivalries

(h) mysteriously

(i) ancestor

(j) founder

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Read the following descriptions of famous Roman buildings and sites and complete the table underneath by filling in their locations correctly. Refer to the footnotes in Exercise A for help.

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This building, famous for gladiatorial fights, was built in the grounds of Nero’s Golden Palace. It was begun by the emperor Vespasian and completed by his son, Titus in 80 A.D.

This building, in the Roman Forum, was the centre of political life where senators met.

This building in the Campus Martius (the Field of Mars) had the largest dome in existence until the 20th century. It had an oculus (circular opening) open to the sky and was completed in the year 125–6 AD by the emperor Hadrian. Name

Description

(a) Curia

Location

Senators met here to govern the city of Rome.

fought here in u frontb of 50 000 ©Gladiators R . I . C . P l i cat i ons Romans. Pantheon Rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian, it honours •f orr e vi ew pur posesonl y• all the gods of ancient Rome.

(b) Colosseum

(d) Circus Maximus

Romans flocked here in their thousands, to see the chariot racing.

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(c)

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This famous building housed the largest racetrack in the Roman Empire. It was located in front of the emperors’ palaces on the Palatine Hill.

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2. Complete the information in the following timeline. The answers can be found in this unit. (a) 21 April 753 BC

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The city of Rome was founded by

and

who were

(b) Mid 1st century AD

Rome was the capital of the

and its population was

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The emperor, Titus, completed the work begun by his father, Vespasion,

by opening the great

(d) 125–6 AD

The emperor, Hadrian, completed the

which had the largest

of its time. Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 3. Read these keywords and phrases, which occur in this unit and use them in sentences.

(a) empire:

A group of peoples and territories of a large amount under the rule of a single state.

(b) senator:

A member of a senate; a legislative or governing body.

(d) established: To make permanent in a certain place.

(e) discovered: To be the first to find or find out about something.

(f) investigate: To thoroughly inquire into a situation or problem.

(g) emperor:

(h) ruler:

A monarch who rules over an empire.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S The beginnings or first stage of something.

A person who rules or commands.

(i) palaces:

Official residences of a member of a royal family or a high-ranking person.

(j) ancient:

Dating from very long ago, especially before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.

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4. The following sentences containing information on ancient Rome are not complete. Can you complete them, using the information available in this unit?

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1. The city of Rome is built on seven

2. The city of Rome has a river called the

3. The city of Rome was founded by two

4. The city was declared as a

5. It is an ancient city, believed to have been founded

6. It became the centre of the

7. The Roman Empire stretched from

8. The Roman Empire has influenced

9. By the 1st century AD, the Romans controlled

10. The Romans were great builders and they

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Teachers Notes

Unit 2: An extract from a secret diary Indicators Student reads text of a diary extract and completes comprehension and cloze activities based on the text. Student develops vocabulary skills by choosing the correct definition of words and unscrambling sentences to put them in the correct order. Student develops understanding of life for Roman girls and learns about Roman customs, dress and jewellery.

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Background information

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This text is a diary extract. A diary contains a description of daily events in a person’s life. In this case, it is a secret diary because the young Roman girl, Flavia, describes the fears and apprehensions in her diary that she feels she cannot voice aloud because she is the daughter of a wealthy Roman family. She is expected to always be obedient and to do her duty. Flavia’s secret diary is autobiographical in tone, which means that it is concerned with her own life. An autobiography is a piece of writing in which a person writes about his/her own life and is usually written in the first person.

Many of the planets in our solar system are named after Roman gods and goddesses. Venus is named after the goddess of love and Mars is named after the god of war and farming. Jupiter is named after the Roman king of the gods and Saturn is named after the god of the heavens. Another planet, Uranus, is named after the Greek sky god, Uranos. The Romans did not know of the existence of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, as they had not been discovered during the time of the Romans.

Dis was the most feared god of the Romans. He ruled over death, the underworld and the afterlife. The Greeks called him Pluto and he was the brother of the king of the gods, Jupiter. He was often portrayed with a thick beard, holding a black sceptre and a fork. He was also the god of riches hidden underground, such as oil and gold.

Recent research has revealed more celestial bodies in our solar system that have been given classical names, such as Ceres, a dwarf planet discovered in 1801 that lies between Mars and Jupiter and is named after the Roman goddess of the crops. Charon, Pluto’s moon, was discovered in 1978 and is named after the ferryman who ferries the dead across the river Styx. Astronomers are still researching and debating the possibilities of future discoveries within and beyond our solar system. Recently, astronomers also changed the status of Pluto from a planet to a minor planetoid. As out knowledge of the universe increases due to improvements in technology and science, there may be more challenges to our traditional beliefs about space and the planets,

Worksheet information

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Students can find further information on Roman life and Roman women at <www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans>.

Information on the SETI project (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and current explorations beyond our solar system is available at <www.seti.org>.

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Students can discover more information about the god Dis and other Roman gods and goddesses at <www.roman-empire.net/ children/gods.html>.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes

Answers Exercise D............................. page 15 1. (a) permission (b) examine (c) adult (d) prefer (e) severely (f) obey (g) furious (h) question (i) duty (j) advice 2. (a) Roman girls sometimes attended primary school but left at the age of 11. (b) Wealthy Roman girls lived in magnificent country villas or town houses. (c) Wealthy Roman girls had slaves to look after them and do all of the menial chores. (d) Marriages were often political and economic unions between important Roman families. (e) The goddess Juno was the protectress of women. (f) The Vestal Virgins were chosen from Rome’s leading families and could never marry.

(g) The Vestal Virgins tended the shrine of Vesta and had to serve for 30 years. (h) Dis was the feared Roman god of the underworld.

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Exercise C............................. page 14 position, wealthy, employed, childminding, attendants, country, cities, tutors, skills, instrument, beaten, twelve, marriage, thirteen, parents, financial, believe, grow, prayed, protectress.

Exercise E..................... pages 16–17 1. Possible answers (a) education, school (b) husband/partner (c) arranged, not arranged (d) after them, after themselves (e) homemaking, maths/science/ etc. 2. Gold 1. (d) 2. (a) 3. (b) 4. (c) Quartz 5. (g) 6. (h) 7. (e) 8. (f) Amethyst 9. (k) 10. (l) 11. (i) 12. (j) 3. (a) Ivory, Africa (b) Rose, Campania, Egypt (c) Amber, Germany (galena) (d) Lead, mined (e) Wood, trees (f) Cotton, India (g) Silk, China (h) Gold, mined 4. Teacher check

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Exercise B............................. page 13 1. Proserpina 2. The arts of homemaking. 3. Julia is only six months older than her and is already engaged to be married. 4. 13 years of age 5. 13–14 years of age 6. In the city, a townhouse called a domus; and in the countryside, a country house called a villa. 7. She says that her mother hardly ever does this. 8. The Vestal Virgins were unmarried priestesses who served the goddess, Vesta. 9. Teacher check 10. Teacher check 11. (b), (c) (d) and (e) should be ticked

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Students can find out more information about the planets missing from the Roman system and list them, giving information such as the names of their discoverers, when they were discovered and details about their distance from the Earth. A good website on astronomy is <www.astronomynow.com>.

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Students can think of names for new planets that may be discovered in the future and list them alphabetically, explaining their choices.

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Curriculum links State

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Society and Environment

English

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3 TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

R 4.1, R 4.2, R 4.4, W 4.1, W 4.2

NPM 4

NSW

CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

RS 3.5, RS 3.6, RS 3.8, WS 3.10, WS 3.11

ESS 3.6

Vic.

SOHI 0501, SOHI O502, SOHI 0503, SOHI 0504

ENRE0404, ENWR0403

SCCS 0401

Qld

TCC 5.1, TCC 5.3, TCC 5.5, CI 5.1

Refer to website <http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

SS 4.1, SSD 4.5, NPM 4.1

4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

3.7

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Science

Exercise A: Reading Read the following diary extract of a young girl from a wealthy Roman family.

This is the secret diary of Flavia Antonius, daughter of Septimus and Portia, aged 13 years and one month. Beware of the curse of Dis if any eyes view these pages without my permission!

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Today is Monday, the Kalends1of Juno 73 AD.

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‘Hurry, hurry, hurry, Flavia!’ That is all I hear this morning from my slave, Proserpina. Today, my mother, Portia, wishes to examine the work I have been doing recently. I have been studying the arts of homemaking. Proserpina must have brushed my hair a thousand times and put it up with ivory combs my father brought me from Africanus. She has chosen my best stola2, the blue one with the purple border. My mother had it made for me last month when I reached the age of 13 because she said I was now an adult woman and no longer a child.

Sometimes the thought of this frightens me, especially when I think of my best friend, Julia, who is engaged to be married3. She is only six months older than me! She says that she is happy and looking forward to her marriage in the month of Augustus, but when I saw her fiancée, I shuddered. He is older than my father! I think I would prefer to be a Vestal Virgin4 than to be his wife! But he has been chosen for Julia by her parents and she says that she must obey them or be severely punished.

Then she told me about her own life, something she has never talked about before:

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I hate the thought of this. I want to stay here with my parents in our domus5 in Rome or in our country villa where my horses are kept and where I feel so free. Last night at dinner, when I asked why it is that we must marry so young, my father threatened to beat me and my mother looked furious. She sent me to my room. Then she came to me before I fell asleep and sent Proserpina away. She sat on my bed and held my hand, which I really liked, as she hardly ever does this. She told me that it is my duty to obey my parents and that, like all girls from wealthy families, I must marry whoever they choose. I am not allowed to ever question this again.

‘I was married at 14 years and two months, Flavia. I was sorry to leave my parents and my home but my husband, your father, is a kind man and he has grown to love me, as I now love him. I light candles to our goddess, Juno, every night that it will be the same for you.’ However, I could see that she had tears in her eyes when she kissed me goodnight. I will have to try to follow my mother’s advice. I have no choice.

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1. Kalends were the first day of every month according to the Roman calendar.

