Calliope articles from December 2007

Calliope archives from December 2007

5 Rollicking Roman facts.(City overview)
December 1, 2007... 1. Rome lies on the Tiber River, about 17 miles inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Rome is Italy's capital and largest city. In area, it encompasses 580 square miles. Current figures put the population at...

Musings.
December 1, 2007... "The accomplishments and hard-won fame of a hero will live; for these alone remain, these alone escape the greedy funeral fires." --Ovid, Roman poet (43 B.C.-A.D. 17) What's a hero? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Well, here's a...

The battle for Italy.
December 1, 2007... Italy--the new homeland! After many trials, Aeneas had finally arrived. With him were his band of followers and his son Ascanius. As a feast of thanks, the group used flat loaves of bread and piled them high with native fruits. After eating the...

The maiden Camilla.
December 1, 2007... The tragic tale of the brave heroine Camilla is found in Book XI of Virgil's Aeneid. The scene opens as the epic hero Aeneas and his allies are engaged in a war with the Latin prince Turnus. The bitterly contested prizes are the hand of the...

Romulus and Remus.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Romulus stood on the Palatine Hill, his eyes scanning the skies above. Not far away, on the Aventine Hill, his twin brother, Remus, was also looking skyward. Each wanted to establish a great city in the land now...

Brothers' blood.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fighting back bitter tears, the old man watched as his only surviving son stood before the angry Roman crowds. Hours earlier, the young warrior had been cheered as the savior of the city. Now, with one brutal act,...

Lucretia avenged.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the year 510 B.C., the Romans were at war with the Rutuli, a very rich people who lived just south of the Tiber River. This war promised to be a long one, so the Romans had built a camp and began to relax and...

Horatius at the bridge.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Approximately 100 years had passed since Rome's founding in 753 B.C., and the Romans were still engaged in the struggle for more land. Most of central Italy was theirs, but to the north and northeast a more powerful...

Defense challenge.(ACTIVITY)
December 1, 2007... It looks easy to find your way back into your besieged town, but there's a catch: For the town's protection, you must know the secret to the maze, as you need to pass through EVERY tunnel on your way back in, but can never cross your own path....

How the geese save Rome.
December 1, 2007... Rome's march to power began in the early fourth century B.C., when its troops ventured north beyond the lands around the Tiber River and into the vast and fertile lands held by the Etruscans. In 396 B.C., under the leadership of the Roman...

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum ...(ACTIVITY)
December 1, 2007... As Rome grew in power, so, too, did its cities and towns. Here's a layout from a later town, bustling with people coming and going to work, running errands, and going to school. Can you find your way from the amphitheater (A) to the forum (F),...

The three 'C's: notable moments in Rome's history.
December 1, 2007... While the deeds of Rome's early heroes have some historical basis, facts about the people who performed them are sketchy. In addition, time has added many details to each record and created superheroes of the personalities associated with each...

Fun with words.
December 1, 2007... WORD STORIES Companion Break bread with anyone recently? Then, "companion" is what you should call your friend. The English noun "companion" traces its roots to two Latin words: cum, meaning "with," and panis, meaning "bread." Thus,...

Who were the Salii?
December 1, 2007... In very ancient times, a terrible plague raged through Rome. Fearing that everyone would die, the Romans rushed to the temple of their protector, the god Mars. There they prayed and asked for help. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Suddenly, an...

Vesta and the Vestal Virgins.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Before the discovery of oil and electricity, fire was used to cook food, provide heat, and forge tools. Yet, for centuries, primitive societies had great difficulty obtaining and maintaining a steady flame....

A Roman scramble.(ACTIVITY)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fill in the blanks below, then unscramble the numbered letters to discover the name of the first Etruscan king to rule Rome. Answers are on page 46. 1. This powerful Etruscan tribe ruled just to the north of...

Ask Calliope.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [?] What country was the first to coin money? --Hugo, McLean, Virginia [!] Actually, the first people to use coins lived in Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia, now in present-day Turkey. It seems that the...

Little City Girl.(From Our Readers)(Poem)
December 1, 2007... Little City Girl The little girl looks out the window and dreams Of a place where no one believes she can go, A place of wonder and beauty, of magical people and mythical beasts. She sits and wonders, "Who will I...

On the net.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Interested in learning more about ancient Rome? Then here's an organization committed to that goal: www.novaroma.org/nr/Main_Page This overview of early Roman history has a link to Livy's account of the story of...

Ancient Romans: Expanding the Classical Tradition.(OFF THe SHeLF)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ancient Romans: Expanding the Classical Tradition by Rosalie F. and Charles F. Baker (Oxford, www.oup.com) uses a biographical format, in an interesting and enjoyable manner, to explore the lives and accomplishments...

Hostage Lands.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hostage Lands by Douglas Bond (P & R Publishing, 2006, www.bondbooks.net) is a fast-paced, entertaining, and informative historical novel that centers on a Roman centurion sent to serve his country by fortifying...

Tools of the Ancient Romans: A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Rome.(OFF THe SHeLF)(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... Tools of the Ancient Romans: A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Rome by Rachel Dickinson (Nomad, 2006, www.nomadpress.net) is a great classroom complement. Readers will enjoy the sidebars, including a few with direct...

Proper names with a history.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)
December 1, 2007... Through the centuries, many individuals have created programs, artworks, and styles that are not only distinctive and influential, but have continued to survive long after they have died. On occasion, the personality of the creator is so strong...

Then and now.(City overview)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From its founding on a riverbank in 753 B.C., Rome grew to be a mega-city, adorned with magnificent temples, statues, and columns. The illustration above details a 1900 interpretation of the area around the Temple of...