Ancient History Project
FAMOUS ROMAN REPORT
Due:
Possible Points: 100
Assignment:
· Write a report about a famous Roman.
· See attached rubric for requirements.
Possible Subjects (a very partial list – ask me about anyone else you might want to report on)
· Kings
o Numa Pompilius – second king, very religious
o Servius Tullius – son of a slave who became king, ruled well, but was cruelly murdered.
· Republic period – statesmen, generals
o Any Roman from Plutarch’s Lives
o Poplicola – Publius Valerius Publicola – one of first consuls in Roman Republic, enacted laws that protected the common people.
o Marius - Gaius Marius was the man who organized the Roman army into the most effective fighting machine on earth.
o Sulla – Lucius Cornelius Sulla was a bloodthirsty tyrant who also instituted legal reform and finally relinquished power.
o Pompey – military genius who rid the Mediterranean of pirates, and later joined forced with Caesar.
o Coriolanus – cold-hearted general who was banished, vengefully led the Volscians against Rome, but was persuaded by his mother to desist.
o Fabius – Quintus Fabius Maximus led the Romans against Hannibal, using a conservative strategy of harassment. He was reviled for “cowardice,” but by the end it was clear that his “caution” was the best course.
o Camillus - Marcus Furius Camillus captured Veii (396 B.C.) after a ten-year siege; saved Rome from complete destruction in Gallic invasion; five times elected dictator, called the “Second Founder of Rome.”
o Julius Caesar – General, Politician, Statesman. Jacob.
o Mark Anthony – beat other generals to succeed Julius Caesar; ultimately fell to the charms of Cleopatra. Hallie
o Gracchi brothers – courageously tried to introduce reforms; were murdered
o Cicero – orator, statesman, consul and author. Survived various political intrigues but was finally murdered.
· Emperors
o Augustus Caesar – Caesar’s adopted nephew who became one of the greatest emperors of all time.
o Trajan - Great conqueror; under his rule the empire reached its greatest extent.
o Hadrian - Built 'Hadrian's Wall' in the north of Britain to shield the province from the northern barbarians.
o Marcus Aurelius – emperor of impeccable character devoted to Stoic philosophy. Wrote Meditations; still widely read today.
· Others
o Spartacus – slave who led a major uprising against the Romans.
o Plutarch – wrote Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Sara.
· Philosophers (Greek okay also)
o Pythagoras – mathematician, founded a secret society, discovered Pythagorean Theorem, worked with the mathematics of music.
o Epictetus – slave who was one of the greatest promoters of stoic philosophy
o Epicurus – philosopher who founded Epicureanism. Basic idea was hedonism, that the only good in life is pleasure.
o Antisthenes – founder of Cynicism. Cynics rebelled against contemporary customs, believed in a simple and austere lifestyle, and admired “dog-like”
· Scientists (Greek okay also).
o Archimedes – volume of irregular solids, war machines, much more.
o Eratosthenes – measured the size of the earth
o Democritus – atomic theory
o Euclid – mathematician
o Female mathematician – Makinna
· Artists (Greek okay also)
o Phidias – sculptor
Resources (you may also access from class web page)
· http://www.the-romans.co.uk/ - best and briefest overview of everything pertaining to Rome. Some biographies: the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, Caesar, Julio-Claudian emperors, “Five Good Emperors” (under “End”)
· www.roman-emperors.org – great site for Roman emperors
· http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/people/tp/Romans.-0az.htm About.com – Famous People of Ancient Rome
· www.mainlesson.com – click on “Civilizations” (under “Unit Studies”), then “Ancient Roman,” and you’ll see many online children’s books about famous Romans, including Our Young Folks’ Plutarch.
· Oceanside Library online – Biography Resource Center.
· www.roman-empire.net – lots of resources including a children’s section
· http://history.howstuffworks.com/ancient-rome/ancient-roman-biographies.htm brief biographies of ancient Romans for kids from How Stuff Works.com. Click on “see more” for whatever categories interest you for more options.
· http://history.howstuffworks.com/ancient-greece/ancient-greek-biographies.htm brief biographies of ancient Greeks for kids from How Stuff Works.com. Click on “see more” for whatever categories interest you for more options.
· www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/ - 4,000 Years of Women in Science
· www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch12phil.htm - interesting article on cynicism, skepticism, Epicureanism and stoicism