Topic: Rome – a city which became an empire – Revision

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

I. Ancient civilizations. Pupil:

2 ) locates in time and space the civilizations (...) of ancient Greece and Rome;

3 ) characterizes the structure of society and the belief system in (...) Rome; explains the difference between polytheism and monotheism;

4 ) locates in time and knows various systems of governance and organization of society in (...) Rome;

5 ) characterizes the most important achievements of the material and spiritual culture of the ancient world in various fields: philosophy, science, law, architecture, art, literature.

General aim of education

Students repeat the information about the history of ancient Rome.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• characterize the most important news about ancient Rome;

• explain how it happened that a small city‑state Rome became an empire;

• describe where we get information about the history of Rome;

• point out the most important characters and dates from the history of ancient Rome.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students recall the most important information from previous lessons (* Rome – from the foundation of the city to the foundation of the republic, Rome – the time of conquest, The Birth of the Roman Empire, The Crisis and Collapse of the Roman Empire, Achievements of the ancient Romans *).

Introduction

1. The teacher states the subject of the lesson, explains the aim of the lesson and together with students determines the success criteria to be achieved.

2. The teacher divides the students into 4 groups. He asks students to point out the symbol of Rome (Exercise 1 **), one of the greatest achievements of the ancient Romans (** Exercise 2 **) and name the most recognizable Roman buildings (** Exercise 3 **). The teacher provides feedback and checks the correctness of completed tasks..

Realization

1. The teacher begins a brainstorming session by asking students: how do we know so much about the events, achievements, people and everyday life of the ancient Romans? As a hint, the teacher recalls previous exercises and tasks. Students should mention, among other things, ancient architecture, legends, inscriptions, preserved culture and art, and archaeological excavations. Then he asks the students to work in groups and find out how researchers learn the history of antiquity and what life used to be like. The teacher can task each group with a different area of life, eg waging wars, daily routine, science and art, conquests, politics and diplomacy, etc. or leave the general issue to be examined by the students. Groups should present specific facts and information, and the method used by historians to obtain this piece of information, eg thanks to excavations and detailed research, it was proved that Roman sculptures were not only white and gray, but in fact very colorful; thanks to the preserved work of Roman writers, historians and politicians, for example Julius Caesar, we know how the Gallic War went.

2. While working on the exercises, students use a set of cards in three colors: green, yellow and red. Using to the cards, they signal to the teacher if they have difficulties in carrying out the orders (green color – I'm doing great, yellow - I have doubts, red - I'm asking for help).

3. Students present their researched material and examples. Among them, there will surely be discoveries brought by the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Students perform ** Task 1 ** and ** Exercise 4 **. The teacher provides feedback and checks the correctness of completed tasks..

Summary

1. To summarize the lesson, the teacher asks the students: how did it happen, that from a small city‑state, Rome became a great empire. Students should mention the effectiveness of the army and the expansion policy that fueled the economy of the state. Students match the names of elements of the Roman legionnaire's equipment to their place in the picture (** Exercise 5 **) and then perform ** Exercise 6 **.

2. The teacher assesses the students' work during the lesson, taking into account their input and commitment. He provides students with feedback on their work.

Homework

1. The teacher tasks willing students with homework: Solve the crossword from Exercise 10 of the e‑textbook lesson * Rome – a city that became an empire – a repetition *. What does the answer of the puzzle mean and when can we talk about it in relation to ancient Rome?.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Rome – a city which became an empire – Revision

The ancient Romans believed that their ancestors had come from Troy and they could trace their lineage to the mythical Aeneas. Legend has it that, in 753 BC, Romulus, his descendant who had been miraculously saved by a she‑wolf, founded the city of Rome on one of the hills (according to the tradition, it was the Palatine Hill, but the city grew across seven knolls). During the first period of its existence, Rome was a monarchy ruled by kings. In 509 BC, the monarchy was overthrown and the government was entrusted to free citizens – that was the way the Republic came into existence. Since that time, the highest power had been exercised by a council of elders – the Senate and numerous officials.