2. A stola was a tunic worn by women and girls that was pleated and reached to their feet.

3. Roman girls from wealthy backgrounds were expected to marry the man chosen by their father. Girls were prepared for marriage from 12 years of age and could be married as young as 13 years of age. Marriage was seen as the union of two families and usually had a political and economic dimension. 4. Vestal Virgins were six unmarried priestesses who served the goddess, Vesta, goddess sacred to Rome. They guarded the sacred flame in her temple in Rome. They were chosen from the leading families in Rome while they were very young. They dressed in white, were not allowed to marry and had to serve for 30 years. Any insult to them was punishable by death. 5. A domus was a large Roman townhouse, usually the home of a wealthy family. It sometimes had shops at the front but was surprisingly private and spacious inside. The rooms faced onto a central courtyard, called an atrium, and there were no windows onto the street. 12

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. What is the name of Flavia’s slave? 2. What subject has Flavia been studying recently? 3. Why is Flavia frightened when she thinks about her friend, Julia?

4. At what age does Flavia say that a Roman girl was considered to be an adult?

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5. Based on Flavia’s comments, at what age would you assume Roman girls usually got married? 6. Name one type of house people from wealthy families lived in?

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7. Why is Flavia so pleased when her mother holds her hand?

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8. What kind of priestesses were Vestal Virgins?

9. What is your opinion of the Roman attitude to marriage and romantic love as expressed by Flavia’s mother? What do you think most modern women would think of this attitude?

10. Write how you would feel if you were in Flavia’s situation and what you would do.

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(d) Roman girls were expected to obey their parents.................................

(e) Some wealthy Romans owned townhouses and country villas...............

11. Read the following statements and tick those ones that are correct.

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(a) A stola was a kind of slave.................................................................

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(b) A wealthy Roman girl’s husband was usually chosen by her parents.....

Further research Find out more information about the following topics. Roman townhouses Roman country villas Dis, the Roman god of the underworld The education of Roman girls.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise C: Cloze exercise Use the words from the word bank to complete the sentences.

Word Bank

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marriage

beaten

protectress

position

thirteen

childminding

country

employed

financial

prayed

skills

believe

grow

instrument

wealthy

cities

attendants

tutors

twelve

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parents

Life for a Roman girl was determined by her

in society. If she was

a member of

family, she enjoyed a life of comfort. Slaves were

in the households of the wealthy to take care of menial household tasks.

and worked as constant © R. I . C.Publ i cat i o ns to the members of their household. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

They performed tasks such as cooking, cleaning and

Girls from wealthy backgrounds lived in villas in the

of the Roman Empire. They sometimes attended primary school but were

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towns and

or in large townhouses in the

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usually educated at home by their mothers and their private

. They learned the art of

homemaking and were trained in how to play music on an

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such as embroidery and weaving. They were taught called a lyre. They had to obey their fathers and could be

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years of age, they began to prepare for

and their husbands were

They were usually married around the age of chosen for them by their often arranged for the Romans did not

. In wealthy Roman circles, marriages were and political advantage of the families concerned. in romantic love and preferred to think that love would over time in arranged marriages. Roman women

a happy marriage to the Roman goddess, Juno, who was the patron and

for of women

according to ancient Roman belief. 14

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Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. Read each definition and circle the correct word. The correct words have been taken from Exercise A. Use your dictionary if you need to. (a)

Authorisation to do something

transition/permission/commission

(b)

To look at, inspect or scrutinise carefully

examine/imagine/origin

(c)

To be fully grown or developed

tumult/consult/adult

(d)

To like better

confer/prefer/offer

(e)

Harshly

severely/separately/coherently

(f)

To carry out instructions

obey/convey/relay

(g)

Extremely angry

spurious/furious/curious

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(h)

An act of asking

question/fiction/diction

(i)

Action that a person is bound to perform

scrutiny/bounty /duty

(j)

Recommendation

concise/advice/precise

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2. Unscramble the following sentences so they make sense. An example is provided.

them be could Roman did fathers beaten girls not if they their obey by. Roman girls could be beaten by their fathers if they did not obey them.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons (b) Roman lived magnificent town p country or in houses. •villas f o rWealthy r ev i ew ugirls r p o sesonl y• (a) school 11. girls Roman left sometimes but primary at attended age the of

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(e) The goddess the women. was Juno of protectress

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(d) political and Roman unions were economic often between families. Marriages

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(f) leading Rome’s could Virgins were marry. chosen from Vestal The families and never

(g) 30 Virgins The serve tended the to of Vesta and had for shrine years. Vestal

(h) the of feared the was god underworld. Roman Dis

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Complete the following sentences, comparing the lives of Roman girls with modern girls using evidence from the previous exercises.

(a) Roman girls did not have any formal

Most modern girls attend

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Modern marriages are

(d) Roman girls had slaves to look

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(e) Roman girls learned the arts of

Modern girls learn skills such as

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Modern girls learn to look

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Modern girls choose their future

(b) Roman girls could not choose their future

2. The Romans used minerals such as gold in the creation of their beautiful jewellery. They also used semiprecious stones such as amethysts, which are purple gemstones belonging to the mineral group called quartz. The beginnings and endings of the following statements have been mixed up. Can you match them correctly?

2. Gold is a good conductor

(b) to corrosion, unlike other metals.

3. Gold is highly resistant

4. The purity of gold

(d) weighs twice as much as silver.

Quartz

5. Quartz is one of the

6. Pure quartz is

7. More than 12% of the earth’s crust

(g) most widespread minerals on earth.

8. Watchmakers use the mineral quartz

(h) known as rock crystal

Amethyst

9. Amethysts are actually

(i) well as purple in colour.

10. Records show amethysts being

(j) which measures hardness in minerals and gemstones.

11. Amethysts can be yellow, brown or green as

(k) a variety of quartz.

12. Amethysts register 7 on the Mohs scale

(l) used in jewellery as early as 3000 BC.

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Gold

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(f) because it is hard enough to resist wear.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 3. Many wealthy Roman girls and women used items imported from outside Rome, including expensive cloths, jewellery, make-up and perfume. Some of the materials used in the production of these items were imported into Rome from different parts of the Roman Empire and beyond. Look at the following table and see if you can match the item with the material used and where it came from using the clues and hints given in each description. One answer has already been provided to you. Description

Materials Used

Origin

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A toxic (highly poisonous) blue-white metallic element, which is very soft and easy to mix. Found in a grey mineral called taken from galena, which was mined from rocks.

(b) An aromatic oil, a favourite of the Romans, famous for the sweetness of its scent and made from the petals of a flower which was a symbol of love.

wood

Imported from Africa, a hard, smooth, creamy white bone, usually from animals such as elephants.

silk

A yellow or orange translucent fossil resin, often containing trapped insects. Imported from the northern Roman province of Germania (modern Germany).

(d) A white powder used by fashionable Roman women as a cosmetic to lighten their skin, especially their faces.

gold

A flower with fragrant petals, grown extensively in Campania, southern Italy, and also imported from additional plantations in Egypt to satisfy Roman demand for it.

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lead

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(a) A comb used by slaves when they were attending to their mistress’s hair and creating favourite Roman hairstyles.

(e) A pin, used by Roman women and girls to hold up their elaborate hairstyles.

A light woven fabric, often worn by Roman women and girls as an inner tunic as it was cool and comfortable.

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(g) A fine, soft, lustrous (shiny) fabric, worn by Roman women to show their wealth and status.

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ivory

Imported from China where it was woven from the fibre produced by a silkworm to produce its cocoon.

cotton

Cut from trees grown in Italy and beyond.

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(f)

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(h) A soft, precious metal, used extensively in Roman jewellery such as earrings, necklaces and brooches.

rose

A bright yellow element, mined from the Earth and occurring in rocks and in rivers.

Discussion points Health and appearance

Ancient Roman women endangered their health by using lead powder, a poisonous substance, to whiten their skin. Do modern women endanger their health in order to alter their appearance? You may wish to use the Internet to research topics such as the use of sun beds, botox and plastic surgery today and their implications for health. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Literacy and history – The Romans

Teachers Notes

Unit 3: A letter from a Roman traveller Indicators Student reads text of letter and completes comprehension and close exercises based on the text.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Background information u S Student completes word matching exercise and word search on Roman aqueducts. Student learns about Roman building techniques and materials.

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This text is a letter, written by a Roman traveller who has travelled to Gaul (France). Letters usually begin with a greeting, contain information to be related and conclude with a farewell signed by the sender. There are two kinds of letters, formal and personal. A formal letter is usually written in a formal and structured style and may deal with business. A personal letter is usually written to a person known to the sender and with whom they may have a personal relationship. This letter is a personal letter, as Quintus Flaminius Ovicula is writing to his old tutor, Aristonicus, who used to live in his home and was his teacher when he was a boy, and whom he remembers with fondness. The spread of Roman power reached its height in the second century AD when the empire stretched from Britain in the north to Egypt in the south and across eastern Europe as far as Asia Minor. The city of Rome was at the heart of this great empire.

The Romans renamed many of the Greek gods and claimed them as their own. Zeus, the king of the gods, was renamed as Jupiter. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was renamed as Venus.

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Students will find it beneficial to look at a map of Europe and the Mediterranean in order to identify the locations mentioned; e.g. Rome and the areas controlled by the Roman Empire: Gaul (modern France); the Pont du Gard in Nimes in France; and Pompeii and Herculaneum, close to the modern city of Naples, in southern Italy.

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Herculaneum which, along with Pompeii, was buried by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, was a popular residential area with many villas belonging to wealthy Romans, including Roman senators. A useful website with information on Herculaneum can be found at <http://digilander.liberto.it/erikagraphicdesign/Ancient%20town.htm>.

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Students can find information on Roman technology, including building, at <www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans>. Students will find it beneficial to use a dictionary in order to answer Question 1 and 2 in Exercise E.

