Calliope articles from November 2005

Calliope archives from November 2005

All roads lead to Rome.(MUSINGS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... "EVERYTHING IS DEEMED MIRACULOUS WHEN IT IS FIRST DISCOVERED, JUST AS SO MUCH IS JUDGED IMPOSSIBLE BEFORE IT ACTUALLY OCCURS." --Pliny the Elder, first-century A.D. Roman historian and naturalist Arches, Aqueducts, baths, flush toilets...

The magnificent colosseum.
November 1, 2005... Quamdiu stabit Coliseus, stabit et Roma; Quamdiu cadit Coliseus, cadet et Roma; Quando cadit Roma, cadet et mundus. While the Colosseum stands, Rome will stand; When the Colosseum falls, Rome will fall; When Rome falls, the world will fall....

What a structure?(Colosseum (Rome, Italy))
November 1, 2005... The Colosseum's daring design attested to the superb skill and artistry of its architects, artisans, and craftsmen. Wooden arenas had been the standard, erected for a particular show and then quickly leveled. It was only in 30 B.C. that the...

'There will be awnings!'.(Amphitheatrum Flavium)
November 1, 2005... The Amphitheatrum Flavium was an engineering marvel. The architects had discussed and evaluated every need and possible emergency. Adjustments and additions were made wherever necessary. Because the Colosseum's high walls prevented any breeze...

What's in a name?(Colosseum (Rome, Italy))(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The structure known today as the Colosseum was an amphitheatrum (English: amphitheater) to the Romans. A combination of the Greek preposition amphi ("on both sides") and the Greek noun theatron ("an area where something is seen or viewed"), the...

Mock naval battles.(Colosseum (Rome, Italy))(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The location of the Colosseum was suited uniquely to its purpose. At one time, it had been the site of the swimming pool of the Roman emperor Nero (A.D. 54-68). Because the Romans associated his reign with many cruel incidents, they eliminated...

A colossal puzzle.(ACTIVITY)
November 1, 2005... Use the nine clues below to fill in the corresponding blanks. The letters in the red boxes will then spell the name of the emperor responsible for constructing the Colosseum. 1. This protected the Colosseum's spectators from the sun. ...

Architecture Roman-style.(Pantheon's architectural design)
November 1, 2005... The use of the arch, vault, and dome ranks among the most important achievements of Roman art and engineering. So, too, does the Roman invention of concrete (see page 13). Surviving ancient texts--including the works of Vitruvius (see page...

Build a Roman arch.(ACTIVITY)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Do you work well "under pressure"? Well, Roman arches do! That's because these engineering marvels use compression (pressing together) to make buildings incredibly strong. From the Colosseum to the aqueducts, arches are one of the architectural...

All roads lead to Rome.(Via Appia (Appian Way))
November 1, 2005... If stones could speak, those along the Via Appia (Appian Way) would give the world a fascinating account of more than 2,000 years of history. In ancient times, those stones withstood the feet of triumphant soldiers and of proud but dejected...

Construct a Roman road.(ACTIVITY)
November 1, 2005... The key to the success of the Roman road system was thick substructure, composed of various materials. The Romans realized that this combination aided drainage and provided flexibility and give (a springiness) to their roads. The standard...

Watering the empire.(Nimes)
November 1, 2005... Nimes (rhymes with team) is a modern city with a very ancient past. Known to the ancient Romans as Nemausus, it lies about 525 miles northwest of Rome in southern France. Around 19 B.C. Nimes attracted the attention of the Roman general...

Keeping clean.(Roman baths)
November 1, 2005... The ancient Romans' regard for cleanliness, combined with their technical ingenuity, developed into one of the hallmarks of their civilization: the Roman baths. Every town and city had at least one major bathhouse. Rome itself had more...

'Gotta go!'.(Roman baths and toilets)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Check out these beige marble benches--toilet seats--with holes cut into them. The holes were set at regular intervals around three sides of the room. Underneath the benches, a channel with continuous flowing water drained away wastewater into a...

