Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?

6 Grade The Romans Inquiry by Aaron Jaggers Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?

Gérôme, Jean-Léon. “ The Christian Martyrs' Last Prayer.” Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, 24 Feb. 2014, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean-Léon_Gérôme_-_The_Christian_Martyrs'_Last_Prayer_-_Walters_37113.jpg.

Supporting Questions

1. Why were the ancient Romans considered a civilization? 2. How did the Romans treat Christians? 3. What did Romans think of non-Romans?

1 6 Grade The Romans Inquiry by Aaron Jaggers

Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized? D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past. D3.1.6-8. Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide the selection. D3.3.6-8. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources to support claims, Inquiry Standard noting evidentiary limitations. D3.4.6-8. Develop claims and counterclaims while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both. D4.1.6-8. Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments. The compelling question “Were the Romans Truly Civilized?" may be staged by discussing the question "what does it mean to be civilized?" with your students. As a starting point, teachers Staging the can share the Learner's Dictionary's definition of "polite, reasonable, and respectful" or Compelling alternatively, "marked by well-organized laws and rules about how people behave with each Question other." The conversation can be steered to your own community, classroom, or group of friends allowing students to engage with both definitions of "civilized."

Supporting Question 1 Supporting Question 2 Supporting Question 3

Why were the ancient Romans How did the Romans treat What did Romans think of non- considered a civilization? Christians? Romans? Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task

Write a paragraph that uses Write a summary of the source Write a paragraph that uses evidence from the source to show provided. evidence from each of the sources what it means to be civilized and in order to answer the supporting why the Romans might be question "what did Romans think of considered civilized. non-Romans?" Featured Sources Featured Sources Featured Sources

Source A: Excerpt: National Source A: Davenport, C., and Malik, Source A: Excerpt: Atlas Obscura. Geographic, "Civilization." Source S. “Mythbusting Ancient Rome: “How Pants Went From Banned to B: Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Throwing Christians to the Lions.” Required in the Roman Empire.” Citizenship.” Ancient History Adapted by by Newsela Staff Newsela Source B: Cassius Dio. "Dio Encyclopedia, Ancient History on the assimilation of the Encyclopedia barbarians." PBS, Public Broadcasting Service Source C: PBS, "The Baths," Public Broadcasting Service

ARGUMENT Were the early Romans truly civilized? Construct an argument (e.g., a speech, movie, poster, or essay) using specific claims, counter-claims, and relevant evidence from primary and secondary sources that answers the question "Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?" Summative EXTENSION Performance Task Create an argument with claims and counter-claims for another community to determine if they are "civilized." Hold a debate, taking either the "civilized" or "uncivilized" side.

UNDERSTAND The Romans persecuted other cultures and tried to assimilate them by force. Persecuting other cultures being different is something that we are still battling in our society. ASSESS Taking Informed Determine a culture that is persecuted or treated differently. Action ACTION Create a PSA (Public Service Announcement) that supports cultures that are persecuted or treated differently or create a PSA that denounces discriminating against other cultures.

2 Overview

Inquiry Description

This inquiry requires students to wrestle with their understanding of what it means to be "civilized." Students will explore the compelling question "Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?" while applying multiple definitions of "civilized." Students will use a range of primary and secondary sources as they examine the advancements of Roman civilization contrasted with some of the darker aspects of Roman civilization, such as their treatment of Christians or the forced assimilation of other cultures. This inquiry is ripe for argument and counter-argument as students work their way through the sources revealing that the Romans were simultaneously "civilized" in the manner of having a more advanced society with a well-established form of government, and "uncivilized" in the way that some Roman emperors gained a reputation for feeding Christians to lions. In the formative performance tasks, students are asked to summarize sources and to identify relevant information, while their final performance task asks them to develop both claims and counter-claims supported by evidence from the sources.

NOTE: This inquiry is expected to take four to six 55-minute class periods. The inquiry time frame could expand if teachers think their students need additional instructional experiences (e.g., supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources). Inquiries are not scripts, so teachers are encouraged to modify and adapt them to meet the needs and interests of their particular students. Resources can also be modified as necessary to meet individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Plans for students with disabilities. Structure

In addressing the compelling question “Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?” students work through a series of supporting questions, performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument with claims and counter-claims supported by evidence while acknowledging competing views.

3 Staging the Compelling Question Compelling Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized? Question

Featured Sources Source A: Definition of Civilized

Staging the compelling question

Use the source provided to discuss definitions of "civilized." Teachers can frame the conversation around their community, classroom, group of friends, etc., and then eventually, Rome.