In order to research the issues of global warming and the conservation of water resources in Question 5 in Exercise E, students may find it helpful to access the following website which has information on global warming and water conservation at <www.epa. gov/globalwarming/kids/climateweather.html.>

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Students can draw and colour the extent of the Roman Empire on a blank map of Europe and the Mediterranean. A good website with information on the Roman Empire is <www.ucalgary.cal~vandersp/Courses/map/basicmap.html> Students can label the countries and towns mentioned in the letter with their Roman names and their modern equivalents. The Romans have left us many great architectural achievements, some of which can still be seen today. Hadrian’s Wall, on the border of England and Scotland, is one of these. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation, is an organisation dedicated to ensuring that the world’s great sites are protected and preserved for future generations. Students can look up information about Hadrian’s Wall and find out why it is included on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites at <http:// whc.unesco.org>. Students can investigate why it was such an important frontier and compile a fact sheet containing ten facts on Hadrian’s Wall and what it tells us about Roman building techniques. A good website is <http://museums.ncl.ac.UK/wallnet/>. Students can find out about the Roman currency system and draw up a table listing the names of the major Roman coins and their relative values. A good website with images of Roman coins is <www.romancoins.info/>.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Teachers Notes

Exercise D............................. page 23 2. Word search

Answers

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Exercise C............................. page 22 engineering, evidence, stand, amphitheatre, aqueducts, Latin, water, lead, citizens, empire, ten, population, serious, sestertii, fountains, inhabitants, city, Pont du Gard, conquered, survives. consul, three, metres

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Exercise B............................. page 21 1. Their architectural and engineering skills. 2. Many Roman buildings still exist today. 3. To carry fresh water. 4. From the Latin words ‘aqua’ meaning ‘water’ and ‘ducere’ meaning ‘to lead’. 5. Underground tunnels and massive arched stone bridges. 6. A fine of 10 000 sestertii. 7. Drinking fountains 8. They had to carry water up to their living quarters. 9. The Pont du Gard. 10. It was built in 19 AD and is 300 metres in length and 50 metres in height. 11. Teacher check 12. Teacher check 13. Teacher check 14. Teacher check 15. (a) and (d) should be ticked.

(b) A private house with an outer courtyard, called an atrium, was called a domus. (c) Apartment blocks with several storeys were called insulae. (d) A country house with land, usually owned by a wealthy Roman, was called a villa. (e) Public baths, where people met to bathe and spend their leisure time, were called thermae. (f) Bridges with pipes set into them carrying water into cities were called aqueducts. (g) A large open space in the centre of a town or city used as a marketplace was a forum.

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(h) A circular or oval building where gladiatorial fights and shows of wild beasts took place was called an amphitheatre. 2. Teacher check 3. The Romans began to use concrete in the second century BC when they discovered how to make mortar out of volcanic ash. This meant that they could build very strong walls. When building a wall, they first built two low brick walls with space between them. This space was filled with cement, mortar and stones. The stones towards the top of the wall were smaller and finer than at the bottom.

Exercise D............................. page 23 1. (a) Mars (b) Atlas (c) Saturn/Saturday (d) Ceres/cereal (e) Mercury (f) Pluto/plutonium

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Exercise E..................... pages 24–25 1. Suggested definitions. (a) A public building used as a law court and offices was called a basilica.

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Curriculum links State

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Society and Environment

English

Science

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3 TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

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CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

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ESS 3.6

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4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

3.7

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise A: Reading Read the letter.

Gaul, The Ides1 of Augustus, 79 AD To Aristonicus, my honoured tutor I know now that we Romans will always be remembered for our great engineering and architectural skills. So many times in the schoolroom in our house you tried to teach this to me and I did not pay enough attention. A 12-year-old boy is easily distracted, as I’m sure you well remember. You taught me that we, as Romans and as great builders, have left evidence for posterity in our buildings, which will surely be honoured by future generations. In Rome over the last seven years we have witnessed the building of the new amphitheatre, the Colosseum2, which, I believe, will be yet another great architectural triumph when it opens next year.

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However, I now know that there is another feat of engineering skill for which we Romans will always be remembered. This skill is shown in our magnificent Roman aqueducts, which were named, as you taught me, by combining two Latin words, ‘aqua’ meaning ‘water’ and ‘ducere’ meaning ‘to lead’. I remember that you told me they were built to carry fresh water wherever it was needed. They are composed of underground tunnels and massive arched stone bridges that stretch across the countryside. The bridges have channels running along the top that carry fresh water to our Roman citizens who live in the farms, towns and cities of our proud empire.

As a young boy, I learned from you that there are 10 aqueducts that carry fresh water into the city of Rome, our greatest city, and one that now has a population of over one million people. You taught me that to block the water supply to the city in any way is considered a serious crime and carries a heavy fine of 10 000 sestertii3. Rome has dozens of public drinking fountains supplied with water carried into Rome from the aqueducts. The people who live in the upper floors of the insulae, the apartment blocks of Rome, have to carry water from these fountains upstairs to their living quarters, as water supply in the insulae is so inadequate. I remember that you discussed this with me and encouraged me to think of the poor and have compassion for them.

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However, I have now seen the most magnificent aqueduct ever built by our great nation. This is the Pont du Gard in Gaul, which carries water to the city of Nemausus4. As I’m sure you know, my old tutor, it was built in 19 AD during the reign of our esteemed consul, Agrippa. It has three tiers of arches and is 300 metres in length and 50 metres in height. Now that I have stood and marvelled at its size and majesty, I believe that it will never be surpassed by any other builders in the empire. Future generations will stand where I stood and marvel at our building skills and our ingenuity5. For as long as this aqueduct stands, the reputation of our glorious empire will survive intact, no matter what trials the Fates decide to send us Romans.

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o c . che e With respectful regards, r o t r Your old student, Quintus Flaminius Ovicula. s s uper

I hope that this letter finds you well and that you are enjoying your well-deserved retirement in your beautiful villa in Herculaneum6.

1. The Ides occurred on the 13th or 15th of each month according to the Roman calendar.

2. The Colosseum was begun by the emperor Vespasian in 72 AD and was completed by his son, Titus, in 80 AD 3. Sestertii were coins of Roman currency. 4. Nemausus was the Roman name for the modern French city of Nimes. 5. Evidence of the skill and innovation of Roman engineers and builders can still be seen today. The Romans built great aqueducts to carry water into towns and cities. They also invented mortar for building and were the first to develop an under-floor central heating system called a hypocaust system. 6. Herculaneum was a wealthy town in the Roman province of Campania, which lay on the coast near the Bay of Naples, about 145 kilometres south-east of Rome. Many wealthy Romans had villas there. It was destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD, when it was buried under 22 metres of boiling mud which flowed down from Vesuvius. The nearby town of Pompeii was also destroyed when avalanches of pumice, ash and volcanic gases, followed by a mass of volcanic debris and mud, completely buried it. Excavations have been ongoing in Herculaneum and in Pompeii and they are both open to visitors, offering valuable insights into the lives of the Romans who lived here. The Romans called this area ‘Campania Felix’, which means ‘fortunate countryside’, because of the fertility of its volcanic soils, its variety of abundant crops and its idyllic landscape of sea and sky around the Bay of Naples. 20

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. According to the writer, what skills are the Romans best remembered for? 2. How is it that we still have evidence of these skills today in the 21st century?

3. Why were aqueducts built? 4. Where does the word ‘aqueduct’ come from?

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5. What two structures were aqueducts composed of?

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6. What was the penalty for blocking the water supply to the city?

7. What public drinking systems did the aqueducts supply in Rome?

9. What is the name of one of the most famous aqueducts remaining today? 10. When was this aqueduct built and what is its length and height?

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8. How did the poorer people get water into their apartment blocks?

11. Do you agree with Flaminius when he tells his old tutor that the reputation of the Romans will survive intact as long

as structures like the Pont du Gard exist? Why/Why not?

12. Do you think that Aristonicus was a good tutor from the evidence in this letter? Why/Why not?

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13. Why, in your opinion, did Aristonicus discuss the poorer inhabitants of Rome and their living conditions with Quintus when he was young? Does Quintus give us a clue when he uses the word ‘compassion’?

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14. Do you think that Quintus is correct when he predicts that future generations will stand and marvel at the building skills of the Romans, just as he has?

15. Read the following statements and tick those that are correct.

research

(a) Aqueducts were built to bring water to Roman cities and towns............

(b) Twelve aqueducts carried water into the city of Rome...........................

(d) The Pont du Gard carried water into the city of Nimes..........................

(e) There are four tiers of arches in the Pont du Gard................................

Find out more information about the following topics. The opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. The invasion of Gaul by the Romans under Julius Caesar. The Pont du Gard in France.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise C: Cloze exercise

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Word Bank

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water three sestertii evidence

lead metres city consul

citizens ten amphitheatre serious empire aqueducts engineering population

We remember the Romans for their great

fountains conquered Latin

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stand survives Pont du Gard inhabitants

and architectural skills. They have left of these skills in the buildings that still

today, such as the Colosseum in Rome, still the most famous

in the world. However,

their skill in designing and constructing great

is also remembered.

The word comes from the

in the farms, cities and towns

They were built to carry water to Roman

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of the

. The city of Rome had

aqueducts that carried water to a

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of over one million people in the

first century. To block the water supply was considered a carried a heavy fine of 10 000

There were hundreds of drinking to its poorest

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‘

crime and

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in Rome, which supplied water

who lived in the ‘insulae’ or apartment blocks of the

One of the most famous aqueducts, which can still be seen today, is the in France. The Romans

France and called it Gaul. This great

aqueduct, which still

today, was built in 19 BC during the reign of the Agrippa. It has

300 metres wide and 50 22

tiers of arches and is high.

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. Some English words have their origins in the names of ancient Roman gods and goddesses. Match each clue to the

(a)

a red planet............................... •

• Pluto, the god of the underworld

(b)

book of maps............................. •

• Ceres, the goddess of grain

(c)

a day of the week....................... •

• Mercury, the messenger of the gods

(d)

breakfast food............................ •

• Mars, the god of war

(e)

metallic element........................ •

• Atlas, the bearer of the Earth

(f)

reactor fuel in nuclear weapon.... •

• Saturn, the god of agriculture

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

2. Complete the following word search on Roman aqueducts.

Roman aqueducts

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correct name and write the English word. Hint: Some will be the same as the Roman name, but some will only use the name as a base.

F C P G U E E K E K O C I E © R . I . C . P u b l i c a t i o n s U M Z R M N M T C O P F O T N •f o e e p e l T r Lr H v Gi Iw P p I u Ir I o Us J s Eo Mn Ny N• R

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apartment channels composed feat magnificent posterity surpassed R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

architectural citizens crime inadequate massive retirement survive

attention combining emperor ingenuity population supplied underground

Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Write definitions for the following words relating to Roman building and architecture. Use a dictionary, the Internet or any other resources suggested by your teacher.

