Whether you are a teacher or a home schooling parent, National Geographic’s book on Julius Caesar for children, ages 8 to 12, is a great resource you will want to use for history, social studies, and art. The chronological display of his life, and those of other Romans, is broken down into sections, starting with the birth of Caesar and ending with his death on the Ides of March. The breakdown of events makes this book invaluable when teaching children about Caesar’s life.
Caesar’s Life
Everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but what children often don’t learn about is how he became so great. Julius Caesar: The Boy Who Conquered an Empire by Ellen Galford (National Geographic, ISBN: 978-1-4263-0064-6) starts readers at the beginning: Caesar’s birth. Readers learn about the dangers of childbirth in ancient Rome and how mothers bore the sole responsibility of properly raising their children.
In Caesar’s youth, learn about the toys he may have played with. Slave children were also sometimes allowed to be playmates for the children of wealthy families. When not playing games with others, Caesar may have pretended to be in battle using a wooden sword.
Aside from learning about Caesar’s childhood, children will learn a little about the lives of slaves and what Romans ate. The miracle of ancient Roman plumbing, especially the public latrines, is fascinating to kids. Can you imagine using a public potty that was simply a large room with potty seats going around the walls? There was no privacy in the public latrines.
School in ancient Rome was only for the children of wealthy families. Caesar, however, had a private tutor, Marcus Antonius Gnipho, who oversaw Caesar’s education. Caesar continued being instructed by Gnipho until about the age of 16. It was Gnipho who helped Caesar become a great public speaker and writer.
Julius Caesar became the head of his household at age 16, after the death of his father. From this time, he began his journey into the political world. He married and eventually joined the army. This is where readers learn more about the political atmosphere of ancient Rome, the infighting and rebellions, and how Caesar, by playing all sides, managed to become the dictator of Rome.
Illustrations
The Boy Who Conquered an Empire features exceptional photographs of ancient artwork, making it a great resource for art teachers. On every page there are photographs of ancient Roman artwork ranging from mosaics to reliefs, busts and statues to jewelry and coins. The strong features shown on the Roman busts and the clothing worn by the statues and shown in the mosaics portray the distinct flavor of Roman art.
Recommended Resource
Julius Caesar: The Boy Who Conquered an Empire proves that history is not boring. The chronological layout makes learning easy. The illustrations are exciting and leap off every page. There is so much to learn in this book, so many interesting facts on every page, that kids will not only learn about Julius Caesar, they will enjoy the experience.
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