Dickinson - Tools of the Ancient Romans: a kids guide to the history & science of life in Ancient Rome

Cover image: Boris Kolomytsev, Toy Soldiers of Kolobob.

All illustrations by Shawn Braley

Photos: Scipio, courtesy of www.tu-berlin.de; Hannibal, courtesy of www.barca.fsnet.co.uk; Cato and Tiberius, courtesy of wikipedia.org; map of ancient Rome, courtesy of www.theaterofpompey. com; Shakespeare, courtesy of www.shakespeare.org.nz; other images courtesy of Planet Art

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Copyright 2006 by Nomad Press

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ISBN: 0-9749344-5-3

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W HY STUDY THE ROMAN EMPIRE? BECAUSE ITS influence lies all around you. From architecture and language to law and government, the Romans have influenced virtually every aspect of modern life.

Whenever you admire a beautiful classical public buildingone with columns holding up a big triangular-shaped pedimentyoure admiring Roman-inspired architecture. Wonderful feats of engineering like the development of the arch and the dome come directly from Rome. If you have been to Europe you may have actually driven on roads or traveled over bridges built two thousand years ago by Romansbridges and roads that have withstood two thousand years of wind, rain, snow, war, and traffic.

Latin, the original language of ancient Rome, is now used for the official names of plants and animals and diseasesand its also used in several legal terms. The real name for chicken pox, for example, is the Latin word varicella. As far as modern legal terms go, alibi (ala-bye), subpoena (su-peena), and affidavit (aff-ee-day-vit) are just a few Still having a hard time believing that the language of ancient Rome is being used today? Look at the back of a nickel: the phrase: E pluribus Unum is Latin for Out of many, one.

The founders of the United States turned to ancient Rome, particularly the writings of Cicero, when developing the new nation. In many ways, our government is structured much like the Roman Republic.

In Tools of the Ancient Romans: A Kids Guide to the History and Science of Life in Ancient Rome youll learn the importance and relevance of ancient Rome to our everyday lives. Youll also learn what life was like for all types of Romans in a world of gladiators and gods and goddesses, extreme poverty and great wealth, and momentous discovery. This book will give you a taste and feel of this world through activities that transport you back in time. So get your imagination ready and see what it was like to be a Roman kid, adult, senator, or slave. When you come back to the present day and look around you, youll see that ancient Rome has been with you all along.

Learn the story of the founding of Rome

Explore the history of the earliest Roman tribes

Uncover your own family history

T HE ROMAN EMPIRE SEEMS VERY DISTANT AND FOREIGN TO us today, but at its greatest strength, almost 2,000 years ago, it was the mightiest empire in the world. Nearly 60 million people lived under Roman rule in lands stretching from Asia Minor and Africa to Britain, about the same size as the United States. How did such a huge empire begin? It all starts with the humble and mysterious origin of Rome, the mighty city that sits on the banks of the Tiber River. The history of Rome is a fascinating mix of fact and fiction, combining archeological and scientific discoveries with ancient stories about gods and goddesses, mortals and murders, cruel kings and lost civilizations.