(a) basilica:

(b) domus:

(d) villa:

(e) thermae:

(f) aqueducts:

(g) forum:

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

(h) amphitheatre:

2. The Romans were successful builders and used many different building materials. Look at this list, find out what

(a) tufa:

(b) travertine:

(d) concrete:

(e) terracotta tiles:

(f) bricks:

(g) cement:

(h) pozzolana:

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each is and write a definition for them using your dictionary, the Internet or any other resources suggested by your teacher.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 3. The following paragraph, on the Roman development of concrete, has been jumbled. Rewrite the paragraph correctly.

This space was filled with cement, mortar and stones. This meant that they could build very strong walls. The stones towards the top of the wall were smaller and finer than at the bottom. The Romans began to use concrete in the second century BC, when they discovered how to make mortar out of volcanic ash. When building a wall, they first built two low brick walls with space between them.

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r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S

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From outer space, the Earth looks blue because 70% of our planet is covered in water. The Romans understood the importance of clean water for their citizens. Ten aqueducts carried water into the city of Rome for its one million inhabitants in the 1st century AD. You can:

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discuss the ways that the Romans used water discuss how many ways we use water today write a paragraph on the topic: ‘Do we waste water?’ describe what is meant by the term ‘global warming’ suggest ways in which we might conserve water instead of wasting it use the Internet to help research these and related topics.

Literacy and history – The Romans

Teachers Notes

Unit 4: A Roman matron organises an important dinner Indicators

Student reads text and completes comprehension and cloze exercises based on the text. Student completes exercises on adjectives and develops vocabulary and spelling skills. Student completes exercises to develop skills in matching and unscrambling

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Background information

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This text is a dialogue. A dialogue is a conversation between two parties and may be spoken or written. In this dialogue, between a Roman matron and her slave, the matron, Julia, does most of the talking because she is the mistress of the house and of the slaves. In some respects, this is more of a monologue than a dialogue as Julia monopolises the conversation so much. A monologue is a text spoken by a lone speaker. This dialogue also contains instructional text. Instructional text states an intended outcome, which in this case is the presentation of a successful dinner. It also states the materials needed and the sequence of actions required to achieve this outcome. A Roman matron was in charge of all the slaves in a household, both male and female. Slaves were expected to do as they were told and not to argue. Cooks in Roman households were usually slaves and considered to be of low status. Slaves were the property of their masters and therefore under their complete control. Roman slaves carried out many specialised tasks for their masters. Slaves had special titles, depending on the jobs they did. Slaves came from countries conquered by the Romans such as Spain (Hispania), Greece (Macedonia), the Middle East (Asia Minor), France (Gaul), Britain (Brittania) and Egypt (Aegyptus). Their mistress was always addressed as ‘Domina’, a Latin word meaning ‘Lady’. Even her husband used this title when speaking to her in public. Latin was the language spoken by the Romans and was used for communication, government and trade in the western part of the empire. Greek was used in the eastern part of the empire. The Roman matron or domina was in charge of the keys of the storerooms and cellars of her house. Julia is the wife of a wealthy Roman. Her husband has invited important guests to dinner in their villa in Herculaneum and, as a matron (a married woman with children and in charge of the household), it is her responsibility to organise a successful evening for her husband’s guests.

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Roman dinners were very elaborate. The Romans liked to celebrate with food and wine and their dinners often contained a large number of dishes. The main course could have included as many as seven dishes. After the main course, the table was taken away and a new table brought by the slaves. Fruit, nuts and honey cakes were served to the guests for dessert. There were no knives and forks and guests used their fingers to eat, allowing the slaves to wash and dry their hands as often as they wished. Roman food was based on a diet of fresh fish and poultry, along with a variety of fruit and vegetables. Rome imported many goods from over all its empire. Wine, olive oil and grain were the most important. Wine and oil was carried in large pottery jars called amphorae, which were packed in straw. Grain was shipped from Egypt and modern Tunisia to provide the monthly corn ‘dole’ for the poor in Rome. Luxury goods, favoured by the wealthy, included silks from China, incense from Arabia and spices from south-east Asia. The usual drink of all Romans was wine. Wine was always mixed with water and it was considered most improper to drink it without adding some water. Wine from the province of Campania, around modern Naples, was favoured the most by the Romans, who believed that the rich volcanic soil produced the best wines in the empire. Falerian wine was the most popular and most expensive wine from this area. ‘Vesuviana’ and ‘Pompeiana’ were the names of two other wines cultivated there. The Romans measured time differently to us and did not have the same exact number of hours and minutes laid out as we do in each day. The length of their hours and days varied according to the season and whether it was before the summer solstice or the winter solstice. Their time had a flexibility unknown to modern people.

. te o Worksheet information c . che e r o t r s super Students may need to use a dictionary to answer Question 10. Students may find it beneficial to access <www.roman-empire.net> in order to complete Question 3 in Exercise E. The official website for Pompeii has a wealth of information about the buried city at <www.pompeiisites.org>.

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Teachers Notes

Answers Exercise D............................. page 31 1. (a) different (b) large (c) elaborate (d) clumsy (e) perfumed (f) stuffed (g) constant (h) silver (i) glass (j) modern 2. (a) cena (b) seven (c) triclinium (d) gustatio (e) be sick (f) Domina (g) tables (h) couches (i) jars (j) toasts

2. 3.

(d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) (j) (a) (c) (e) (g) (i) (k) (a) (b)

ministeratores grammaticus familiae serviles fornacarii cellarius servi atrienses moriones (xii) (b) (vii) (viii) (d) (ii) (iii) (f) (i) (v) (h) (x) (xi) (j) (ix) (vi) (l) (iv) Gaul=France Macedonia=part of modern Greece (c) Brittania=Britain (d) Hispania=Spain (e) Aegyptus=Egypt (f) Numidia=north-west Tunisia and north-east Algeria (g) Germania=Germany (h) Creta=Crete (i) Cyrenaica=north-east Libya.

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Exercise C............................. page 30 Domina, cellars, dinners, upheld, control, law, killed, slaves, masters, household, evening, everything, couches, guests, dishes, spoons, sponges, plentiful, oysters, sweetened, dinner, seven, fish, cakes, silent, water, insects, feathers, burned, hot, charcoal, risk, fresh, Rome, markets, river, root

Exercise E..................... pages 32–33 1. (a) ab admissione (b) trinlinarii (c) ornatores

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Exercise B............................. page 29 1. Her instructions were not followed and one of the slaves smashed a glass goblet. 2. She says that she was still training the new slaves. 3. During the month of Julius and to begin at the end of the tenth hour. 4. At least seven. 5. Julia, Teacher check 6. Many hours 7.–10. Teacher check 11. (a), (c), (d), (f) and (g) should be ticked.

©R . I . C.Publ i cat i ons Cross-curricular activities

•f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

Students can plan their own Roman dinner menu and include information such as how many courses they would have, what dishes they would choose to include or exclude and who would serve it to them. A good website with information on ancient Roman food and recipes is <www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/recipes.shtml>. Students can write a list comparing and contrasting the life of a Roman slave to their own in terms of family, education, housing and leisure activities.

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A good website with information on the extent of the Roman Empire and the countries that they conquered and traded with is <www.roman-empire.net.>.

Curriculum links

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State

o c . che e r o t r s super Society and Environment

English

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

R 4.1, R 4.2, R 4.4, W 4.1, W 4.2

NSW

CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

RS 3.5, RS 3.6, RS 3.8, WS 3.10, WS 3.11

Vic.

SOHI 0501, SOHI O502, SOHI 0503, SOHI 0504

ENRE0404, ENWR0403

Qld

TCC 5.1, TCC 5.3, TCC 5.5, CI 5.1

Refer to website <http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise A Read the following dialogue carefully.

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Julia: I have called you here to tell you that tomorrow evening we are expecting important guests and the cena1 must go well. I was not at all happy with your performance or that of the slaves the last time. I was horrified when my instructions were not followed and one of the slaves dropped and smashed a glass goblet. Anteis: Domina2, at the time I was still only training some of the kitchen slaves who had just arrived from the province of Tunisia. They have learned our ways now, I promise. Julia: I hope so, for your sake. You will be punished along with them if things are not done properly this time. Now, I want to discuss the menu with you and decide on the wines. As it is the month of Julius3, we will begin at the end of the tenth hour4. You will have the triclinium5 cleaned and prepared properly for the evening. Anteis: How many main dishes will we prepare for you and your guests, Domina? Julia: I want at least seven. I want fish, poultry and meat. I also want new wines served between each one and include food for the musicians as well. I have hired a band of pipe players for the dinner. Anteis: I will go to the markets this morning with Servius and Atella. We will buy as much food as we can carry and get the rest tomorrow. Julia: Don’t take Atella with you. She is my best needlewoman. I need her to repair my finest stola. Take the newest slave, the one from Gaul. Anteis: I am not sure if he will be very helpful. He doesn’t speak good Latin yet. Julia: You will do as I say or suffer the consequences! I have already warned you. Now, you will prepare dormice rolled in honey and poppy seeds for the gustatio6. I want constant attentiveness from the slaves carrying the ewers of perfumed water so that my guests can wash their hands and have them dried as often as they wish. I also want no repetition of the last time when one of the clumsy slaves actually allowed water to splash onto a guest! Anteis: As I have said, Domina, they were new to the house and very nervous. Julia: I don’t care what excuses you try to give. Now remember my warning and heed my words. You are responsible for the conduct of the slaves. Now, for the next three courses, I want sausages laid on a silver grill, peahen’s eggs and Capri lobster spiced with parsley and bay. I also want three courses of roast meats—roast songbirds, venison and Appian hare. I want them served with an assortment of accompanying spices. I want the slaves dressed up as hunters when they serve the roasts to my guests, as if they had caught them themselves! Anteis: Domina, I fear I will not have the time to get all of this done for tomorrow. Julia: Are you going to disobey me? Are you saying that you do not have the time to do as I ask? I have never heard such blatant insubordination. I will beat you myself and not leave it to my husband if you continue with this kind of talk. Anteis: No, Domina. No, I beg you. I am sorry for my stupidity. Please forgive me. I will do all that you ask. It will be exactly as you wish. Julia: Well then, listen well and ensure that it is. Before dessert, take away the tables and replace them, and bring honey cakes, stuffed dates and a selection of fresh fruits. I want the slaves to ensure that the amphorae7 of Falerian wine are brought up from the cellars, as well as the honey wine. I want the drinking cups continually filled at all times, especially for the commissatio8, when my husband will call for us to drink to the health of our guests. Make sure that the vomitorium9 is kept fresh and clean all throughout the meal. Put the new slave in charge of that, will you? He is to clean it thoroughly if it is used. That’s the best job for a barbarian who cannot speak Latin. Go now to the markets. Anteis: Yes,of course, Domina. I will leave immediately and do exactly what you have said.

