Yet, how do we incorporate reliable images and other visuals into our curricula? We could buy the DVDs or amass a collection of documentaries, which could be both time consuming and expensive. We could instead get a Netflix account, which is a great way to have access to documentaries via the streaming feed (which is accessible via your Internet connection) or even check out a rotation of Roman documentaries to port to class.

Another shortcoming of this method is editing the content. Maybe you don’t want to watch all 50 or so minutes, but instead want to incorporate just a few moments of what life was like to illustrate new vocabulary or some other concept. Instead of plopping in a DVD and finding that part in the film and then ejecting it to maybe do it again for another segment or example or even for another class, you could use a resource that is free, easy to use, and accessible at your fingertips – YouTube.

Why? For starters, there is a plethora of content available on YouTube that could cover a topic you are interested in conveying to your class. For example, there are full documentaries uploaded as well as various video of numerous trips to Rome and its sites. If you can’t go and take the footage yourself, someone else already has – why not make a use of it?

The other concern is time – you don’t have all class to dedicate to a documentary but you would like to get your students to focus on maybe one incident. A lot of times sections of these documentaries are uploaded so you can find a clip that would give an appropriate example. You don’t have to dig up the DVD and edit it yourself or try to find that particular scene from the movie. You won’t have to spend your weekend previewing various films and then editing just to get that 2 minute clip into your class. Instead, do a search for whatever topic and you’ve got it!

But what is the best way to gather all of these clips into an organized fashion so that you can come back to them whenever you want? Create a YouTube channel! It’s very easy and chances are, you have a Gmail account already – so use it to create an account with YouTube and you now have a channel.

The next thing you will want to do is create a playlist – this basically is like creating a giant DVD to collect all of your film clips on so that you can come back to it and play whatever clip you want. Maybe you want to make a playlist that is general like Roman History or another that is more specific like the Roman Republic. What you would then do is search for clips and then add them to your designated playlist (there is a little + sign in the bottom right of the thumbnail of your video or just under the video there is an add button). You can even leave a little note so you can remind yourself later why you saved that clip.

Another great benefit of having your own YouTube channel is it can serve as a resource for your students to be referred to. Maybe you want to assign some homework and you can always have your students refer to the clip you played in class for reference. Or, better yet, assign to them a new clip they had never seen before in order to get their reaction. There is a lot you can do.

You also are not limited to only video clips from movies, documentaries, etc. Maybe you will want to use movie trailers or video game clips. Maybe even grab recordings of various songs – there are numerous examples of recordings that are trying to recreate Roman music that you could always ask your students to react to.

YouTube is also accessible via mobile devices and your students, most likely, already know how to navigate around it. In fact, don’t be surprised if they give you some tips on how to use YouTube to make class more exciting – and that is precisely what you want: to involve your students in their own education! That is an engaged, 21st century learner!

With such a valuable resource like YouTube, it definitely helps to have access to endless hours of content that can help illustrate what life was like for the ancient Romans. Why not head on over and check it out for yourself? You can follow the link on the primary navigation menu above (marked “RomaeTV”) or just click here to take a look. Subscribe and let us know if you want us to add anything!

Is your domus lacking style? Do you need to redecorate your cubiculum or latrina? A museum exhibit in the Netherlands can help.Through January 6, 2012, the Limburgs Museum Venlo presents IXEA: The Roman Store “IXEA: je Romeinse woonwarenhuis” – site in Dutch and German, an installation that combines displays of re-imagined Roman housewares with the familiar layout of an IKEA store.

via An IKEA for ancient Roman housewares | Gadling.com.

via Romes police dress up as centurions to catch gang of conmen fleecing tourists | Mail Online.

via Is Rome’s Pantheon a Giant Sundial?.

Although it might seem that our love affair with Latin came from our attachment to Classical-style education methods, my own love affair with Latin predates our homeschooling. I was raised among people who thought that Latin was a desperately important feature of a “good education” and who mourned that it had been discontinued from the local high school. I got bits and pieces of Latin, nouns and phrases and heaps of Roman and Greek mythology, but no formal Latin training. By the time I got through college I could pronounce anything you put in front of me, read and decipher simple stuff, and trace Latin/English word roots. Besides being able to identify bizarre Latin literary terms like “bathos” and read scientific nomenclature, I felt that my hodgepodge of Church Latin, random bits thrown at me by desperate teachers, and Latin puzzled out in the course of being a medieval recreationist had enriched my vocabulary and my life in numerous ways. So I was determined, even before our final commitment to homeschooling, to make sure that my kids got Latin.

via Rebel Homeschool: Our Love Affair With Latin Language.

The research was carried out examining samples from various types of trees, or employing the study of dendrochronology. The evidence points out that there were drastic climate changes each decade from 250 to 500 AD. The climate was shifting from dry and cool to warm and wet every 10 years. As such, the agriculture was drastically affected which lead to turmoil as ancient societies were more closely tied to agricultural production – unlike modern societies that can escape such cycles more easily due to improvements in agricultural technology.

Read more.

Take a look at these songs and share them with others! You will be showing how Latin is still relevant while also putting a fun spin on the tradition. And, just a suggestion, you might want to find the music to sing to.

Carols_Carmina Diei Christi

Teaching about the Saturnalia not only allows students to have some fun before their holiday break, but it also exposes students of Latin to ancient Roman culture. There are several topics that are addressed: mythology, Roman social orders, religious beliefs, and customs. By examining our past we also can better understand our present in that we can see where the origins of our current holidays come from.

