Beware...

the Ides of March. We've moved on from our studies of Julius Caesar and Rome in our Story of the World curriculum. These included Chapters 28: The Roman Empire, 29: Rome's War with Carthage, 34: The Rise of Julius Caesar, 35: Caesar the Hero, and 36: The First Roman Prince.

...mile stones, aqueducts, gladiators, Servius, Hannibal, Cincinnatus, "Crossing the Rubicon", Pompeii, "veni, vidi, vici", Cleopatra, Octavian (Augustus), princeps... Again as I teach Rilla, I learn what I was supposed to have learned years ago.

I have few memories of school where I actually learned, or was challenged, or was even given individualized attention. Frankly, I was one of the top students set on auto-pilot (as I'd like to say). In any case, one fond memory that comes to mind is in 9th grade English. We had just finished reciting (we were assigned parts and read) Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". When we had finished the play, we were asked to choose one of several speeches, memorize it, and recite it to our class with fervor and emotion. After much struggle and work, I completely memorized Antony's dialogue to citizens after Caesar's death ... "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones;..." With much difficulty (as oration isn't a big part of the public school system philosphy), hard work, and intensity, I was able to complete the assignment with a great feeling of satisfaction. The exercise also brought me closer to being comfortable with public speaking.

It is the consistent practice of memorization, class presentations, public speaking, oral narration, and (in later grades) debate that I value the classical model of education. And that is why we currently use the Classical Conversations curriculum.