Geovana Capitos

C. Ellsworth
English 2 Honors
May 2nd, 2016

I. Introduction
A. Attention Device - Everyone has different goals when it comes to education.
Teachers educate the kids on the subjects they need to know in order to make it into the
real world; likewise kids retain the knowledge and are able to apply it to real world
situations . As Margret Mead once said, "Children must be taught how to think, not what
to think." What she means is that the goal of education is to have the ability to think for
oneself.
B. Thesis Statement- Education in Rome had changed more and more over time,
and it eventually set up the basis for education we have today.
C. Forecast of Main points- The points that I will go over are the following:
early roman education, education during the roman republic, and the comparison of
education then and now.
D. Link to First point- Early Roman schooling was very different than schooling
is now.
II. Body
Point #1- In early Rome, there was no real education system. How it would work

was that the fathers would teach their sons, and the mothers would teach thier
daughters, since they didn't have enough money to hire a tutor. The fathers would
teach the sons agriculture, military, and domestic skills. If anyone in the family could
read or write, they would teach the boys how to. Mothers would teach their daughters
household skills and how to be a good wife. They would teach them this because girls
got married off at a very young age, usually around sixteen.
a. Boys and girls in wealthy families went through something a little
different when it came to education. The amount and kind of education in Rome
depended on how much money your family had. In affluent families, boys would be
taught public speaking, reading, and writing by a prominent political figure, to whom
he was an apprentice. If a boy wasn't an apprentice then the parents would have a
private tutor, usually a Greek slave, to teach their son. Since most Greek slaves were
smarter than their Roman masters. Girls were still educated in basic house work and
how to be a good wife, but they were also taught how to read and write.
Point #2- Around the time of the Roman Republic, Rome again looked to Greece
and saw that they has started hiring tutors to teach groups of children. This prompted
Rome to set up schools. Now, children didn't have to stay home to learn. There was
still a catch though, you had to pay to go to these schools, and girls were rarely
allowed to attend. Wealthy and middle class families sent their kids to these schools,
where they were taught by, once again, Greek slaves. School was something that
lasted all day too, from sunrise to sunset, with a break for lunch and sleep.
a. Along with reading and writing, kids were taught arithmetic, greek

literature, the greek language, and oratory skills. Schools put a lot of emphasis on
rhetoric- the art of writing speeches, because the schools prepared kids to be public
speakers or political figures. Teaching was also fear implemented. The Greek slaves
would often beat their students, so that the students would fear being wrong.
Quintilian, a teacher in the 1st Century AD said, The teacher must decide how to deal
with his pupil. Some boys are lazy, unless forced to work; others do not like being
controlled; some will respond to fear but others are paralysed by it. Give me a boy
who is encouraged by praise, delighted by success and ready to weep over failure.
Such a boy must be encouraged by appeals to his ambitions. This gives you an idea of
teachers and schooling in Rome.
Point #3- This system developed into the system we have today. Obviously there
have been some changes in the schooling system since then. Like, teachers are not
slaves, kids aren't beaten, and anyone can go to school. Despite the differences there
are still some similarities between Roman and modern education.
a. Just like today, most kids in Ancient Rome got some sort of education.
Whether it was learning about agriculture or learning to read, the kids learned
something. Even though these things were taught differently then how they were
taught today, both teach reading, writing, and a foreign language. Additionally, in
Rome kids started school at a young age and continued into adulthood, just like we do.
Modern day and Ancient Rome had primary school, secondary school, and college.
Both made homeschooling an option.
b. Some of the differences were that in Ancient Rome parents didn't have

to send their kids to school, but in modern day education you have to send your kids to
school. Likewise, girls didn't have to go to school, or were just not allowed to attend at
all. In Ancient Rome, science, music, and athletics were not taught because it
distracted kids from learning public speaking. In Roman schools kids would attend
right at dawn and leave around sunset, while now school starts around 8 and ends
around 3.
III. Conclusion
A. Summary of Main points. Education made many transitions, going from
parents teaching thier children at home, slaves teaching children in schools, to our
modern schooling system.
B. Re-State Thesis Roman education has developed over the year and has given
us the education we have today.
C. ClincherEducation
the light of our life
A gift of academic rife
Education
A path to divine success
A smooth drive to our greatness

Education is our right

For in it our future is bright.