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1. Cena was the most important meal of the day for Romans and was eaten in the evenings. 2. ‘domina’ is a Latin word meaning ‘lady’. The title was given to the mistress of the household and was used at all times by the slaves of the household. Husbands used the term when speaking in public. 3. Julius was the month of July and named after Julius Caesar, the famous Roman general 4. The ‘tenth hour’ was late afternoon around 6 pm 5. A triclinium was a Roman dining room which often had three couches, seating nine guests. 6. Gustatio was the first course of dinner and consisted of several appetisers followed by wine sweetened with honey 7. Amphorae were large terracotta jars, which held liquids such as wine and olive oil. 8. A commissatio was a series of toasts, consisting of several rounds drunk to the health of important guests 9. A vomitorium was a special room for vomiting if guests felt ill. 28

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. Why was Julia unhappy with the performance of Anteis and the slaves at the last dinner?

2. What excuse does Anteis give to her mistress for this poor performance?

3. In which month is the dinner being held and at what time does Julia want it to start?

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4. How many dishes does Julia plan to have for the main course?

5. Who speaks the most in this dialogue? Can you give a reason why this might be?

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6. From your reading of this dialogue, how long would you suggest the average Roman dinner lasted for?

7. List three items on the intended menu for Julia’s dinner that would probably not appear on a modern menu.

Which customs still survive today? Why do you think © R . I . C . P u b l i c t i o n spractised by us? the a others are no longer customs in the dialogue which include: • the gustatio f o r r e i ew r posesonl y• • the• washing and drying of v the guests’ handsp by u

8. Julia makes reference to a number of Roman dinner

• •

slaves the commissatio the vomitorium

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9. It was common for Roman slaves to be beaten by their masters. Why do you think this might have been?

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10. Why do you think Julia refers to the slave who does not speak Latin as a ‘barbarian’? You can use a dictionary to find out what this word means. What might it have meant to a Roman citizen?

11. Tick the correct statements.

(a) A Roman dining room was called a triclinium...

(e) A gustatio was a dessert course.....................

(b) A vomitorium was a Roman bedroom..............

(f) Amphorae were large jugs for storing wine......

(g) Guests were toasted at the commissatio.........

(d) Roman slaves bought food from the markets...

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise C: Cloze exercise Word Bank evening root slaves Rome

couches river fresh risk plentiful

feathers Domina control burned silent

seven charcoal guests markets cellars law dishes dinner upheld dinners insects spoons everything household masters

fish sponges sweetened hot cakes killed oysters water

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Also the wife of a wealthy Roman man, a Roman matron controlled household and managed all of the slaves who lived , even by her husband when in public. She held the

and worked there. She was addressed as keys to all the storerooms and

in the house. She was responsible for organising important . The

and had every reason to be afraid. Under Roman

slaves of the household were entirely under her

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and ensuring that the honour of her husband was always , slaves had no rights whatsoever and could be

by their masters. There

well, as members of their family. Slaves could be given their

were some Romans who treated their .

freedom by their

A dinner party was an important occasion in a Roman

. The Romans only ate one large meal . A Roman matron had a responsibility to

a day, called the cena, and that was in the early

© Ron. I . Ccushions .Pwere ub l i a i o nslighting for the which placed .c Olive oilt lamps provided . • f o rr evi ew pur posesonl y• . The Romans ate with their fingers or with small silver Food was served on silver, bronze and gold went well when guests came to dinner. A special dining room, called a triclinium,

ensure that

had three stone

. Between courses, slaves with bowls of perfumed water and

helped

and there were many courses. The first course was called

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The food served at these important dinners was

and sardines. It was followed by a drink of wine

the gustatio and it included salads, mushrooms, eggs,

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with honey. Then the main course of the

be as many as

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guests wash their hands.

or cena was served. There could

o c . che e r o t r s super main dishes. Main courses comprised a rich variety of

poultry and meat. Dessert followed the main course and comprised honey-sweetened Wines were continually served throughout the meal by slaves who had to remain

. In the heat of a Roman summer,

mixed their wine with

food by slaves, using fans made of peacock’s was

and fruits. . Romans always were kept off the

. Roman kitchens were usually small and simple. Charcoal

in the hearth and pots and pans stood on grid irons over the

ashes.

had to burn wood. Brick ovens were also built for

Poorer people in the insulae who could not afford

of fire.

baking or roasting but these were illegal in the insulae because of the high

foods which could be bought at the markets. Fruits and vegetables

The Romans enjoyed a great variety of were grown in the countryside outside

and were brought into the main

A well-known market, the Forum Holitorium, occured along the banks of the ate cabbage, lettuce and asparagus, as well as 30

Literacy and history – The Romans

. known as the Tiber. They

crops such as turnips, parsnips and leeks. R.I.C. Publications® – www.ricpublications.com.au

Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. An adjective is a word used to describe somebody or something. Adjectives can be placed before nouns or after verbs. Choose the correct adjective from the word bank for each sentence below. perfumed glass

Clumsy elaborate

(a) The Romans enjoyed many

(b) Roman diners drank

(d)

(e) Guests washed their hands in

different stuffed

silver constant

large modern

courses during their dinners.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S amounts of wine between courses. meats for their guests.

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slaves were punished by their masters.

water during dinner.

(f) Desserts usually consisted of fruit such as

dates.

(g) Roman slaves were expected to show

(h) At Roman dinners, food was laid out on

grills and dishes.

(i) Wealthy Romans drank their wine from

goblets.

(j) Slaves came from all over the empire, including

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attentiveness to their masters.

-day Egypt, Spain and Crete.

(d) The first course in a Roman dinner was called a gustatio/commissatio/ludo.

(e) A vomitorium was a room where guests could sleep/change their clothes/be sick.

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2. Read the following statements and circle the correct words.

(a) For the Romans, dinner was the most important meal of the day and was called the cena/villa/domina.

(f) Roman matrons were called Femina/Domina/Fortuna. (g) Before dessert, the slaves had to wash and wipe down the floors/tables/chairs.

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(h) For the comfort of guests, a Roman dining room had several windows/beds/couches. (i) ‘Amphorae’ were large terracotta jars/glasses/plates with two handles. (j) The commissatio was a round of games/toasts/fruits.

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Match the following slave titles with their descriptions. There are clues in the descriptions if you study the words very carefully!

familiae serviles ab admissione

ministeratores moriones

servi atrienses triclinarii

ornatores cellarius

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(a) This slave was in charge of admissions to the house and was called an

(b) These slaves attended to guests in the dining room, called the triclinium, and were

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heating system in the house and were called the .

(h) This slave looked after the keys to the stores and cellars of the house for

his or her mistress and was called a

inner courtyard area, known as the atrium, and their title was

(j) Some slaves had to play the fool in order to provide their master with

(i) These slaves served their master inside the house and worked in the main

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were known as the

(g) A number of slaves had to look after the furnace that heated the central

taught them subjects such as philosophy, grammar and oratory, was

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called

(f) Every Roman household used at least ten slaves to serve the family and

(e) A slave, usually Greek, who educated the sons of wealthy families and

were called

(d) The job of these slaves was to carry the dishes and administer to the guests at dinner and they were

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called

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fornacarii grammaticus

entertainment and they were known as

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 2. The Romans imported foods from every part of their empire and beyond. The following table shows foods that are

traditionally associated with certain parts of the world and the areas/countries they are associated with but they have been jumbled up? Can you match them correctly?

(a) basmati rice

(i)

England

(b) garlic snails

(ii)

northern Italy

(iii) Ireland

(d) risotto

(iv) New Zealand

(e) potatoes

(f) roast beef

(g) paella

(h) pasta

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S (v)

Spain

(vi) Mexico (vii) France

(i) sushi

(ix) United States of America

(j) hamburgers

(x)

(k) tortillas

(xi) Japan

(l) kiwi fruit

(xii) Himalayas

Italy

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(viii) India

3. The Roman Empire reached its height in the 2nd century AD, stretching around the Mediterranean Sea and from

Britain in the north to Egypt in the south. Unscramble these Roman placenames. (The modern names of these countries/areas are in brackets to help you!)

(f) dNiiamu (north-west Tunisia and north-east Algeria) © R . I . C . P u b l i c at i ons (b) conMaeiad (partr of modern Greece) o (g) s arenamGi •f o r ev i ew pur p es(Germania) onl y•

(a) lGua (France)

(d) pHaisani (Spain)

(i) rcCeniaay (north-east Libya)

(e) psAytuge (Egypt)

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(h) tCear (Crete)

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Teachers Notes

Unit 5: A letter from a Roman architect Indicators Student reads text of letter from a Roman architect and completes comprehension and cloze exercises based on the text.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok Background information u S Student completes exercises to develop vocabulary and writing skills.

Student learns about the factors that can influence the growth of cities.

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This text is a letter from a Roman architect describing changes in his plans for the building of a townhouse. A letter is a written conversation sent from one person to another. Letters usually begin with a greeting, contain information to be related and conclude with a farewell signed by the sender. There are two kinds of letters, formal and informal. A formal letter is usually written to someone who is not a personal friend and when business of some sort is being discussed. It is usually polite and formal in tone. This letter, written to a wealthy client who has engaged the services of Titus Paullus Bassus, is polite in tone and is dealing with a business matter. It is therefore a formal letter. The large townhouses of the wealthy in Rome were built behind shops and businesses and their doors opened out into the street between these businesses. This kind of Roman townhouse was called a domus. One of the reasons why we have such detailed knowledge of the design and layout of the Roman domus is because of their excavation in towns, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried and forgotten after the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in 79 AD.

The House of Julius Polybius in Pompeii is an example of a large Roman domus. It was on the main shopping street in Pompeii called the Via dell’Abbondanza. Its entrance was close to a shop and it was very large, as it was built on two levels with 37 rooms on the ground floor and 19 on the first floor. It was about 992 square metres in size.

