Answering these questions enables you to relate material from the text to your own personal experiences.
Check your currency—coins and bills. How many classical motifs and symbols can you identify? Are there any other places (government buildings, flagpoles, etc.) in the contemporary environment that perpetuate the symbolism of classical Rome?
Given the choice, would you prefer to have lived in fifth-century B.C.E. Athens or in first century C.E. Rome? Explain the bases for your choice.
Write a satire (on the order of Juvenal’s) that pokes fun at some aspect of public policy, human behavior, or everyday life.
What role did the military play in the history of Rome’s empire? Compare the role of the military in American history.
