Schools and churches in ancient Rome *

Transcription

1 OpenStax-CNX module: m Schools and churches in ancient Rome * Siyavula Uploaders This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License SOCIAL SCIENCES: HISTORY 2 Grade 5 3 THE ANCIENT ROMAN CIVILIZATION: 5OO B.C. TO 500 A.D. 4 Module 15 5 SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES IN ANCIENT ROME Schools Mostly children of wealthy people regularly attended school. The teachers usually were from Greece, and were very strict with their pupils: punishment dealt out by these poorly paid teachers was very severe. School started early in the morning and lasted till late in the afternoon. Boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 12 attended separate primary schools to learn to read, write and do mathematics. They wrote on wax tablets or wooden boards, using a stylus. The languages that were taught were Greek and Latin. Girls left school at the age of 13 and were then taught to become good home- makers. The boys attended a practical secondary school, the grammaticism, where books, poems, practical maths, music and public speaking received a lot of attention as well as in-service training in the army. Pupils loved to play games, such as "Blind man's bu, King, Judge" or "Gladiator". Sometimes they also played with hoops, dolls or masks and they enjoyed visiting public bath houses in their free time. 6 ACTIVITY 1 : 7 TO RECONSTRUCT THE HISTORY OF ROMAN SCHOOLS 8 [LO 2.3] a) Design your own school time-table for an ancient school for one day. Use the Roman alphabet and numerical system, as well as the same kind of writing materials [reed pen (stylus), ink]. * Version 1.1: Apr 24, :33 am

2 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 1 Reed pen

3 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 2 Ink (mixed with water)

4 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 3 Papyrus b) How would children living in ancient Rome have solved the following problem?there are three possible solutions! The people of Rome are very unhappy because the price of bread has been increased again and many cannot aord it. Let the Roman citizens have the army's supply of bread. Build a new harbour to allow more trading vessels to import grain. Ask all bakers to bake free bread for one week. (Mark your choice!)

5 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 4 c) As a qualied architect you are asked to help plan another big city, nearly as big as Rome. The following key and grid should help you. The symbol table indicates the amount of space (squares) needed. Have another look at the day-trip in Rome, earlier in this module. GOOD LUCK WITH THIS B-I-G ASSIGNMENT! Table 1

6 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 5 (With each symbol the number of structures is indicated.) 9 ACTIVITY 2: 10 TO FIND INFORMATION (SOURCES) ABOUT THE CHURCH AND GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF YOUR FINDINGS 11 [LO 2.2; 2.3] Although the Romans adopted the Greek gods, their gods were less human and more divine. They also believed in magic. In most houses there were altars for lares and penates, house gods of the family (Source. 1). During public occasions oerings were made to the gods. At the beginning there was a temple for each god. Priests and chief ocials ociated at the religious ceremonies. Ordinary people also attended temple services, even though they did not really play an important part. When a sick or injured part of the body was healed, a model of it was made and consecrated to the gods. Gradually fewer citizens (especially educated Romans) believed in gods, and many temples became neglected. There was still a temple, however, at which people could ask for the favour of the gods, in exchange for gifts. This led to the tradition, in the time of Caesar Augustus (27 B.C. 14 A.D.), to honour the emperor as a god. People had to show their loyalty by burning incense in front of a statue of the emperor. SOURCE 1

7 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 6 House gods SOURCE 2 Figure 7 Temple a) Research Task! Find a legend in which a god made something extraordinary happen. Write a brief report on the event. Draw a picture and colour it in. As time passed, the educated Romans especially, came to realize that they were not dependent on gods. They turned to other faiths in search of happiness and hope. One of these was Christianity. Christians conveyed a simple message of love and hope to all people, according to the example of Jesus who helped the poor and the sick during his stay on Earth. Tales were written to show that people who lived as He had lived, would be saved and live forever. In the beginning poor people, especially, accepted Christianity, because this message could change and renew their lives. Christians, however, were not allowed to worship in Rome, because the emperors did not want God to receive more honour than they. Approximately 30 years after the death of Jesus, emperors, such as Nero in 64 A.D, started to persecute Christians, maltreating and killing them. Only in 313 A.D. did emperor

8 OpenStax-CNX module: m Constantine issue a law to ensure freedom of religion. Within 300 years Christianity spread across the whole Roman Empire, as well as large parts of Asia and Africa years later, it had spread world-wide. We still nd beautiful basilicas from the Roman era in many places. b) Emperors such as Nero organized the persecution of Christians as sport. Interview Nero (briey) about his views on service to the gods and religion. c) BRAINSTORMING (IN GROUPS) How, do you think, would a Roman Emperor like Nero have reacted after reading the letter below from one of his governors?

9 OpenStax-CNX module: m Figure 8

10 OpenStax-CNX module: m Assessment LO 2 HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDINGThe learner will be able to demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding. We know this when the learner: 2.1 understands chronology and time: compiles an historical time line with BC, AD, ancient, modern; 2.2 supplies reasons why an historical event took place (causes, eects): is able to supply proof orally or in written form of causes / eects of events, and to identify patterns; 2.3 dierentiates between dierent periods (similarities, dierences): shows dierences / similarities between situations experienced at present and those of a specic period by making use of written evidence. 13 Memorandum Activity 2 (a) The ancient Romans had dierent gods for dierent aspects of their lives. There were also a god of the seas, re, music, love, etc. (a) In Rome Nero used the Christians as scapegoats after a devastating re destroyed a large part of the city. Christians were arrested and as punishment they were fed to wild animals. The Romans were expected to be loyal to the state. Worshipping the emperor was encouraged as a way to bring about unity amongst the people of the Empire. One way of doing, was to burn incense before a statue of the emperor. To the Christians their most important duty was to be loyal to God, who was a higher deity. It was considered a threat and rebelliousness, especially because Christians also refused to pay taxes or pray to the emperor.