Worksheet information

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Students may need to use a dictionary to answer Question 1 in Exercise D.

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A devastating fire during the reign of the emperor Nero, in 64 AD destroyed three of the 14 districts of Rome and left only four districts untouched. A program of reconstruction and rebuilding began under the emperor Nero, who was criticised for using the opportunity to build a new palace called the Domus Aurea, the Golden House.

Students may find it beneficial to use the Internet to research the fire of 64 AD which caused great devastation in the city of Rome. A good website with information on the great fire is <www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/rome.htm>.

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Students can find information on the emperor Nero and other Roman leaders at the website on Roman emperors at <www.romanemperors.org>. Students may find it beneficial to conduct research on the Internet for Question 2 in the word study sections and Question 1 in Exercise E. A good website, with information on excavations of Roman villas in England, is <www.channel4.com/ history/microsites/T/timeteam/snapshot_roman_romanvillas.html>.

The official website for Pompeii, which has information on Roman houses and villas which have been discovered during the excavations, is at <www.pompeiisites.org>.

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Teachers Notes

Answers 8. cubiculum 9. nine 10. He had to make it smaller because of the lack of space. 11. Flavus, one of Rome’s most famous gardeners. 12. Romans celebrated their many festivals by wearing garlands of flowers. 13. (b), (c) and (e) should be ticked

Exercise D............................. page 39 1. Teacher check 2. Teacher check Exercise E..................... pages 40–41 1. Teacher check 2. Teacher check. 3. Teacher check.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Exercise C............................. page 38 fire, damaged, blamed, Palace, businesses, city, courtyard, shrine, household, Latin, diningroom, flowers, wore, Roman, peristyle,furniture, frescoes, beautiful, valuables, silver, bright, stop, public, connected

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Exercise B............................. page 37 1. It was originally the site of two shops, burned in the Great Fire of Rome, 64 AD. 2. It is very small. 3. A large fountain and a large lararium. 4. He has recommended an impluvium with a statue in the centre, instead of a large fountain, and a much smaller lararium. 5. Vesta 6. He suggests that local artists should be employed to create frescoes on the walls. 7. So that her dinner guests could observe the main features of the garden.

Cross-curriculum activities

Students can research the Forum in Rome and identify three of the main buildings to be seen there today, such as the Temple of Vesta, the Temple of Saturn and the Curia, finding information such as when they were built, who built them and why. A website with images of the Roman Forum is <www.rome-tour.co.uk>.

Students imagine they are Roman builders, working on the construction of Nero’s Domus Aurea in Rome. The work is extremely hard and the emperor is a very demanding master. Students write an account of a typical day in their life. A website with images from the excavations at the Domus Aurea is <www.romeguide.it/domus_aureaeng/domus_aurea.htm>. Students can research the other rooms used in a Roman house such as the tablinum (the main reception room), the culina (the kitchen) and the exedra (a garden room) and find out what they were used for. A website with a section on life in ancient Rome is <http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210200/ancient_rome/homes.htm>.

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The Romans celebrated many festivals during the year. Students can find information on Roman religion at <www.loggia/myth/ feriae.html>.

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Curriculum links State

Society and Environment

English

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3 TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

R 4.1, R 4.2, R 4.4, W 4.1, W 4.2

CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

RS 3.5, RS 3.6, RS 3.8, WS 3.10, WS 3.11

Vic.

SOHI 0501, SOHI O502, SOHI 0503, SOHI 0504

ENRE0404, ENWR0403

Qld

TCC 5.1, TCC 5.3, TCC 5.5, CI 5.1

Refer to website <http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise A: Reading Read the letter.

To Manius Antoninus Publius

Nones of March, 65 AD, Rome

Sir, I enclose my revised plans for the refurbishment of your townhouse, which you requested me to draw up some months ago. Please accept my apologies for the delay but I had considerable difficulty with some of your requests and I have had to adapt them. I wish to remind you that your site was originally two small shops, burned to the ground in the great fire which devastated our city last year. My designs have to take the small size of the site into account. I know that you wish to retain the shops at the front, which you intend to operate.

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Firstly, you wanted a large fountain in the centre of the atrium1 in the front section of your house, dedicated to the goddess Vesta, our sacred goddess of the home. Having surveyed the site several times, I have found that the water supply is not strong enough to supply such a powerful fountain and would recommend that you reconsider your plans. Would you allow me to create a smaller water feature? May I recommend an impluvium2 with a statue of the goddess in the centre to compensate for the lack of a fountain? Secondly, you requested me to design a large lararium3 to be sited in the atrium. Unfortunately, the site will not allow me to create this on the scale that you wished. I have had to make the lararium much smaller and place it closer to the water supply on the wall opposite the impluvium, as your wife has requested a small stone font in front of it. I will ensure that there is a small fountain here to try to satisfy your original request. Again, may I respectfully suggest that you consider engaging some of the local artists who, I believe, can create marvellous frescoes on the walls around the lararium, which would more than compensate for the smaller size of the altar. Thirdly, you asked me to create a very large triclinium4 looking onto your garden in the inner courtyard of your home, which would allow your wife, Cornelia, to entertain guests in comfort and ease. Regretfully, I have had to change some of the details of this plan as again the restrictions of the site make it difficult. If I had created a larger triclinium, of the size your wife wished, I would have had to make the cubiculum5 and the other rooms beside it much smaller. I do not feel that this would be something that would have pleased your wife. The triclinium is still of adequate size with three stone couches, providing seating for nine guests which will allow them to observe the main features of your garden.

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Finally, you indicated to me that Cornelia was particularly keen for me to create a large peristyle6. Unfortunately, I cannot do this due to lack of space. I have designed a smaller peristyle, close to and visible from the right- hand side of the triclinium. May I suggest that this design, although on a much smaller scale that your wife originally wished, would still allow her guests to view the peristyle while dining and to walk around it after dinner. I have asked Flavus, one of Rome’s most famous gardeners, who recently designed a garden for the emperor’s wife, to plant an array of perfumed plants such as red roses, purple violets and white lilies to provide for your garlands7. I have also asked him to create a scented walkway, with climbing damascena roses around the pillars of the peristyle, for your wife and her guests. I have also arranged for him to create a small herb garden near the culina8 where your kitchen slaves will be able to pick fresh thyme, coriander and oregano. Please let me know your views on these changes as soon as possible as I have completed all other aspects of the plans as you requested. Building could start on your townhouse as early as May. My slave, Drusus, is bringing this letter to you by hand with some accompanying drawings and will await your reply.

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Your servant, Titus Paullus Bassus 1. An trium was a central courtyard where guests were formally received. It had an opening, which allowed light into the courtyard. 2. An impluvium was a rectangular basin into which rainwater fell through the opening in the roof of the atrium of the house. 3. A lararium was a shrine built to honour the household gods. 4. A triclinium was a Roman dining room which often had three couches, seating nine guests. 5. A cubiculum was a bedroom. The Romans preferred their bedrooms to be bare and clutter-free. 6. A peristyle was a colonnaded, rectangular garden which provided a shaded walkway at the rear of the house. 7. Garlands were fresh flowers used to decorate their household altars and to celebrate feasts. The were worn in their hair and around their bodies and hung them around the house. 8. A culina was a kitchen where, in wealthy homes, the slaves prepared meals and performed household chores. 36

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. What does the architect, Titus Paullus Bassus, tell us about the site of this townhouse?

2. What is the main difficulty with this site? 3. What two features have his clients requested in the atrium? 4. How has he had to adapt these features in order to satisfy his client’s wishes?

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5. What was the name of the Roman goddess of the home?

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6. How does the architect suggest that his clients compensate for the smaller size of the lararium?

7. Why would Manius Antoninus Publius’s wife want the triclinium to face onto the garden?

8. Which specific room would have been much smaller if the architect had made the triclinium as large as his clients

10. What change did the architect have to make in the plans for the peristyle and why?

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11. Who has been asked to plant a selection of plants around the peristyle?

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12. What does Titus Paullus Bassus mean when he says that the roses, violets and lilies can be used for garlands? What is a garland and what are they used for?

13. Tick the correct statements.

(a) Roman townhouses never had shops at the front....

(d) A lararium was unusual in a Roman home...........

(b) An atrium was an open front courtyard...................

(e) Frescoes were painted directly onto walls............

(f) A peristyle was an outdoor pond.........................

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise C: Cloze exercise Word Bank frescoes bright household beautiful peristyle

diningroom silver damaged blamed businesses

valuables connected Latin Roman stop

shrine city flowers furniture couches

public courtyard Palace fire

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On the 18 of July 64 AD, a devastating fire broke out in the area around the Circus Maximus in Rome. By the time the died out, 10 out of the city’s 14 districts had been badly

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Three were completely destroyed. The emperor, Nero, was implicated in the fire, so he

by the fire. Christians for

deliberately starting it. In the years that followed, the city was slowly rebuilt. Nero had built a palace known as the Domus Aurea or

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Golden

and the emperor Vespasian used part of the site for the construction of a new amphitheatre.

The Colosseum took 10 years to build and was finally opened by the emperor Titus, Vespasian’s successor, in 80 AD. Many of the city’s houses, apartment blocks and

also had to be rebuilt.

Wealthy Romans lived in villas in the country and townhouses in the

, which sometimes had shops at the

front. They did not have any windows opening onto the street and were surprisingly private. The entrance led through a passageway

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i onsto the households gods in the atrium. Offerings were made here every day by the . The Penates, the pantry gods, ensured that • f o r r e v i e w p u r p o s eso nl y• there was always food in the house. At the back of a domus, the word for townhouse, there was a into an atrium or

,which opened to the sky and had a pool in the centre called an impluvium. The atrium

was where visitors were received. Every Roman house had a lararium or

colonnaded garden called a peristyle. The

, or triclinium, looked out onto the peristyle and guests could and

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sit there on couches while they ate and look out at the garden. The peristyle often had scented during the

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plants growing around it. Romans often used flowers to make garlands, which they wore at the many sacred festivals celebrated

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year. The culina, or kitchen, was situated at the back of the

The shrine to the Penates was beside the kitchen, often tended to by slaves. A herb garden in this area was also looked after by the household slaves.