As a republic, Rome was a small city‑state and there was no indication that it would become one of the most powerful empires in the history of the world. Its biggest advantage was an efficient and well‑organised army. By pursuing a policy of conquest until the 3rd century BC, the Romans subdued the entire Italy and then started expansion in the basin of the Mediterranean. The turning point was the victory over Carthage in the three consecutive Punic Wars waged in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The next stage was the conquest of the Greek world (2nd century BC) and Egypt (1st century BC). In the conquered territories which were situated outside Italy, Romans created provinces, headed by governors appointed by the Senate. The conquests resulted in the creation of the Roman Empire, which absorbed riches and slaves. A change of the order that had prevailed for centuries, a recession caused by an inflow of cheap grain to Rome and the discontent of the poor led to disorganisation of the army and a crisis which engulfed the Republic. An attempt at saving it was the reform of the army, implemented by Marius, which introduced a regular army. It lead to the rebuilding of the military power, but, at the same time, contributed to a greater role of the military leaders and stirred their political ambition, an example of which was the staggering career of Julius Caesar, the winner of the campaign in Gaul. After defeating his rivals, he assumed the powers of a dictator for life and strived openly to gather full power in his hands, while realising that the republican system did not suit the reality of an empire. The Roman aristocrats, who were afraid of losing their position and influence, conspired against Caesar, which led to his murder in 44 BC. However, the conspirators did not foresee one thing: the popularity of the leader and the fact that his numerous supporters did not intend to surrender without a fight. Gaius Octavius (Octavian), a grandson of Julius Caesar’s sister, adopted by Julius Caesar and appointed as his successor, emerged as the winner of the war which continued until 30 BC. He was given absolute power over the entire empire, as confirmation of which the Senate gave him the title of Augustus – full of divine power, in 27 BC. Octavian called himself the first among the officials (princeps) and fulfilled his tasks in accordance with the republican tradition. From that moment, the Republic ceased to exist and Rome became an empire. Derived from the new title of the emperor, the political regime, which prevailed in Rome until the end of the 3rd century, is called the Principate.

The reign of Octavian Augustus marked the beginning of a period of peace and prosperity for the Empire, known as Pax Romana. Until the beginning of the 3rd century AD, Augustus’ successors sustained the idea of Pax Romana by focusing on the development of the conquered provinces and expansion of Roman influence. It was difficult, however, to maintain control and peace over such a huge territory. To ensure security at the borders, the Romans started to construct a system of border fortifications called limes. The barbarian invasions which had intensified since the 3rd century AD, an internal struggle for power and an economic crisis were leading to the collapse of the Empire. To remedy the situation, at the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th century AD, the emperor Diocletian conducted necessary reforms and introduced a new form of government – the Tetrarchy based on the reign of four emperors. He succeeded in heading off the crisis and preventing the downfall of the Empire.

It did not, however, saved it from falling apart. After the death of Theodosius the Great in 395 AD, the Empire was permanently divided into the Western Roman Empire with its capital in Ravenna and the Eastern Roman Empire with its capital in Constantinople. It was not the only problem of the falling empire. The Migration Period, which started in the 4th century AD, became a threat the Romans could not deal with. The Germanic tribes and the Huns who came from Asia entered the territory of the Empire, wreaking havoc and displacing its inhabitants. While it was true that the Romans succeeded in 451 AD, defeating the invading army in the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, the collapse of the Western Roman Empire was only a matter of time. The sack of Rome by Vandals four years later (455 AD) and the seizing of real power by consecutive Germanic military commanders finally led to the deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476 AD. The event, which is thought to be the date of the ultimate collapse of the Western Roman Empire, also became a dividing line between antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Roman culture and its achievements did not disappear with the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Its legacy is present nowadays in the form of the Roman alphabet, calendar, philosophy, law or structures which can be found virtually around and outside Europe. The most eminent Roman poets include Virgil, the author of the national Roman epic – Aeneid, Horace and Ovid. They drew heavily, as actually the entire Roman culture did, on the achievements of the ancient Greeks, contributing to the preservation of Hellenic patterns and achievements.

However, the Romans were not mere imitators. They made ground‑breaking discoveries and came up with ingenious inventions which revolutionised the world at that time in many fields. Thanks to the popularisation and improvement of concrete and the dome vault, Roman structures not only still exist today but constituted an unattainable ideal for centuries. The Romans were also unrivalled in the field of law. Numerous statutes and legal principles still apply nowadays, being a living reminder of the times long gone by.