Roman Woman Assignment

Today in the library you will be working on the following assignment. All details including due date follow.


Church History—Then and Now
Research Activity: Roman Women and Early Christianity

Name______________________________ Period_____ Date ____________________

Create a letter from a Roman woman, dating somewhere between 50 and 100 CE. This letter will describe her life (written in the first person) as well as the reasons she has been attracted to the Christian religion. The information is based on assigned readings.

Guidelines
• Your Roman woman may represent the social status of your choice (slave, plebian, patrician), but information in the letter must present specific information about that status
• Give your Roman woman a Roman name
• The information in your letter must reflect the reading materials listed on this handout.
• The letter is two pages long, double spaced and word-processed in a visually straightforward font, size 12
• A properly formatted bibliography follows the letter on a third page

Due date
Thursday September 23rd, 2010

Points
50 points

This activity will be evaluated on
• The amount of detail in the letter and specific use of the assigned reading materials
• An authentic and thoughtful glimpse into the Roman woman’s life
• Evidence of careful proofreading and editing in your written work
• Proper formatting of the letter as directed in the guidelines

Assigned reading for this activity
“Live Longer, Healthier, & Better:
The untold benefits of becoming a Christian in the ancient world” at:

http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/1998/issue57/57h028.html

PBS: The Roman Empire in the First Century: read these sections (1) SOCIAL ORDER (patricians, senators, equestrians, plebians, slaves & freemen, soldiers and women) and (2) LIFE IN ROMAN TIMES (family life; weddings, marriage and divorce; home life) at http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/index.html
Metropolitan Museum of Art/Roman Art: In section “Daily Life in Ancient Rome” read pages 129-30 (social structure; family), 133-4 (a typical day), 140 (portrait of a young woman), 142 (portraits of women), 143-6 (women, Roman marriage, and portraiture)

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/publications/pdfs/roman_art/divided/4_Daily_Life_in_Ancient_Rome.pdf

Women in the Early Church: By Pope Benedict XVI

http://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/b16ChrstChrch30.htm

and finally:
Make a Roman name: http://home.golden.net/~eloker/romanname-f.htm
Roman names: http://www.larp.com/legioxx/nomina.html

Other resources:
http://www.ctlibrary.com/ch/1998/issue57/57h028.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/roles.html

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/index.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/



RUBRIC:

Name _________________ Period ____

Roman Letter grading Rubric:

Following Directions _______/5
Roman Name _______/5
Content(using minimum 5 facts and underline them) _______/30
Grammar _______/10
Total _______/50