The Romans did not have a lot of their walls with colourful

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in their houses and preferred simplicity to clutter. They decorated

and their floors were covered with mosaics,

floor pictures made up of pieces of coloured glass, stone or marble pressed into soft cement. Their bedrooms were also small and had very little furniture. A cubiculum or bedroom might only have a bed and a small table. Every house had a strongbox, which held such as money and jewellery. At night, Romans lit their houses with oil lamps made of were not very

. Salt was added to the oil to

or bronze. The lamps burned olive oil and it from smoking. Wealthy

Romans who owned larger townhouses had a system of central heating installed in their homes called hypocaust heating. Hot air was piped under the floors and around the house from a furnace in the cellar. Wealthier Romans also had a bath in their home, which meant that they did not always have to go to the

baths to bathe. They also had toilets that were

to the city’s sewage systems. 38

Literacy and history – The Romans

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Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. Put the following words, used in Exercise C, into sentences to explain their meaning. You may wish to use a dictionary.

(a) destroyed

(b) deliberately

(d) surprisingly

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(e) ensured

(f) situated

(g) simplicity

(h) colourful

(i) installed

(j) socialise

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2. Imagine that you are Manius Antoninus Publius. Write a formal letter in response to the architect, Titus Paullus

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Bassus, giving your opinion on his revised plans for your town house. Use at least five of the words listed below in your reply.

impluvium

peristyle

scented walkway

Vesta

cubiculum

mosaics

frescoes

culina

lararium

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Wealthy Romans usually owned villas as well as townhouses. A villa urbana or ‘city house’ was built just outside

the town or city in what we would call the suburbs (a Latin word meaning ‘under the city’ or outside the city). The second type of villa was called a villa rustica, or ‘country house’, because it was in the countryside. These villas differed from the domus of the towns and cities because they were outward-looking and often overlooked a garden or a landscape. A string of villas were built around the Bay of Naples, a favourite holiday destination for the nobility, where they overlooked the sea. Choose your favourite Roman house-type and design your own version.

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 2. There are specific factors that encouraged the growth of cities and towns in a particular area. The availability of water was one. These three famous Roman cities—Rome (the capital of the empire), Trier (once the leading Roman city in north-east Gaul [France]) and Londonium (London, the capital of Brittania [Roman England]), each have a river. Other factors include such things as strategic location, political and religious power and planning.

Complete the following chart, filling in the factors that may have encouraged the growth of these three cities through the ages. You may find it beneficial to research the topic of cities and towns and their growth, using resources such as the Internet.

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London, England

Latin name ‘Roma’

Latin name ‘Augusta Treverorum’

Latin name ‘Londinium’

It had a river, the Tiber, which provided fresh water, food and drainage. The Tiber played a vital part in the establishment of the city of Rome.

It had a river, the Moselle, and began as a military settlement, established by the emperor Augustus, to guard a vital bridge over the river. It also provided fresh water, food and drainage.

It had a river, the Thames, and provided the invading Roman army with fresh water, food and drainage. It enabled them to build a vital bridge for their supplies.

Rome developed around seven hills and had easy access to the sea where ships could deliver and export goods.

Trier was surrounded by vineyards and forests, thus providing a constant supply of wood for fuel and furniture and grapes for food and wine making

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Trier, France

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Rome, Italy

Trier was once the capital of the © R. I . C .P ubl i c at ons Treveri, a Celtic-Germanic tribe. It i became the capital of an ecclesiastical principality from thep 14th to s thee 18thso •f orr evi ew p u r o nl y• centuries AD.

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A planned city, the Romans built London according to a standard plan, an encampment plan, which they used in all of their cities.

o c . che e r o t r s super Discussion points

The cities of the past and the future

Discuss the factors that encouraged the growth of cities in the past. Have these factors changed today? Have some remained the same? Discuss how you think cities will develop in the future. What issues will dominate planning? What kinds of features would you like to see? Urbanisation means the growth of cities and can result in increased pollution, increased energy consumption, loss of natural habitats and a decline in rural towns. Sustainable development, which allows towns and cities to grow in a way that does not cause such damage is believed to be the way forward. Research the topic of sustainable development and discuss ways in which it can be encouraged. What suggestions can you make in this area?

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Teachers Notes

Unit 6: A letter from a visitor to Rome Indicators Student reads text and completes comprehension and cloze exercises based on the text. Student completes word study exercises on vocabulary and word order in sentences. Student learns about the Roman calendar and its influence on our calendar.

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Background information

This text is a letter. Letters are usually written conversations from one person to another. They usually begin with a greeting, contain

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information to be related and conclude with a farewell signed by the sender. Letters can be formal or personal. This is a personal letter written by Gaius Barbatus Tyndarus to his wife, Julia, and his children. This letter gives an account of some Roman festivals attended by Gaius, a visitor to Rome from his farm in the southern province of Campania. He has spent four months in the city from December to April and is now preparing to return home.

Julius Caesar reformed the calendar and introduced the 365-day year. The Romans had a system of categorising days according

to whether they were festival days, business days, religious days or market days, amongst others. The days had letters assigned to them which signified which kind of day they were; e.g. ‘N’ meant ‘dies nefastus’ = no business, ‘F’ meant ‘dies fastus’ = a business day, and ‘EN’ meant ‘dies endotercisus’ = a religious festival day.

Some Roman months were named after Roman gods and goddesses. January was called after Janus, the god of gates and doorways. Often doors would have two faces looking in opposite directions representing the past and the future. February was named after the god Februus and the feast of Februalia, 15 February, was held to clean Roman houses and prepare them for the coming year. March was named after the god Mars, the god of war, and used to be the first month. Mars was also the god of protection for fields and growing crops. April was dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. May was dedicated to the goddess of spring, Maia. June was the month of Juno, the wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and the well-being of women.

More information on the Roman calendar can be found at <www.musesrealm.net/rome/festivals.html>, where a Roman calendar A website with information on Roman emperors is <www.roman-emperors.org>.

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Cross-curricular activities Students can research the origins of the names of the days of the week.

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with information on every Roman festival is available.

Students can draw up a table comparing and contrasting the festivals celebrated by the Romans and the festivals celebrated today

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and find out if there are links between the two; e.g. the feast of Saturnalia has some features that can be linked to the celebrations at Christmas—its timing, the exchanging of gifts and the freedom from normal routines.

Students can design an outfit, using the flowers and colours favoured by the Romans, to wear to a celebration or party. A website with information on Roman clothing and illustrations of the different garments worn by the Romans is <www.roman-empire.net/ society/soc-dress.html>.

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Teachers Notes

Answers

During Lupercalia, the spectators whipped the runners with goatskins. (f) The feast of Florales celebrated blossoming flowers and the season of summer. (g) During Florales, Romans wore garlands of flowers around their necks and in their hair. (h) The city of Rome in summer was overcrowded, hot and unpleasant because of the heat. (i) Roman farmers grew wheat, olives and grapes on their farms. (j) Campania was known as the happy land or, in Latin, Felix Campania.

2. (b) 3, 4, 2,10 3. (a) The Roman year originally had only ten months and the new year began in March. (b) This is why the last four months of our year, called September, October, November and December, are named after the Latin words for seven (septem), eight (octo), ninth (novem) and tenth (decem). (c) Julius Caesar changed the length of the year to twelve months and changed the name of the new seventh month, which we now call July, to Julius. (d) The new eighth month was later called August, after the emperor Augustus, Caesar’s adopted son. 4. Answers in table below

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Exercise C............................. page 46 honour, ruled, gods, Roman, wife, god, protected, agriculture, seven, slaves, exchanged, freed, duty, order, roads, dead, February, held, goddess, celebrated, May, hair, arrival.

Exercise E..................... pages 48–49 1. Saturnalia—17–23 December Parentalia—13–21 February Lupercalia—15 February Florales—28 April–3 May

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Exercise B............................. page 45 1. Campania 2. four months 3. Basilica Aemilia 4. jewellery 5. His brother-in-law 6. The Romans celebrate their festivals with great enthusiasm. 7. To see masters waiting on their slaves. 8. The sacrifice of seven bulls in the Senate to honour Jupiter, when his brother-in-law was made a consul. 9. Her father died recently. 10. The feast of Lupercalia, because the runners whipped some of the spectators with goatskins. 11. He enjoyed the colourful flowers and the dancing which reminded him that summer is coming soon. 12. Being with his family, walking amongst his vines and olives. 13. The heat and dust of summer in the city and the fact that he has been there for months away from his family. 14. (a), (d) and (e) should be ticked 15. Teacher check.

(e)

In spring

In summer

In autumn

Roman farmers began the new year by planting their crops and praying to the goddess, Maia.

They reared their young animals such as lambs and calves and tended their growing crops.

They harvested their crops, gathering enough food for themselves and to sell at the markets.

They spent the cold winter months brewing beer, making wine from grapes and conserving fruits.

In winter

Wealthy Romans held important cenas (dinners) in their townhouses in Rome and discussed the affairs of the empire as the new year began.

They travelled to their summer villa in the countryside with their slaves in attendance.

After the summer, they returned to their city townhouses, (called a domus) and visited their friends to discuss business and politics.

Celebrated the feast of Saturnalia for seven days in December and swapped places with their slaves.

Roman citizens began the new year by working hard in their jobs, trying to earn enough money for their families.

Celebrated the feast of Florales in May and wore flowers in their hair and floral garlands around their necks.

Visited the public baths, called thermae, and met their friends there during the Ludi Romani games in September.

Wore warmer clothes such as animal furs and woollen tunics to combat the cold of the insulae (apartments blocks) in Rome.

Roman slaves began the new year by spring cleaning their masters houses according to the instructions of their mistress.

They travelled with their wealthy masters to their summer villas in the countryside in order to attend to them there.

Returned to their masters townhouse and, if their master allowed them, attended the games of Ludi Romani, dedicated to Jupiter, in September.

Celebrated the feast of Saturnalia for seven days in December and swapped places with their masters.

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Exercise D............................. page 47 1. (a) many gods (b) Jupiter (c) southern Italy (d) December (e) first (f) Bulls (g) ancestors (h) Palatine Hill (i) summer 2. (a) The Basilica Aemilia was the area in Rome where the Romans bought jewellery. (b) The feast of Saturnalia honoured Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. (c) During the feast of Saturnalia, masters waited on their slaves at dinner. (d) Bulls were slaughtered to honour Jupiter, the ruler of the gods.

