OLD WESTERN CULTURE | GRADES 9-12+

The Romans

The Roman epics, historians, and the rise of the early Church

The Romans


Travel through Vergil’s Aeneid, the masterpiece of epic literature which has shaped story for centuries. Learn how Rome was founded, and watch its rise and fall through the eyes of its historians. Come alongside the early church fathers, leading up to the great St. Augustine, as they struggle with a collapsing empire, terrible persecution, and heresy within the church.

How does it work?

The Romans offers a complete literature and history course. Intended for high school aged students (14+), as well as for the adult enrichment student.

Old Western Culture is a guide through the great books. Start your journey by watching the first video in a unit. Students are introduced to the work, the historical context, and given tips for reading, then assigned reading to complete before the next video lecture. After watching and reading, students answer lecture and reading comprehension questions in the workbook, which is also preparation for the exam that accompanies each unit. The workbook can also be used as a guide for discussion in a group setting.

What Will I Be Reading?


The Romans offers the student an overview of the literature written by the great pagan authors of Rome and of the early church fathers’ foundational theological works.

  • The Aeneid—Vergil’s classic epic poem.
  • The Historians—the works of Roman historians such as Livy, Plutarch, and Sallust.
  • Early Christianity—the works of early church fathers such as Ignatius, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus.
  • Nicene Christianity—the works of Nicene church fathers such as Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Augustine.


Just want to study the highlights? We also offer the Essentials Schedule—a selection of Old Western Culture’s complete reading list.

  • 1 full year of instruction divided into four units: The Aeneid, The Historians, Early Christianity, and Nicene Christianity.
  • 48 lectures.
  • 30-40 minutes per lecture.
  • 4 quarterly exams.
  • Through the Old Western Culture Readers, an edition of the works covered for each unit.
  • Hundreds of classical paintings, maps, timelines, and more woven into the video lessons.

Preview

Preview clips from Old Western Culture’s video lectures.