VR: Overview

Image: a painting of the Battle of Actium

Overview: Veritas Rerum - the truth of things

Nostri coniugii memor vive, ac vale!
Live, mindful of our marriage, and be well!
Augustus, to his wife Livia, on his death bed.
Reported by Suetonius in De Vita Caesarum - Divus Augustus.

Story Notes

Now that the story of Caedes Foedissima has concluded, it's time to look at the true history of the events surrounding the death of Marcellus. Was he really murdered? Was Selene a vengeful murderess? Which of the characters in the story were real, and who was made up to help move the story along? One of the lesser figures in the story, Augustus, becomes the focus of our historical investigation. The image above is a painting depicting the famous Battle of Actium by Lorenzo Castro, painted in 1672. This victory marked the true beginning of the rule of Octavius, who would become Augustus.

Study Guide and Reading Log

Image: a bust portrait of Augustus as a young man As you progress through the module, we will be focusing heavily on the Emperor Augustus. Please download and use the Study Guide Links to an external site. to assist you in your note taking. The study guide can help guide your understanding of the module and provides important practice for the concepts covered on each page. At the end of the module, you can then use the study guide as a tool to help prepare you for the module exam.

For Latin II, there will be a story told in parts, with each module telling a part of the story by presenting Latin reading passages. The reading passages will also be part of an assignment in each module. To successfully complete the reading assignment in each module, please download the Reading Log Links to an external site. handout now and work on it regularly while completing the lessons.

Essential Questions

  1. What is the difference between fabricated and authentic Latin?
  2. Who were the real historical figures from Caedes Foedissima?
  3. What made a Roman great?
  4. What were Augustus' major accomplishments?
  5. What was Augustus' legacy?

Key Terms

  1. Fabricated Latin - Latin that is written by modern Latinists to help support the study of Latin.
  2. Authentic Latin - Latin that was written by historical figures for the purpose of creating literature or passing on information.
  3. Pietas - the Roman view of duty.  Pietas, or piety, is one’s duty to the gods, their country and their family.  Romans believed that piety was the most important value that one could have.
  4. Hero - the Roman view of a hero was a character who displayed pietas.  Roman heroes were those men or women who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good: for gods, country and family.
  5. Love - the standard Roman view of love tended to focus more on duty than on romance.  The Romans practiced arranged marriages, preferring marriages that would benefit the families involved, rather than those that would make the married couple happy.  However, despite this strong sense of duty, romantic love was discussed and idealized by the poets, sharply contrasting the practical view of love.
  6. Cursus Honorum - the course of offices in ancient Rome.  This was the political ladder - the higher a Roman citizen went, the more power he had.  A young Roman hoping to enter the cursus honorum would participate in the higher levels of education to learn rhetoric and the art of politics.
  7. Imperium - Power.  As a Roman citizen moved up the Cursus Honorum, his imperium increased with each higher position.  The ultimate imperium was control over life and death.
  8. Ludi - Roman games.  This included races at the circus and gladiatorial combat at the amphitheater, along with plays and other entertainments.
  9. Roman Empire - The final period of ancient Roman history (27 BC - 476 AD) which was ruled by an Emperor.  During the empire, Rome greatly expanded its borders under the leadership of powerful emperors like Augustus and Hadrian.
  10. Familia - a social unit that included all the members of a household, including slaves.  The concept of family was central to Roman society and influenced their policies and practices concerning marriage, adoption, child-rearing, and naming practices.
  11. Citizenship - having the full set of rights due to a Roman.  There were four major rights - the right to make contracts, the right to vote, the right to hold public office and the right to a legal marriage.
  12. Romanization - the process of foreigners adopting Roman customs, laws and practices.  Rome often tried to Romanize conquered territories to help stabilize the region.
  13. Triumph - a large scale military celebration after a successful conquest
  14. Feriae - the Latin word for holy days or holiday
  15. Funus - funeral
  16. Res Publica - Latin for republic.  Literally, it means public matter.

ALL RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.