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o c . che e r o t r s super Curriculum links State

Society and Environment

English

Maths

ICP 4.1, ICP 4.2, ICP 4.3, PS 4.2, R 4.2, C 4.1, C 4.2, C 4.3 TCC 4.1, TCC 4.2, TCC 4.3

R 4.1, R 4.2, R 4.4, W 4.1, W 4.2

M 9b4, C & D 14.4

NSW

CUS 3.4, ENS 3.6

RS 3.5, RS 3.6, RS 3.8, WS 3.10, WS 3.11

WM 3.2

Vic.

SOHI 0501, SOHI O502, SOHI 0503, SOHI 0504

ENRE0404, ENWR0403

MAMET401, MACD402, MACDI401

Qld

TCC 5.1, TCC 5.3, TCC 5.5, CI 5.1

Refer to website <http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au>

CD 4.2

4.1, 4.4

4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.11

4.2

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Exercise A: Reading Read the letter written by a person from a southern province in the Roman Empire who is visiting Rome.

Rome, The Kalends of Maius, 72 AD Greetings to you, Julia, my honoured wife, and to my children, from Rome I write to you now on the first day of this month, as I prepare to return soon to you all in Campania. I will have my preparations completed by early next week and plan to start my journey on Wednesday. I have paid many visits to the markets in the Basilica Aemilia where the silversmiths and goldsmiths have their shops. I have purchased gifts for all of you. The jewellery here is exquisite, using stones of emerald and sapphire. I think you will be pleased with my gifts, my dearest wife, and so will our two daughters.

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Over the last four months, I have never attended so many spectacular festivals in my life. I know we celebrate our Roman feasts at home, but not with the enthusiasm of the Romans! I sometimes felt that there were more days of festivals and celebrations than there were days of business1. The festivals started in December with the feast of Saturnalia2 to honour Saturn, our great god of agriculture. It lasted for an entire week! Your brother, my gracious host, gave a lavish dinner party to start it off and I was most amused to see him waiting on his slaves at the table. He didn’t look too pleased at first but soon got into the swing of things as the wine flowed and the food arrived from the kitchens. On the Kalends3 of January, your brother was sworn in as a new consul in the Senate and seven bulls were slaughtered to honour Jupiter, the king of the gods, and to thank him for his help during the past year. I have not seen so much blood since I served in the legions. In February, the feast of Parentalia4 was celebrated in sombre mood since it is only a year since your beloved father died. We travelled to the tomb of your parents outside the city on the Via Appia5 and paid our respects. Later that month, I witnessed the feast of Lupercalia6, which honours the legend of our great father, Romulus. We stood on the Palatine Hill and laughed as the runners ran around the hill, whipping some bewildered spectators with goatskins. I found this one of the strangest feasts so far.

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It is now the month of Maius, named after Maia, our goddess of spring and new growth. As I write to you, the Romans are again celebrating a feast. This time it is the beautiful feast of Florales7, which is my favourite so far. The Romans greet the season of summer wearing garlands of colourful and sweet-smelling flowers on their heads and around their necks. There have been dances after dinner and it is wonderful to know that soon the summer will be here and I will be home with you to celebrate it. I have had enough of the city and would not look forward to being here in the heat and dust of July and August. I would prefer to be with you and my family on our farm, walking among the vines and olives in our gardens in the happy land of Campania8 . I hope that Jupiter will smile on my journey and I will see you all in about 12 days time.

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Your husband and father, Gaius Barbatus Tyndarus

1. The Romans had many festivals, which they celebrated throughout the year. Each festival had religious and social significance. They were often public holidays. They also had a large number of days in their calendar known as ‘dies nefastus’ which meant that no business could be carried out on those days. 2. The feast of Saturnalia commemorates the dedication of the temple of the god, Saturn. It is celebrated from 17–23 December. 3. The Kalends were the first day of every month according to the Roman calendar. 4. Parentalia, 13–21 February, was a festival that honoured the dead, especially ancestors. Romans visited the tombs of their parents outside the city walls and laid flowers and wine on the graves so that they would not be hungry in the afterlife and return to haunt the living. 5. Road to the south lined with tombs and built in 312 BC by Appius Claudius. 6. Lupercalia, 15 February, was a feast celebrating the founding of Rome. 7. Florales, 28 April – 3 May, was a festival to honour Flora, goddess of flowering and blossoming plants. People celebrated by dancing in honour of the goddess, and wore brightly coloured garlands of flowers. 8. Campania was known as the happy land or ‘Campania Felix’ in Latin. 44

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Exercise B: Comprehension questions 1. Where is Gaius Barbatus Tyndarus from? 2. How long has he spent in Rome? 3. Where did he go shopping in Rome? 4. What kind of gifts is he bringing home for his wife and daughters? 5. Who is he staying in Rome with?

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6. What has he noticed about the way the Romans celebrate their festivals?

8. What kind of sacrifice did he witness on 1 January and why was he there?

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7. What amused him about one of the customs of the festival of Saturnalia?

9. Why is he so concerned that his memories of the feast of Parentalia may be upsetting for his wife?

10. What was the name of the feast that he says he found the strangest? Why did he think it was strange?

12. What is he particularly looking forward to when he returns to his home?

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13. What are the factors causing Gaius to look forward to leaving the city of Rome at this time?

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14. Read the following statements and tick those that are correct.

(a) The Romans celebrated many festivals throughout the year..................

(b) Roman women did not like jewellery and never wore it.........................

(d) Some Roman feasts involved sacrificing animals to the gods................

(e) Romans buried their dead outside the city walls...................................

(f) The city of Rome was cool in summer.................................................

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Find out more information about the following topics. the festival of Saturnalia gods and goddesses of Rome Roman beliefs about death and the afterlife the Roman province of Campania

Exercise C: Cloze exercise Word Bank seven

celebrated roads arrival dead ruled protected held hair wife February

order gods agriculture slaves

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honour exchanged May

goddess god Roman duty freed

The Romans celebrated many festivals throughout the year. They had many different gods and goddesses and wanted to them all. Every god and goddess

ruled over the other

over a particular area of life. Jupiter

and his symbols were the eagle and the thunderbolt. Sacrifices were made

to him at official ceremonies of the

state. His

was the goddess

of war. She was worshipped by women and she © R . I . C . P u b l i cat i ons them, especially during childbirth. •f orr evi ew pu r posesonl y• Saturn was the Roman god of and the festival in his honour, in December, lasted Juno and she was the mother of Mars, the

for

days. During this time, the custom was that social customs were inverted and

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were served by their masters. The festival of Saturnalia was a time of enjoyment, with presents as people celebrated being

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from their normal routines.

The Romans believed that they held a in

to hold sacrifices for their dead ancestors

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to protect them and ensure their immortality in the afterlife. Tombs lined the

outside the towns and cities. They paid respect to the feast of Parentalia, in the month of were

, when both private family devotions and public ceremonies

The feast of Florales was a celebration in honour of the

Flora, who ruled over all flowering

and blossoming plants. The feast was

at the end of April and the beginning of

, when people wore garlands of fresh flowers in their necks and danced to welcome the

during the

and around their

of summer.

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Exercise D: Word study exercises 1. Circle the correct words or phrases in the following statements.

(a) The Romans worshipped one god/many gods.

(b) Saturn/Mars/Jupiter was the ruler of the Roman gods.

(f) Bulls/Lambs/Goats were sacrificed when new consuls were sworn in.

(g) The feast of Parentalia honoured Roman children/ancestors.

(d) Saturnalia was celebrated during the month of August/December.

(h) During Lupercalia runners ran around the Palatine/Capitoline Hill.

(i) The feast of Florales celebrated the arrival of spring/summer.

(e) The Kalends were the middle/last/first day of the month.

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2. Can you unscramble the following sentences so that they make sense? There is an example underneath.

is a to Barbatus southern Rome from Tyndarus visitor the Campania. province of Gaius Gaius Tyndarus Barbatus is a visitor to Rome from the southern province of Campania.

(a) area Rome the Basilica jewellery. The Aemilia bought was where the in Romans

(b) god feast The honoured the of of agriculture. Saturn, Saturnalia Roman

(d) slaughtered ruler Bulls the to of gods. honour Jupiter, were the

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(e) with Lupercalia, goatskins. whipped the During spectators runners the

(g) in Romans hair. wore of necks During their flowers their around and garlands Florales,

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(f) celebrated the blossoming summer. and of of season flowers The feast Florales

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(h) Rome of in was hot, summer The and unpleasant city heat. of the overcrowded, because

(i) their grapes Roman grew and on farms. farmers wheat, olives

(j) land Felix Latin, in Campania. known Campania was as the happy or

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Literacy and history – The Romans

Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 1. Enter in the dates of these festivals, mentioned in Exercise A, in the table. Name of festival

2. (a) Examine this chart showing information on the Romans.

Date(s) of festival

Saturnalia Parentalia Lupercalia Florales

Number of feast days by the 4th century AD

175

Number of Roman months named after an emperor

Number of days Saturnalia lasted

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(b) Complete this similar chart, finding the answers to the questions in the text and footnotes in Exercise A. Number of Gods mentioned by Gaius Barbatus Tyndarus in his letter

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Number of Roman emperors

Number of feasts mentioned in his letter

Number of festivals Gaius writes that he attented in February Number of days before he hopes he will see his family in Campania again

3. The following sentences, about the development of the Roman calendar, and how it has influenced our calendar, (a) year ten and the March. months new in began

(b) ten words (decem). (novem) and nine seven eight for (septem), (octo),

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The Roman year originally had only

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This is why the last four months of our year, called September, October, November and December, are named after the

Latin

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Julius Caesar changed the length of the year to twelve months and changed the name of

(d) after emperor August, the Augustus, son. Caesar’s adopted

The new eighth month was later called

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Exercise E: Cross-curricular activities 4. This chart displays a typical year in the life of different groups of Roman people. The first row, about Roman farmers, and the first column are not jumbled. However, the other sections are. Unjumble the last sections and place them in the correct row and column to match the correct group of people.

Roman calendar In spring

In summer

In autumn

In winter

They reared their young animals such as lambs and calves and tended their growing crops.

They harvested their crops, gathering enough food for themselves and to sell at the markets.

They spent the cold winter months brewing beer, making wine from grapes and conserving fruits.

Wealthy Romans began the new year by spring cleaning their masters houses according to the instructions of their mistress.