4 Compelling Question Featured Source A Definition of Civilized

Excerpt

Civilized:

1: marked by well-organized laws and rules about how people behave with each other

2: polite, reasonable, and respectful

Source: “Civilized.” Learners Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/civilized.

5 Supporting Question 1 Supporting Why were the ancient Romans considered a civilization? Question Formative Write a paragraph that uses evidence from the source to show what it means to be civilized and Performance Task why the Romans might be considered civilized.

Source A: Excerpt: National Geographic, "Civilization." Featured Sources Source B: Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Citizenship.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia

Students will work through the National Geographic source on civilization that shows the characteristics of civilization and then applies them to the Roman empire. Formative Performance Task

In this task, students will answer the question "Why were the ancient Romans considered a civilization?"

Source A gives an expanded definition of civilization and describes some characteristics of Rome. Source B discusses Roman citizenship.

6 Supporting Question 1 Featured Source A Excerpt: National Geographic, "Civilization."

Excerpt

Characteristics of Civilization

All civilizations have certain characteristics. These include: (1) large population centers; (2) monumental architecture and unique art styles; (3) shared communication strategies; (4) systems for administering territories; (5) a complex division of labor; and (6) the division of people into social and economic classes.

[...]

Infrastructure and Administration

All civilizations rely on government administration—bureaucracy. (4) Perhaps no civilization better exemplifies this than ancient Rome.

The word “civilization” itself comes from the Latin word civis, meaning "citizen." Latin was the language of ancient Rome, whose territory stretched from the Mediterranean basin all the way to parts of Great Britain in the north and the Black Sea to the east. To rule an area that large, the Romans, based in what is now central Italy, needed an effective system of government administration and infrastructure.

Romans used a variety of methods to administer their republic and, later, empire. Engineering, for instance, was a key part of Roman administration. Romans built a network of roads so that communication between far-away territories was as efficient as possible. Roads also made travel by the Roman military much easier. Romans built structures of their civilization everywhere they went: aqueducts supplied freshwater to towns for improved sanitation and hygiene, for example.

Language also played a part in Roman infrastructure. Romans spread the Latin language throughout southern Europe. The so-called "Romance languages" (Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Catalan, and Italian) are called that because they all developed from the Roman language: Latin. Having a similar language made communication and leadership easier for Rome in its far-flung territories.

Roman leaders relied on a series of legal codes for administration. These codes helped structure laws between far-flung parts of Roman territory, as well as between rich and poor, men and women, slave and free. Roman laws included restrictions on marriage, ownership of land, and access to professions such as priesthoods.

One of Rome’s most lasting contributions to Western Civilization was the establishment of legal culture itself. Roman law was largely public, and jurists created such formalities as legal language and procedure that would define European law for centuries. In fact, “Roman law” describes the legal system used throughout Western Europe through the 18th century.

Finally, Romans used local leaders, as well as Romans, to administer the law in their territories. Residents were more familiar with their own leaders, and more likely to follow their announcements. Israeli leaders worked with Roman authorities in the Roman territory of Palestine, for example, while British leaders often worked with Romans on the island of Great Britain. Some people born in Roman territories eventually became Roman emperors: The emperor Constantine, for instance, was born in what is now Serbia; the emperor Hadrian may have been born in what is now Spain. This interaction reduced conflict between Rome and its territories.

Source:

National Geographic Society. “Civilization.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/civilization/

7 Supporting Question 1 Featured Source B Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Citizenship.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia

Excerpt

“Roman Citizenship”

The historian Tom Holland, in his book Rubicon, wrote that the right to vote was a sign of a person’s success. To be a Roman citizen an individual was educated to “temper” his “competitive instincts” for the good of the people. For the typical Roman, the concept of “civitas” meant that he had to not only share in the joys of self- government but also suffer along in its sorrows and fears. Even the poorest of Roman citizens, the proletarii, were still represented (albeit with little effect) in the comitia centuriata.

Aside from the fact that women, although citizens, had no share in the politics of Rome, there was an even larger but significant portion of the population that resided behind the wall of the city and was not granted the rights of citizenship - the slaves. Slavery was not uncommon in the ancient world and existed long before the Republic.

With the growth of Rome and its desire to extend its boundaries beyond the city walls, the concept of Roman citizenship changed. This growth begged the question: how were these newly conquered people to be treated? Were they to become Roman citizens? Were they to be considered equals? Despite the fact that Rome had always been a city of immigrants, the acquisition of citizenship for a resident of Rome was different for the person outside of Rome. As one historian stated, there was a difference between granting citizenship to an individual than to an entire people.