Caesarea maritima.(ancietn city in Rome)
November 1, 2005... By appointment of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, Herod ruled the kingdom of Judaea at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea from 37 B.C. to his death in 4 B.C. In honor of Augustus, Herod rebuilt and enlarged an earlier settlement on the...

Catapulting to victory.(Roman artillery)
November 1, 2005... Ready, aim, HURL! The Romans did not have gunpowder, but they could bombard their enemies with lethal blasts of flying metal and rock. How did they do it? Two devices, in particular, launched the deadly attacks. Because the devices worked...

Build a Roman catapult.(ACTIVITY)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Catapults were the ultimate ancient weapons. In Rome, the art of building these incredible machines was called belopoietics (Greek for "making projectiles"). Now you can learn the secret of this ancient engineering science, by constructing a...

Greco-Roman clockwork.
November 1, 2005... The most complicated mechanism surviving from the ancient Greek and Roman period is an astronomical calculating device known as the Antikythera mechanism. Discovered in 1900 in an ancient shipwreck, it was built around 87 B.C., most likely in a...

Certe, pro dii immortales! (yes, by the immortal Gods!).(FUN WITH WORDS)(swearing language or Romans)
November 1, 2005... The Romans swore by their gods and goddesses, and you can, too! We do it in English, by Jove--Jove being another name for the Roman god Jupiter. Here is a selection of Roman gods and goddesses and the expressions the Romans used to invoke...

Ask Calliope.(Chinese use of jade and adobe, Leanardo da Vinci 's use of chiaroscuro)
November 1, 2005... [?] Why was jade important to the ancient Chinese? --Meredith, 14, Web post [!] The Chinese believed that a jade suit would prevent a dead body from decaying. During the Han dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), they covered the eyes of a dead...

City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David Macaulay (Houghton Mifflin, 1974, www.hmco.com) uses well-detailed, black-and-white drawings to take the construction of a city from a tract of land to a city with temples, shops, homes,...

Classical Ingenuity: The Legacy of Greek and Roman Architects, Artists, and Inventors.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Classical Ingenuity: The Legacy of Greek and Roman Architects, Artists, and Inventors by Charles F. Baker and Rosalie F. Baker (Cobblestone, 1993, www.cobblestonepub.com) provides an excellent introduction to the accomplishments of the ancient...

Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire (Revised Edition) by Matthew Bunson (Facts On File, 2002, www.factsonfile.com) offers readers well-researched entries on just about every topic. Included also are a time line, a list of emperors, a glossary, and...

A Roman Fort.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... A Roman Fort by Stephen Johnson (Peter Bedrick, 2000, www.mhcontemporary.com) uses a two-page chapter format to detail the building, layout, maintenance, services, and life at a fort. Well-drawn and clearly marked diagrams and illustrations...

A Roman Fort by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom.(BOOKS)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
November 1, 2005... A Roman Fort by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom (Frances Lincoln, 2004, www.mickandbrita.com) uses historically accurate illustrations, accompanied by caption-format text, to depict all aspects of life on a Roman frontier site.

Cobblestone resources.(ON THE SHELF)
November 1, 2005... Materials that complement this theme's topic, "Rome's Master Builders," and are available from Cobblestone Publishing include: Cleopatra (CAL0499) Hadrian, Roman Emperor (CAL9912) Hannibal vs. Rome (CAL9901) Roman Army...

On the net.(web sites to know about Colosseum (Rome, Italy))(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Here's a chance to learn more about the Colosseum and to link to videos of simulated gladiator fights and naval battles: dsc.discovery.com/convergence/colosseum/colosseum.html For a great site on the aqueduct known as the Pont du Gard,...

Toga parties and indoor plumbing.(Roman history)
November 1, 2005... So, you want to give a party. You want something different, unusual... maybe... a toga party! There will be a lot to do to make this gathering a success. You may be surprised to learn that as you prepare, you will be following in the...

Mix and match!(word game)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... arch basilica column dome vault Can you match each of the five architectural terms at left with its illustrated form to the far left? Stuck? Well, CALLIOPE has an entire issue to help you! But, don't stop with this issue, or the answers on...