As we move along through Ancient Roman history, we will start to see the Republic fall apart and give way to the rise of the Roman Empire. Today for History This Week we have some resources describing what led to this transition, the death of Julius Caesar and the Punic Wars.
VIDEOS:
Ancient Rome 101 – From National Geographic, it covers the 3 main periods of the Empire and an overview of its lengthy time of power in the region.
Crisis in the Roman Republic – This is a short, fairly clear explanation of some of the factors that contributed to the failure of the Republic:
60 Seconds in History: Fall of Rome’s Republic – This is a pretty fast-pace overview, as you can imagine (and it’s 1-1/2 minutes, not quite 60 seconds…):
The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or…Which Was It? – This is one of the John Green history videos, so it’s humorous and packed with information, but for older children:
Battle of Actium (31 BC): Final War of the Roman Republic – This is a 14-minute documentary that is part of a larger series. This episode focuses on Marc Antony and Cleopatra, their war with Octavius Caesar, and the final end of the Republic:
The great conspiracy against Julius Caesar – From TED-Ed, here’s a look at the reasons behind Caesar’s assassination:
Ides of March – The Assassination of Julius Caesar by Walks of Italy – This mini-documentary tours the historical sites of Julius Caesar’s story:
Mark Antony’s Speech – This is a clip from the 1950 classic film, where Charlton Heston plays Mark Antony, giving his famous speech about Julius Caesar:
WEBSITES:
Republic to Empire – From a PBS special about Rome, read about this transition.
Rome: From Republic to Empire – A Jeopardy-style game
Roman Slaves – Find out about slaves in Ancient Rome.
Mark Antony’s Funeral Oration quiz – Type in as many words as you know from his famous speech!
The Punic Wars – by Students of History
The Punic Wars – for younger students with a quiz at the end