Source: Wasson, Donald L. “Roman Citizenship.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 12 May 2018, www.ancient.eu/article/859/roman-citizenship/.

8 Supporting Question 2 Supporting How did the Romans treat Christians? Question Formative Write a summary of the source provided. Performance Task

Featured Sources Source A: Davenport, C., and Malik, S. “Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Throwing Christians to the Lions.” Adapted by by Newsela Staff

Students will answer the question "How did the Romans treat Christians?"

In the article, students may find information that could support a claim or counter-claim regarding the Romans as a "civilized" people. Formative Performance Task

For this question, students will discover that while there is truth to the popular narrative of Christian persecution by the Romans, it probably was not as bad as modern media makes it out to be.

9 Supporting Question 2 Featured Source A Davenport, C., and Malik, S. “Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Throwing Christians to the Lions.” Adapted by by Newsela Staff

Excerpt

Movies and books have frequently shown Christians being tormented by Romans. In fact, the image of Christians cowering before lions has become a symbol for Roman persecution. Today, many people still believe that many emperors were responsible for this persecution. But is this true? Blaming the emperors

The myth of constant persecution largely stems from two works. Both were written in the early fourth century A.D. The authors of these two books lived during the reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor. They wrote about the history of Christian suffering up to Constantine's era. In both their books, the torture and execution of Christians is tied to the emperors under whom these acts occurred. But in reality, the punishment of Christians didn't happen constantly and wasn't always ordered by the emperors.

Early Christians said Nero was the first emperor to persecute them. After the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64 nearly burned down the city, and rumors swirled that the emperor himself was responsible, Nero blamed the Christians instead. The Roman historian Tacitus said Nero then had the Christians covered in wild beast skins and torn to death by dogs.

Christians were unpopular with the Romans. Tacitus described them as horrible and abominations. Others agreed. This is shown in a letter from Pliny the Younger, governor of the Roman Provine of Bithynia (now northern Turkey) to the emperor Trajan in the early second century A.D. Pliny reported that the people he governed had denounced Christians to him. The emperor said Christians must not be sought out and must be forgiven if they agreed to sacrifice to the Roman gods. But they must be punished if they would not.

In many places, prejudice against Christians led to mob violence. In cities like Lyons and Smyrna, mobs of local people harassed, imprisoned and killed Christians on their own. Not just lions

Christians were persecuted for not honoring and sacrificing to the Roman gods. Punishments varied. In the first and early second centuries A.D., Christians who were Roman citizens were executed by beheading. Later in the second century, beheading was a privilege for only high-ranking citizens. Others were killed more cruelly by being crucified, burned to death or attacked by beasts.

Being condemned to the beasts was especially harsh. It meant being publicly executed by being put in an arena with wild animals. The animals included leopards, boars and yes, lions. These shows for the public were just one part of a daylong festival of violence and slaughter that often included fights by gladiators. Feeding people to wild animals was usually scheduled during the lunchtime interval to provide a break.

It is important to emphasize that such cruel deaths were not unique to Christians. Condemnation to the beasts was a popular punishment for criminals of any type.

In many places, prejudice against Christians led to mob violence. In cities like Lyons and Smyrna, mobs of local people harassed, imprisoned and killed Christians on their own. For the good of the empire

The pattern of sporadic persecution changed in A.D. 250. In that year, the emperor Decius ordered all Romans to sacrifice to the gods. They had to present a certificate to prove that they had done so. This was prompted by barbarian invasions into Rome. Decius believed that Romans needed to unite to show support for the gods in order to protect the empire. His sacrifice edict was not specifically directed at Christians.

Decius died a year later, and Christians breathed a sigh of relief until A.D. 257. That's when Emperor Valerian issued an edict ordering that everyone in the empire sacrifice to the gods. This time the edict targeted Christians. Death was not automatic for Christians who refused to sacrifice, and some were forced to do hard manual labor instead. In A.D. 260, Valerian's son Gallienus took over and ended the edict, allowed free worship for all. The "Great Persecution" 10 After Valerian, Rome took no official action against the Christians for more than 40 years. In A.D. 303, however, Diocletian and his junior co-emperor Galerius launched the “Great Persecution." Both co-emperors viewed Christianity as a threat to traditional Roman beliefs.

The emperors ordered the destruction of churches, the seizure of church property and the burning of Christian texts. Christians were allowed to live if they acknowledged the Roman gods. The types of penalties inflicted on Christians depended on provincial governors. Some killed and imprisoned Christians ruthlessly. Others did not enforce the order seriously. Finally, in A.D. 313, the "Edict of Milan" granted religious toleration for Christians. The persecution of Christians by Rome was finally over.