The story of the Saturnalia focuses first and foremost on the god Saturn himself. This deity is often linked to a Greek model like Chronos, but when examining the origins of the ancient Roman version we see there is a loose affiliation. For the Romans, the god Saturn ruled over the area of Latium in a kind of golden age, before mankind had to toil for their livelihood. In fact, for the Romans, Saturnus was an agricultural deity and was married to Ops, the personification of fruitfulness and fertility.

The original day celebrated to honor Saturn was a holy day (thus the world holiday) on which religious rites were practiced. Held at the Temple of Saturn in the forum Romanum, regarded as the oldest of the Roman temples, the rite focused on the releasing of Saturn from his bonds – woolen bonds were tied to the cult statue within the temple, the loosening of which symbolized his freedom and a return to the Age of Saturn.

There was a sacrifice held out front of the temple to commemorate the return of Saturn. Some have recorded that a lectisternium was set up for the god to participate in the festival along with the Roman practitioners. Everyone shouted “Io Saturnalia!” to greet one another during the festival – this is where the origins of Santa’s “Ho Ho Ho!” come from.

The length of the Saturnalia varies throughout history, usually it was a week-long celebration, but it had been shortened to as many as 5 or even 3 days. The people of Rome tended to blow off steam, celebrating with parties, wine, gambling, and exchanging gifts.

Gambling was usually forbidden in Rome, but it was relaxed during the Saturnalia and kind of contributed to the  wild mood and festive partying throughout the city. It was usually a fun but chaotic time as the ancient sources tell us (Catullus, Seneca, per exempla). Yet, it was supposed to be a return to the Age of Saturn, when mankind didn’t have to toil for his food; a time of paradise on earth. Since Roman society was hierarchical, it was also a time in which the slaves were given a chance to have their roles reversed. Typically, Roman slaves prepared meals for their masters who ate first, but during the Saturnalia the slaves prepared their meal first and served their masters after.

The toga, a sign of Roman citizenship and a clear distinction of the hierarchy of the social order, was also dropped in favor of more relaxed wear like the Greek synthesis. The pileus cap, a red cap of Phrygian origin and worn by slaves that were given their freedom, also became a symbol of Saturnalia and the return to that golden age. In fact, slaves were regarded as equals and were even allowed to wear their masters’ clothing on occasion. A king was selected for each household as a  “Lord of Chaos” who emceed the party and usually demanded what events occurred.

Lucian writes:

“During my week the serious is barred; no business allowed. Drinking, noise and games and dice, appointing of kings and feasting of slaves, singing naked, clapping of frenzied hands, an occasional ducking of corked faces in icy water. Such are the functions over which I preside.”

It was a wild time, and certainly one in which the city looked forward to. The Saturnalia, however, wasn’t all about extreme behavior. It was a time for people to come together, to reflect. Gifts were exchanged; waxed candles (cerei) or small figurines (sigillaria) were among the typical prizes.

In all, the Saturnalia resembles our current holiday season. The mad-dash to get gifts and to make travel arrangements and other preparations so that these visits with family and friends can ensure a lifetime of memories. We try to put aside our busy schedules for a moment to reconnect with those we care about. We don’t forget that life is meant for living, and we celebrate so that we can feel alive and be thankful for what we have.

These are the messages that should be emphasized. This time of year is about connecting with one another in the biggest social network of all – the human network.

Here are some fun things that could be done in Latin class, in order to commemorate the Saturnalia:

• Adopt a Saturnus mascot and tie up bindings on him. To start the celebration, ritualistically “unbind” Saturnus to commemorate the start of the Saturnalia. Have students leave offerings from the party for Saturnus – just like the Romans did at his lectisternium!
• Play Roman games like par/impar, mola, knucklebones. This way students can learn about the customs of the Romans and, if you dare, even give out fake money to encourage students to gamble like at the Saturnalia. Another fun way to make the gaming part of the party come out is to get students to bring prizes to the party (set a spending limit like $5 or so) and have students bid on each gift with their winnings.

The key thing to communicate is that the Saturnalia is one way in which cultures of the ancient world expressed the full range of human emotions that we experience today. It helps make this time of year more relevant; it doesn’t try to take away the meaning of the season. Also, in studying and celebrating the Saturnalia, we can examine how even though we may celebrate this time of year differently, we all are celebrating the same things – just in different ways. It promotes more compassion, more understanding.

So, it is with this spirit of the season that I say to you all – “IO SATVRNALIA!”

Read More:

Saturnalia – Cites ancient sources and goes into more detail about the origins of the holiday

Saturnalia Wikipedia – Contains a pretty good synopsis behind the reason for the season

The story is set in 140 AD, where Marcus Aquila and his slave Esca set out to solve the mystery about a lost golden standard – that of the infamous Ninth Legion. Twenty years earlier, according to the story, Marcus’ father, Flavius, was in charge of the Ninth and marched into Caledonia (Scotland) bearing the Eagle standard but he and his 5,000 men never returned.

The movie stars Channing Tatum (GI Joe) as Marcus Aquila and Jamie Bell (Jumper) as Esca and is directed by Kevin Macdonald. Donald Sutherland also appears in the film as Marcus’ uncle.

Learn more about the movie by visiting the film’s official site.