Just for Fun

There are many online interactive webpages for exploring ancient sites.  Here are a few listed below that you may find quite interesting.  Play around with them and see what you can learn from interacting with the ancient world.  Enjoy!!

The Villa dei Papiri at the Getty Museum

Ancient Troy

Pompeii

A Virtual Roman Home

Ancient Rome

Harrius Potter

Did you know that many of the words and names in the Harry Potter series are Latin?  Author J. K. Rowling actually holds a Classics degree and her studies inspired her to write about some of her favorite parts of Latin and mythology.  Her books have even been translated into Latin entirely for those students who want to try their hand at reading full length Latin works from the modern age.

  

At the very least, the following can be deemed quite true:

1. So, grab your favorite Harry Potter book and find your favorite Latin spells or names!  Post your lists in the comments.

Ancients in the Modern World

There are a number of real historical figures from the Ancient world who are still revered today by their cultural descendants.  These mortal heroes include Boudicca (a British Queen), Vercingetorix (a Gallic rebel), and  Decebalus (the last King of Dacia- modern Romania).  Each has been immortalized with sculptural representations of themselves, much the way we have immortalized the four presidents on Mt. Rushmore or Lincoln with his memorial.  Follow the links below to read further on these ancient heroes.

                                                                         Boudicca                                                                            

  

Vercingetorix

Decebalus

Now compare to some of our own historical monuments:

1. Do you think that our own cultural heroes will continue to be remembered and revered 2000 years later?  Why or why not?

2. If you could memorialize anyone who would it be and why?  Do you think that this figure would be memorialized as long?

Atomic Theory

Titus Lucretius Carus was a Roman poet and philosopher who lived from 99 BC to 55 BC.  He wrote an epic poem on the tenets and philosophy of Epicureanism called On the Nature of Things (De Rerum Natura).  Interestingly enough, his Atomic Theory was impressively on point for someone who lived over 2000 years ago!  Read through the translation from the link below:

Atomic Theory

1. What similarities do you see in his theory compared to what we know about atoms today?  What differences can you find?


Lucretius also had a "void" theory, which he used to explain some points about his atomic theory that he wasn't initially able to explain.  Read this translation from the link below:

Void Theory

2. What do you think about these ideas?

Climbing Roman Ruins

Ancient Rome lives in many ways in our popular culture.  The popular video game franchise Assassin's Creed even uses the "cityscape" of Rome in its Brotherhood installment.  Below are two videos showing the main character climbing around on some of Rome's most famous ancient monuments:

1. If you could climb any Ancient Roman monument, which one would it be and why? 

Reading The Column of Trajan as a Comic Strip

Trajan was emperor of Rome from 98-117 AD.  The Roman Empire was largest under his reign and he successfully drove back incoming hoards of "barbarians" from all over the empire.  In order to memorialize his great deeds, particularly his conquest of the region then known as Dacia (modern Romania mostly), he commissioned the building of what is now known as the Column of Trajan.  The depictions on the column spiral upwards and can amazingly be read as a kind of ancient comic strip when "unraveled."  The link below with take you to the interactive National Geographic page where you can further explore the imagery.

Trajan's Column

 

1. What stands out to you when looking at the imagery on the column?  Can you tell the Romans apart from the Dacians?  Can you pick out any important Roman army tactics that are prominently displayed?

2. There are many well documented battles and campaigns from the Roman world.  Pick your favorite, and using Trajan's Column as inspiration, make your own Roman comic strip!

Make Your Own Superhero

Ancient Superheroes!
Nowadays there is Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, The Hulk, Wonder Woman, and many many other.  In Ancient Rome, there were superheroes as well, but the Romans called them Demi-gods such as Hercules, Achilles, The Amazons, and others.  If you look closely, there are a number of modern day superheroes who have many of the same qualities as the Demi-gods. For example:

Hercules                                                                              Superman

 

1. Identify your favorite comic book superhero (man or woman) or supervillian (man or woman) since there were indeed bad Demi-gods, and compare he or she to an ancient "superhero."  What similarities do they share?  What are their differences?  Is you superhero or supervillian more of a combination of a number of ancient "superheroes?"

2. For extra credit, try to make your own superhero or supervillian using an ancient Demi-god(s) as your inspiration. Try to draw a picture of what they would look like as well.