BOOK LIST (to print) -- ANCIENT ROME
PODCASTS:
The connection between George Washington and Rome is the fact that he was referred to as a modern day Cincinnatus. Who was he? Well, you’ll find out. I also read how there was a popular play about Cato, one of Plutarch’s Lives, written by Addison that was regularly attended by the colonists in the days of the Revolution. One account suggested that Washington commissioned to have it performed to the soldiers while at Valley Forge. It carried the message that liberty was worth dying for. The influence of the Greeks and the Romans on the lives and thoughts of our Founding Fathers is clear and unmistakable. Our children need to know the history. It will take time to unfold it.
I realize there is a LOT to cover when you study Greece and Rome and December is a busy month with the holiday season, so don't feel like you need to stop what you're reading when January rolls in. You'll notice that Month 5 is a comparatively 'light' study. Your children will have been studying the Revolution over several months. Or, whet some appetites and come back in the summer months which are left open on purpose to come back and do more in depth learning of subjects you want to learn more about.
You may be wondering why I didn’t include the study of the Holy Land in December; it seems like a better fit. I hope you’ll see, though, how important the story of Rome is in the Christmas story. The reason the Jews were looking for a Savior was so they could be freed from the tyranny of Rome. Gaining a clear understanding of what conditions were like at that time under Rome’s rule will make the story of Jesus much more meaningful.
I noticed the pattern for learning again–heart, mind, spirit-- as I looked at Greece and Rome and the ministry of Jesus. With Greece was a desire for beauty. Then came Rome’s love of law and rules into which Jesus came, teaching a message of building a spiritual kingdom. The people wanted Him to fix the external conditions. His message was to build up the kingdom within, and the externals would take care of themselves. The people fought the message then. They continue to fight it today. Yet, if enough people took the message of tending to the inner kingdom to heart, we would see a new world emerge. In fact, the promise is that that Kingdom will come. We are meant to be the builders of that Kingdom. Peace on earth, goodwill to men is the message of Christmas.
If you’d like to tie the study of Rome into Christmas this year, you may want to watch the movie Ben-Hur as a family. (By the way-I wouldn't bother with the recent re-make. I didn't like it at all.) Ben-Hur was one of the most read and inspiring Christian books of 19th century America, yet, when Lew Wallace started writing it, he, himself was not a believer. After serving as a general in the Civil War, the desire grew in his heart to learn about Jesus. By the time he was finished with his work, he was deeply and completely committed to live as a disciple of Christ. Here is the complete book.
The book itself is very long. Part I is all about the wise men’s journey to Bethlehem. It’s a beautiful account and maybe you can at least that much this year. Here is just the Christmas story. Be sure and read the introduction. Lew Wallace, himself, tells how the book came to be written. And then the movie will give a sense of life under Roman rule at the time Jesus was born. The soundtrack is very stirring and will also offers a deep impression of the day. Here are a few samples:
I realize there is a LOT to cover when you study Greece and Rome and December is a busy month with the holiday season, so don't feel like you need to stop what you're reading when January rolls in. You'll notice that Month 5 is a comparatively 'light' study. Your children will have been studying the Revolution over several months. Or, whet some appetites and come back in the summer months which are left open on purpose to come back and do more in depth learning of subjects you want to learn more about.
You may be wondering why I didn’t include the study of the Holy Land in December; it seems like a better fit. I hope you’ll see, though, how important the story of Rome is in the Christmas story. The reason the Jews were looking for a Savior was so they could be freed from the tyranny of Rome. Gaining a clear understanding of what conditions were like at that time under Rome’s rule will make the story of Jesus much more meaningful.
I noticed the pattern for learning again–heart, mind, spirit-- as I looked at Greece and Rome and the ministry of Jesus. With Greece was a desire for beauty. Then came Rome’s love of law and rules into which Jesus came, teaching a message of building a spiritual kingdom. The people wanted Him to fix the external conditions. His message was to build up the kingdom within, and the externals would take care of themselves. The people fought the message then. They continue to fight it today. Yet, if enough people took the message of tending to the inner kingdom to heart, we would see a new world emerge. In fact, the promise is that that Kingdom will come. We are meant to be the builders of that Kingdom. Peace on earth, goodwill to men is the message of Christmas.
If you’d like to tie the study of Rome into Christmas this year, you may want to watch the movie Ben-Hur as a family. (By the way-I wouldn't bother with the recent re-make. I didn't like it at all.) Ben-Hur was one of the most read and inspiring Christian books of 19th century America, yet, when Lew Wallace started writing it, he, himself was not a believer. After serving as a general in the Civil War, the desire grew in his heart to learn about Jesus. By the time he was finished with his work, he was deeply and completely committed to live as a disciple of Christ. Here is the complete book.
The book itself is very long. Part I is all about the wise men’s journey to Bethlehem. It’s a beautiful account and maybe you can at least that much this year. Here is just the Christmas story. Be sure and read the introduction. Lew Wallace, himself, tells how the book came to be written. And then the movie will give a sense of life under Roman rule at the time Jesus was born. The soundtrack is very stirring and will also offers a deep impression of the day. Here are a few samples:
- Jesus Birth Scene (with scenes from the movie):
- Christ’s theme
- Jesus the Water of Life (a powerful scene from the movie)
- Roman march (with image)
- Parade of the Charioteers
- Rowing in the Galley
Art credit: The Court of Caligula by Virgilis Mattoni de la Fuente