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Texts and Thematic Units of Study

Review Text Latin Two Years, 2nd edition

Cambridge Latin Course, Unit 3, North American 4th edition

Cambridge Latin Course, Unit 4, North American 4th edition

 

THE ORGANIZATION OF A ROMAN LEGION

The story line in this unit moves to the legionary fortress in Deva (modern Chester), the headquarters of the governor of the province of Britannia, Gnaeus Iulius Agricola. As part of the unit, the titles and duties of the leaders of a Roman legionary are discussed in detail.

 

THE LEGIONARY FORTRESS

In the conclusion of the comic interlude, we are introduced to the makeup of a Roman legionary fortress. The storyline takes place in one of the essential buildings in a fortress, the horreum or granary.

 

INTERPRETING THE EVIDENCE: OUR KNOWLEDGE OF ROMAN BRITAIN

This unit concludes the political drama in Britain; most of the main characters have either died or been murdered. Salvius, the person responsible for most of those deaths, reveals that he forged King Cogidubnus' will, an act that will bring about his downfall at the end of the political drama.

 

ORIGINS OF ROME, THE ROMAN FORUM, ROME AND JUDEA

The story line switches to Rome, a year or so earlier than the events in Roman Britain. The occasion is the dedication of the Arch of Titus in 82 A.D., and the reader is introduced to a description of the mass murder/suicide that occurred at Masada in 73 A.D.  The unit concludes with a fictitious account of the deaths of the survivors of Masada.

 

ROMAN ENGINEERING

In this unit, a new character is introduced, albeit for just a few units: Quintus Haterius Latronianus. From the engraving in the Tomb of the Haterii, it is believed that one or more members of the Haterius family designed several important structures in ancient Rome, including the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus. The storyline leads into a detailed discussion of Roman engineering.

 

THE CITY OF ROME; PATRONAGE AND ROMAN SOCIETY

In this unit, another new character is briefly introduced into the storyline: a female philosopher just arrived from Greece. On her way to Haterius' house, she is exposed to the conditions present in everday life, such as the crowds filling the streets of the city and daily occurrence of the morning salutatio.

 

ROMAN BELIEFS

In this unit, the female philosopher arrives at Haterius' house and is asked to present some of her philosophical beliefs at a dinner party he is hosting. Unfortunately, the diners, after drinking sizeable amounts of wine, are more interested in her figure than her philosophy. The unit uses the storyline to present some basic tenets of Stoicism and discusses other aspects of Roman religious/philosophical beliefs.

 

ROMAN ENTERTAINMENT

In this unit, the storyline briefly turns to the empress Domitia, who is suspected of having an affair with an actor, Paris. At the start of the unit, Paris is presenting a mime, and from that the unit turns to a discussion of various types of entertainment found in imperial Rome.

 

FREEDMEN AND FREEDWOMEN

In this unit is the second half of the story involving Domitia and Paris who have been lured into a trap and caught by Epaphroditus, the emperor's freedman. The rise of a freedman like Epaphroditus, a historical figure from Domitian's reign, leads to the roles and opportunities of freed lsaves in imperial times.

 

ROMAN LETTERS

The next two units deal with the recall of Agricola from Britain by the emperor Domitian. Although Roman historians present no reasons for the recall, the narrative creates a plausible discussion between Domitian and his advisors, some of whom are not favorably disposed toward his reign. This unit is composed of letters written in Rome and somewhere in the surrounding countryside. Neither writer is a supporter of Domitian.

 

RECITATIONS

In this unit, the reader is introduced to the Roman poet Martial, and how poets would use their poetry to express their political beliefs. This leads to a discussion of the oral tradition and the life of Roman authors.

 

THE EMPEROR'S COUNCIL; THE SENATORIAL CAREER

A letter has arrived from Agricola describing his successes in Britain, and Domitian calls together his advisors to discuss the letter and what should become of Agricola. THe narrative makes way for a description of the emperor's consilium.

 

MARRIAGE

In this unit, the emperor Domitian decides it's time for his 14 year old cousin to be married. The husband, however, he has chosen for her is 50 years old. The storyline, which describes her reaction to the betrothal and her lover's attempt to save her from the marriage, leads to an in-depth discussion of marriage in ancient Rome.