Ancient Rome: Education


Figure 1.--This is a portrayal of a domestic Roman scene, although we are not positive just what is being depicted. Father is clearly holding a document, looking like a scroll that he has not yet opened. One reader suggests, "I think from the boy's expression and posture that it is the boys school report. The father is reading it most thoughtfully and I think from the expression of his wife that it is being read aloud. The boy is not relaxed but anxious and he is gropping the chair because the report is not good." The sculpture was the side of a Sarcophagus found in Sidamarca in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It dates to ????.

Education was important in ancient Rome, but there were no free public schools for children, but most Roman boys attended the Ludi (primary) schools and apparently even some girls. The education a child received was very much deopendant on his social class and family wealth. During the early history of Rome, there were no schools. Children were educated at home by their parents or if the family could afford it by tutors. Poor children might learn their father's trade or agricultural skills. More affluent children might be taught to read if their parents were literate. A father might teach his son about Roman law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare for military serevice. Values were an important part of the lessons and moral behavior and bravery were stressed. Girls were taught by their mother or female family member. Roman education changed dramatically in the 2nd century BC. Rome was becoming a more sophisticated city because after the deafeat of Carthage they found themselves in possession of an extensive empire. Rome also in the 2nd century acquired Greece and thus came into contact with Greek culture. It is at this time that formal schools along the line of schools in Greece appear in Rome. Younger children began school at about age 7 and studied reading, writing, and counting. They read both scrolls and books. They on boards covered with wax that could be easily resurfaced for new assignments. They used pebbles and abacusses to do math problems. Math of course was done in Roman numerals, which must have been complicated, especially division. The Romans did not have the concept of zero. Memory assignments were very important as Roman children were expected to do reciataions of the classics. Wealthy families might educate their children at home. Educated Greek slaves were in great demand. Girls who were educated were commonly educated at hime by their oparents and a household slave. Other children might be sent to tutors. Often tutors would work with a small grouop of boys. Patrician and wealthy plebian boys at about age 12-13 began "grammar" school or "schola", where they studied Latin, Greek, grammar. The curriculum was based around the study of literary classics, especually Greek classics. Many of the grammaticus or grammar school teachers were in fact Greeks. At about age 16, some talented boys from affluent families studied public speaking at the rhetoric or oratorica schools. Public speaking was very important in Rome.

Image

The sculpture shown here was the side of a Sarcophagus found in Sidamarca in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). It dates to ????. [Can, pp. 85-86.] The image is a portrayal of a domestic Roman scene, although we are not positive just what is being depicted. It certainly shows the status of the father in the family. He is portrayed rathervlike Zeus sitting on Mt. Olympus. I am not sure what mother is holding. Could it be yarn? Father is clearly holding a document, looking like a scroll that he has not yet opened. One reader suggests, "I think from the boy's expression and posture that it is the boys school report. The father is reading it most thoughtfully and I think from the expression of his wife that it is being read aloud. The boy is not relaxed but anxious and he is gropping the chair because the report is not good." HBC does not agree that the father is reading the scroll. It looks like it is not yet oopened and the writing as he is holduing it would be side ways. Perhaps he is just beginning or has just finished reading it. We thought that perhaps father was coaching his son in a recitation. Did Roman fathers do this, or was it left to the slaves. The boy's posture also does not seen right for a recitation. The boys tunic is interesting, it looks different that that normnally depicted, almost as if there was some kind of addition garment draped over the torso and there seems to be some kind of waist band as well. Also he looks to be wearing some kind of hosiery. HBC is not sure how to interpret all of this.

Social Class

education was important in ancient Rome, but there were no free public schools for childre. The education a child received was very much deopendant on his social class and family wealth.

Chronology

During the eraly history of Rome, there were no schools. Children were educated at home by their parents or if the family could afford it by tutors. Poor children might lear their father's trade or agricultural skills. More affluent children might be taught to read if their parents were literate. A father might teach his son about Roman law, history, customs, and physical training, to prepare for military service. Values were an important part of the lessons. Children were taught to revere and honor the gods, respect the law, obey authority, and to tell the thruth. Truthfulness was an especially important value. Roman education changed in the 2nd century BC. Rome was becoming a more sophisticated city as after the deafeat of Carthage they found themselves in possession of an extensive empire. Rome also in the 2nd century acquired Greece and thus came into contact with Greek culture. It is at this time that formal schools along the line of schools in Greece appear in Rome. Roman education while in many ways similar to Greek education, gave much less emphasis to music and phyical conditioning than did the Greeks.

Types of Schools

These were not public schools and thus only open to children whose parents could pay for them. Very large number of Roman boys did attend basic primary school. The Roman schools that begun to appear in the 2nd centuiry BC followed the basic Greek of essentially primary and secondary schools--the sme system commonly used around the world today.

