We played outside games this week. Here’s how class went.

Drew map of Mediterranean area
Discussed Alexander the Great (376 BC), in regard to conquering Greece, heading to Persia, dying of malaria.
Also discussed in terms of the Festival of Lights.
Punic Wars 1-3 from Kidipedia.
I. Carthage is on island near Africa with one other city.
City and Carthage got in disagreement.
Other city asked Rome to come help.
At beg. Carthage winning b/c of superior ships. Romans copied them.
Rome whopped Carthage and demanded tribute.
II. Carthage went to southern Spain and began attacking cities to rule.
Needed the silver mines of s. Spain.
One of the cities asked for Rome’s protection.
Rome had northern Spain, b/c that is where the gold mines were.
Carthage was beaten again.
III. Hannibal brought elephants over the Alps to attack Rome.
Rome attacked the city of Carthage.
Gov’t demanded Hannibal come home.
Elephants died.
Rome beat Carthage.
Took everyone off as slaves, demolished the city.
Story told that they salted the entire city. (This did not come out as a story until later, so we do not know the veracity of it.)
So, Rome is now in charge.
Talked about Roman children’s games, using list from Ancient Rome: Children:

rattles
scooters
jump rope
yo-yos
seesaws
swings
kites
dolls made from wax or clay – Some had jointed legs and arms.
balls
board games
hobbyhorses
carts hitched to goats, ponies, or dogs
models of animals and people
hoops with pieces of metal on them like bells
stilts
weight lifting

I added paper airplanes to the list and asked them to raise their hand if they thought it was a game the Romans played. No one raised their hands for the first two and after that it was about half and half.

Then discussed how Roman weddings are.
Boys older than 14, girls older than 12.
Engagement ring, 3rd finger left hand. Believed a vein led straight to heart, seat of the emotions.
Night before wedding, girl gives away all her toys to other family members.
At wedding, hold hands to show consent.
She wears a white dress with a red veil.
They eat a cake. (offered to Juno)
Groom carries bride over threshold.
(Ancient Rome: Children)

Showed fresco of girls playing in bikinis from Aerobiologicalengineering.

Did not show naked boys playing soccer, but did tell about Cicero’s description of a man getting a shave from a barber and dying from having the ball hit his head. (ABE’s Roman Ball Games)

Then we went outside and played Roman kids’ games.

Somewhere I found these rules for Trigon.
3 players in a triangle.
3 balls.
Throw them to each other in no order, trying not to drop them on the ground.
Wiffle balls made catching them harder, but worked well.

Jar
One person sits on ground in the “jar.”
Others try to touch him without being touched in return.
Each one he tags becomes part of the jar collection.
This continues till all or most have been tagged.

Blind man’s bluff
In Roman version, people must call out. (probably where Marco Polo comes from)
So one blind man, group. Each tag makes a person out.

Kids loved playing these games.
(Romans also played Dodge Ball if I could get a ball for next time.)