Caillan Davenport is a professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Shushma Malik is a lecturer in classics and ancient history at the University of Queensland.

Source: Davenport, C., and Malik, S. “Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Throwing Christians to the Lions.” Adapted by by Newsela Staff, Newsela, The Conversation, 15 Aug. 2017, newsela.com/read/lib-convo-ancient-rome- christian-persecution/id/33710/.

11 Supporting Question 3 Supporting What did Romans think of non-Romans? Question Formative Write a paragraph that uses evidence from each of the sources in order to answer the Performance Task supporting question "what did Romans think of non-Romans?"

Source A: Excerpt: Atlas Obscura. “How Pants Went From Banned to Required in the Roman Empire.” Newsela Featured Sources Source B: Cassius Dio. "Dio on the assimilation of the barbarians." PBS, Public Broadcasting Service Source C: PBS, "The Baths," Public Broadcasting Service

In this question students will find evidence, from both primary and secondary sources, that shows that the Romans thought they were superior to the rest of the world. Formative Performance Task

Students will write a paragraph that answers the question "What did Romans think of non-Romans?" while paraphrasing evidence from the sources.

12 Supporting Question 3 Featured Source A Excerpt: Atlas Obscura. “How Pants Went From Banned to Required in the Roman Empire.” Newsela

Excerpt

No pants allowed in Roman Empire

No pants allowed in Roman EmpireProfessor Kelly Olson is the author of “Masculinity and Dress in Roman Antiquity.” She says that Romans did not like pants because pants were seen as something non-Romans wore.But opinions change with time. The historian and senator Publius Cornelius Tacitus listed pants among a range of “exotic” behaviors of Germanic tribes. He praised the tribes for having morals unweakened by civilization: river-bathing, ponytails, and pants.”

Source: Atlas Obscura. “How Pants Went From Banned to Required in the Roman Empire.” Newsela, Newsela, 21 Sept. 2017, newsela.com/read/lib-roman-empire-toga-pants/id/35442.

13 Supporting Question 3 Featured Source B Cassius Dio. "Dio on the assimilation of the barbarians." PBS, Public Broadcasting Service

Excerpt

CASSIUS DIO

Dio on the assimilation of the barbarians

"The Barbarians had not forgotten their ancient traditions, their free way of life, or the power of arms. But, as long as they were assimilated slowly, they did not realize they were changing and did not resist Roman influence."

(Cassius Dio, Roman History LVI 18.1-3)

Source: PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/empires/romans/library/cassius_01.html.

14 Supporting Question 3 Featured Source C PBS, "The Baths," Public Broadcasting Service

Excerpt

The Baths

An integral part of daily life in ancient Rome, the baths, gave citizens of all classes the chance to mingle, gossip and relax. They were viewed as fundamental to Roman civilization and an obvious example of Rome’s superiority to the rest of the world.

Every day, Romans would finish work around the middle of the afternoon and make their way to the baths. Men of all social classes mixed freely together. Old, young, rich and poor would share the daily ritual of the baths.

A symbol of Rome

This ritual was so entrenched in daily life that, to many citizens, it was nothing less than a symbol of Rome itself. To Romans, the baths proved that they were cleaner – and therefore better – than inhabitants of other countries.

As the Roman Empire spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, the baths followed, bringing daily civilization to millions of people.

Source:

PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/baths.html.

15 Summative Performance Task Compelling Question Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized? Were the early Romans truly civilized? Construct an argument (e.g., a speech, movie, poster, or Argument essay) using specific claims, counter-claims, and relevant evidence from primary and secondary sources that answers the question "Were the Early Romans Truly Civilized?"

Create an argument with claims and counter-claims for another community to determine Extension if they are "civilized." Hold a debate, taking either the "civilized" or "uncivilized" side.

Argument

For this summative performance task, students will construct an argument with both claims and counter- claims. Students may argue that the Romans were indeed civilized for reasons related to the structure of their empire, while they may also be seen as uncivilized due to their mistreatment of the christians or attitudes towards non-Romans. Extension

Students will choose another community and claim determining whether or not they are civilized, supporting their claims with evidence.

Teachers can also organize a debate for the compelling question.

16 Taking Informed Action The Romans persecuted other cultures and tried to assimilate them by force. Persecuting other Understand cultures being different is something that we are still battling in our society. Assess Determine a culture that is persecuted or treated differently. Create a PSA (Public Service Announcement) that supports cultures that are persecuted or Action treated differently or create a PSA that denounces discriminating against other cultures.

Students will apply what they learned about the Roman's mistreatment of other cultures to a modern context.