PRESENTATION TOPICS
ROME
1- Roman Homes: Housing conditions in Rome depended greatly on wealth and social status. Describe the homes of the wealthy, middle class and poor. Are there similar housing conditions today? Compare our houses to those of the ancient Romans.
text p238-240
2- Fashion in Ancient Rome: Describe the clothes, accessories, footwear and hairstyles worn by the ancient Romans. What does their fashion tell us about their culture, lifestyle and social status? Compare the fashions worn in ancient Rome to those of today.
3- Roman Families: Describe the dynamics of families in ancient Rome. What roles did each family member play? Who controlled the family? Compare families in ancient Rome to those of today.
text p 234-236
4- Roman Food: What did the ancient Romans eat? Where did they eat? What meals did they have? How does their choice of foods reflect their agricultural abilities and geography? Do we still eat any similar foods today?
text p 240 – purple box
5- Education: Describe the education system in ancient Rome. Did boys and girls receive the same education? Did social status matter in terms of the quality of a child’s education? Compare the subjects the Romans studied in school to those studied today.
text p 236-237
6- Roman Baths: The Roman baths were not only area to cleanse oneself; they were opportunity to socialize and relax. Describe how the baths worked and explain why these daily visited were so fundamental to daily life in Rome. Are there any equivalents to the baths in today’s society? Compare Roman bathing to today’s hygiene practices.
text p 241 (purple box)
7- Roman Roads: A famous quote stated that during the Roman Empire “All roads lead to Rome”. Explain the significance of this quote and describe why the roads were so vital to the survival, success and eventual downfall of the Empire. Be sure to include how the roads were constructed. Compare their construction to the building of highways in Canada.
text p 253-254
8- Shopping and trade in Rome: What was it like to shop in ancient Rome? Were there malls or markets where you could buy a variety of goods? From where did these goods come? Compare the shops of ancient Rome to the stores of today.
text p 245-246 (trade and industry)
9- Slavery in Rome: Slavery was a fact of life in ancient Rome. How were slaves treated? What jobs and services did they perform? Discuss their role in the daily life of Rome. Why is slavery no longer practiced in today’s modern Western world? Does slavery still exist today? (Be sure to investigate the great slave rebellion led by Spartacus.)
text p 233 (last paragraph on right and left hand column)
10- Circus Maximus and chariot racing: Investigate the dangerous and popular sport of chariot racing in ancient Rome. Describe the sport and the facility in which it was played – the Circus Maximus. Do we have any similar sports today which are as popular and potentially deadly?
text p 241-243
11- Gladiators and the Colosseum: The bloody battles in the Roman Colosseum pitted man against man and man against beast. Gladiators were slaves who sometimes fought to the death for the amusement of the Roman mob. Why did the Romans enjoy such entertainment? Compare the gladiatorial contests and the Colosseum to modern events and facilities.
text p 241-243
12- Roman Forum: The Roman Forum was the heart the city of Rome and the centre of political life. Describe the buildings and function of the Roman Forum. Do such areas exist in today’s cities? Or in Ottawa?
13- Religion in Rome (polytheistic): The pantheon of Roman gods and goddesses were adopted from the Greeks. Examine the worship of these deities in Rome. What ceremonies, rituals and festivals surrounded Roman religion? How was the practice of religion in Rome similar or different from the practice of religion today?
text p 226-229
14- The Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire: Explain how Christianity rose from a small persecuted sect of Judaism to become the official religion of the Roman Empire. How were the Christians persecuted? How did their faith continue to grow through such adversity?
text p 229-232
15- The Roman Army: The Roman army was the most disciplined fighting force in the ancient world. Rome’s precision and organization created a professional fighting force that would allow the Romans to rule the Mediterranean. Describe how the Roman army was organized and the weapons and tactics they used to conquer their enemies. Can you find any similarities or differences between the Roman army and Canada’s armed forced?
16- Roman art and architecture: The legacy of Roman art and architecture can still be enjoyed today. The magnificent painting, sculptures and mosaics attest to Roman creativity. The architectural feats of Roman engineering can still be seen over 2000 years later. Describe the various forms of art and architecture in Rome and how they reflect the Roman lifestyle of the time. Are there similar forms of artistic expressions today in Canada?
text p 250-252
17- The City of Rome: Known as the eternal city, Rome has stood as a centre of power and prestige since its foundation. What did the ancient city of Rome look like? Compare it to the modern city of Rome.
18- Aqueducts: The high demand for water in the urban areas of Rome created the need to transport water in from hills. How did aqueducts meet this need? How were they constructed? What areas in the cities were supplied with this water? How do the construction of the aqueducts reflect the engineering genius of the Romans? How do we supply water to our modern day cities?
text p 254-255
19- Women in Rome: What was life like for women in Rome? What power, if any, did they possess? To what opportunities could women look forward? Compare life of women in ancient Rome to life today text p 237
20- Legend of Aeneas and the foundation of Rome: Recount the tale of Aeneas and the foundation of the Roman people. Why did the Roman believe and perpetuate such myths about their foundation?
text p 226
21- Roman towns: The Romans were great city builders. Explain how Romans planned and built their towns. What buildings and features were included in town? How does the planning of these cities reflect the expansion of the Roman Empire? Are there any Canadian cities built along the same model?
22- Roman theatre: Theatre was one of the most important forms of entertainment in Rome. What types of plays were popular? Where were the plays held? Why did the theatre begin to lose audiences to the entertainment being offered in the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. Compare Roman theatre to that of the present day.
23- Roman literature: The names of the great writers of ancient Rome still echo through the ages: Cicero, Virgil, Catullus and Livy. What lasting legacies have these writers left? How do they reflect the ideas and passions of the time in which they lived? What Canadian writers will echo through time? Do they share any characteristics with these Roman writers?
text p 247-249