"In 167 BC, thousands of hostages were brought to Rome from The Declining Greece. These people are all figures of the Greek upper class... They enjoy full freedom - to travel anywhere they want, except Greece. Shiono Shino, "The Story of the Romans"
Dinner for the Roman nobility
The Romans' initial hegemony was largely due to their attitude towards the "enemy". Hostages or slaves from Greece, for example, were highly respected, especially those who were somewhat learned.
The scene described by Shino Shino above, 36-year-old Polybius, is also among them. The famous historian was a hostage, but he became friends with the famous Roman general Scipio the Younger and stayed in Scipio The Younger's home as a guest. After 17 years, Polybius was released and returned to Greece, but often returned to Rome to visit friends.
At the time julius Caesar was born, almost all Roman aristocratic families had at least one teacher from Greece. Their status may be hostages, they may be slaves — but they do not hinder their work and status. In fact, the Roman nobility was very successful in educating their children.
If you read a little bit of ancient Roman history, you will find that Caesar was not the only one in the "quality aristocratic youth" of ancient Rome. Perhaps many people did not achieve as much as Caesar, but most of the qualities and abilities they showed were not bad, which was inseparable from the family education of the nobility.
< h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > a strong sense of ceremony in Roman aristocratic families. </h1>
Roman aristocratic women
On the day a pregnant woman gives birth, the family will certainly notify other relatives and political allies. So many people gathered to witness the arrival of a small life, not only to celebrate, but also to prove that this child is indeed a member of an aristocratic family.
Some historical records show that the Romans at that time also checked the health of children, and those who were deformed or considered unable to survive were likely to be rejected. Once accepted, the child's father would light a fire in the family altar— and the rest of the family would return to their own home and do the same, an important manifestation of the close family ties of the Romans.
On the 8th day after the girl is born and the 9th day after the boy is born, the whole family holds a purification ceremony to protect the baby from evil spirits. On this day, the whole family will keep vigil, and the next day there will be a series of sacrifice ceremonies, and the children will be given amulets, named and registered. In the lifetime of each nobleman, he had to go through many similar rituals to make them realize the special nature of their identity.
Ritual is an important means of identity, not pure feudal superstition. Even in modern times, there are many schools that seriously hold 18-year-old "coming-of-age ceremonies" – that is, educating children with a sense of ceremony.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and the early childhood education of children was mainly done by the mother. </h1>
Roman Senate
The Romans highly admired the importance of motherhood in the education of their children, and the 1st-century Roman historian Tacitus wrote: "In the good old days, all the sons of all, as long as they were born legally in marriage... They all grew up in the arms and knees of their mothers. And the best praise a mother can get is: to be a good family and to dedicate herself to her children..." Tacitus specifically mentioned Caesar's mother, Aurelia, saying that this is how she raised her son, "and that is how she raised her child who is as noble as a king."
At least in that era, aristocratic women generally believed that educating their children was the most important thing for them. Because, if the Roman nobles want to maintain the "glory of the family" after they reach adulthood, they must make meritorious achievements, and their mother knows this very well, so she does not dare to relax at all.
Aristocratic children grew up learning at home, and they had their own Greek teachers to learn Latin and Greek. At the same time, it is necessary to master religious knowledge, as well as family history and Roman history.
There was a reason why the Roman aristocracy attached importance to historical education. The Romans had always been very proud of their identity, believing that the good qualities of the Romans: dignity, piety and virtue, made them powerful. Therefore, children should learn from the deeds of their ancestors and other great people from an early age, and constantly build a sense of pride in their hearts.
The Romans were extremely confident because they had received such an education from an early age, which created a very valuable realm: to learn Greek culture modestly, while at the same time being proud of the Romans from the heart.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > the children of the nobility understand their particularities, they are "the chosen ones". </h1>
Caesar in the American drama
The English scholar Adrian Godworthy wrote in Caesar: The Life of a Giant: "Caesar was taught from an early age that he was not a mortal. ”
This was the most important sentence in the education of the Roman nobility, and not only did Caesar hear it from an early age, but it must have been familiar to the children of other nobles. The educational purpose of the Roman nobility was very strong, that is, to prepare their sons as soon as possible, to devote themselves to the Roman political arena, and to achieve greater glory for the family.
Therefore, the children of the nobility have known from an early age that they will be one of the heirs of the family in the future, and they will not be mediocre.
When the children of the nobility reach about 7 years old, boys will spend more and more time with their fathers, and girls will learn more from their mothers. When the father goes out to run errands, he often takes his son with him and lets him begin to learn how to communicate with people and deal with various affairs.
When the Senate meets, it is often seen that there is a fierce debate in the chamber of parliament, and a few boys or young people sit at the door, pricking their ears and listening carefully to the voices inside. They are the sons of the elders and are learning how to enter politics. From an early age, they followed their father and learned what they would do in the future, who they would deal with, and how they could handle things with ease.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > Of course, there is an important compulsory course for the children of the nobility who are older. </h1>
Roman legions
They had to choose a grammar school, or be educated in literary rhetoric at home with the children of other relatives. Speech and debate are indispensable in The political arena of Rome, and a young man who wants to make a difference must be good at words. They have to read a lot of books and learn what kind of language to use to impress people's hearts more.
Not only that, but they also have to listen to other people's speeches often. Cicero has said that when he was 15 years old, he went to citizens' conventions and courts "almost every day" to listen to the performances of outstanding orators. Learning to speak usually takes a lot of effort, but it's a must-have skill to get into Roman politics.
Roman nobility
Of course, the children of the nobility must also undergo physical exercise. They practice horseback riding, swimming and fighting. Many of the sons of the nobility gathered in the same sports field and trained in full view of everyone, so that they had potential competitors and had to go all out.
The 1st-century Greek writer Plutarch said that Caesar was a natural rider when he was young, and he was able to ride with his hands behind his back and ride the horse with only his own knees.
So you see, at least in Caesar's day, the Roman nobility attached great importance to homeschooling. It is only by allowing children to be confident from an early age and learning things that will be very useful to them later on, so many excellent leaders who are active in politics have been educated.