Ludi (primary) schools

Boys and apparently some girls began school at about age 7 and continued through about age 11-12. The primary school for some reason were called the ludus, meaning 'play'. I suppose the these primary schhols were thought of as play schools because of tghe age of the boys. There was, however, not much play involved. The teachers were magister ludi. Teaching small boys was not a very prestigious occupation and they earned little. These teachers vary widely in their background and abilities. Classes could be quite large, as many as 30 boys, sometimes more. Often classes contained boys of different ages. The boys would sit on small stools. They wrote with a stylus on wax-boards, wooden boards with a thin layer of wax, with a sharp stylus. The wax could be constantly resurfaced. The learned basic reading and writing and basic mathematical calculation. Boys just learning to read might copy moral maxims over and over on their waxed boards. One such wax tablets contained the maxim, "From a wise man seek advice. Do not blindly trust all your friends" . [Shelton, p. 110.] A great deal of memory work was involved at these primary schools. They were expected to memorize large numbers of pieces. Stories with moral or heroic lessons were especially common. As in Greece, an affluent family would employ a paedogogus, who often accompanied a boy to school. He would lookafter the boys academic progress, supervise his morals, and help teach him Greek. [Wheelock, p. 10.]

Grammar (secondary) schools

Patrician and wealthy plebian boys at about age 12-13 began "grammar" or secondary school. The grammar school was also called "schola". This is Greek for leisure. Again I am not sure why this term was applied, perhaps a reflection of the fact schooling, especially at this level, was for the affluent leisure classes. The teachers were grammaticus and were much better prepared than the primary magister ludi. Many were Greeks, understandable as the educatioinal program focused on the Greek langauage and classics. The boys learned Latin, and Greek grammar, but the curriculum focused on the study of the literary classics. Some schools might begin to present the rudiments of rhetoric. Once the students had learned the basic principles of Greek, they began reading the classic works such as Homer's the Iliad and the Odyssey. They also read Roman classics, but the Greek classics were the central part of the program. [Dobson, p. 111.] A range of topics might be discussed such as astronomy, geography, history, music, philosophy, science, and other subjects, but only to the extent they came up as part of the reading of the literary classics. [Shelton, p. 113.] Learning recitation was an important part of the program and parents would have the boys give the recitations they learned at school after dinner in frontof family and friends. Composition were also commonly studied.

Oritorical schools

A small group of especially clever boys who did well in the grammar schools at about age 16 went on to the oratorical or rhetoric schools. These were not so much school, as instruction under the supervision of a rhetor, a teacher of rhetoric. These would be boys from affluent, important familes. They studied public speaking. Public speaking was very important in Rome. These were boys destined for political or juridical office. world. These schools had learned and prestigious instructors and the tuition was expensive. The youths would learn to his phrase, sentence, and paragraph structure. The teachers worked on composition, word choice, and forms and rhythms that are effective in orations. Once the stydents began to master these skills, he would be allowed to compose speeches which were called declamations. There were two types of declamations, suasoriae and controversia. The suasoriae were speeches meant to persuade such as those needed in in political addresses. The controversia were arguments that might be used in the law courts. Part of the program was also to memorize renowned political orations by heart. This was both to impress on the students a perfectly crafted speech and so that portions could be quoted in the future.

Greece

Many Roman youth beginning in the 2nd century BC with the conquest of Greece, when the family had means, would complete their education by a trip to Greece, commonly Athens. Here they would study with Greek rhetoricians and philosophers. Away from home, however, and with money to spend, many Roman youths were easily distracted. [Shelton, p. 120.]

School Day

The school year began each year on March 24. I am not sure precisely why. Schools days were long, from early morning to the late afternoon or evening. There was a break for lunch and an afternoon siesta. [Dobson, p. 166.]. Children might study reading, writing, and counting. They read both scrolls and books. They on boards covered with wax that could be periidicallyh resurfaced. They used pebbles and abacusses to do math problems. Math of course was done in Roman numerals, which must have been complicated, especially division. The Romans did not have the concept of zero. Memory assignments were very important as Romans children were expected to do reciataions of the classics.

Home Schooling and Tutors

Wealthy families might educate their children at home. Educated Greek slaves were in great demand. Girls who were educated were commonly educated at hime by their oparents and a household slave. Other boys might be sent to tutors. Often tutors would work with a small grouop of boys.

Gender

Girls were taught by their mother or female family member. Girls were taught domestic skills such as spining, weaving, and sewing. Girls from wealthy families might receive academic instruction at home from her parents or family slave. Some girls appear to have attended Roman primary schools, although we have few details. I am not sure, however, if tghey were educated with the boys are in seaparate classes or if the educational program was different for girls. It appears that attending school was not as common as it was for the boys and did not progress beyond primary school. [Wheelock, p. 11.] Some girls were further educated, but this would have only occurred at home.

Sources

Can, Turham. Istanbul - Gateway to the Orient (Pub Istanbul Publisher Orient Turkish Ltd.).

Dobson, J. F. Ancient Education and its Meaning to Us (New York: Longmans, Green and Co., 1932).

Marrou, H. I. A History of Education in Antiquity. Trans. George Lamb. (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1956).

Quintilian. Institutio Oratoria. Trans. William Smail. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1938).

Shelton, Jo-Ann. As the Romans Did. (Oxford: Oxford UP, 1988).

Wheelock, Frederick M. Quintilian as Educator. (New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1974).







HBC





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Created: August 16, 2003
Last updated: August 17, 2003