Roman Roads Press Blog

Category: Homeschool Curriculum

Athenian reaction to defeat similar to US reaction to 9/11 terrorist attacks

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

In this excerpt from The Histories, part of the Old Western Culture series, a Great Books video course, Wes Callihan shows how the reactions that the Athenians had to a defeat is very similar to other reactions of democracies throughout history, and specifically similar to the reaction of the United States to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001. Thucydides wants us to make these parallels as he explains at the beginning of “The History of the Peloponnesian War.” YouTube version here.

Interview with Andrew Pudewa on Classical Education

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Daniel Foucachon interviews Andrew Pudewa from IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing) at the CiRCE Institute summer conference in 2015 on the subject of Classical Education. Subjects covered: What are some of the greatest “Great Books”? How do we deal with feeling inadequate to give a classical education to our children? What are some good books to get started with a classical education? If you could dine with any three educators, who would they be? What advice (and resources) do you have for writers? Poetry, learning styles, memory, history of education in America, and more! YouTube version HERE. Bibliography Books … Continue Reading “Interview with Andrew Pudewa on Classical Education”

Cicero on Rhetoric: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Wesley Callihan tells the story of Cicero and Varres, and how Cicero used Rhetoric to convince his audience that Varres was wrong. We can see the three branches of good rhetoric: Ethos (appeal to authority), Pathos (appeal to emotion), Logos (appeal to reason). This excerpt is taken from The Historians, a unit from the Old Western Culture curriculum on the great books of Western Civilization. For a complete Rhetoric curriculum, where these ideas are taught in depth, see Fitting Words: Classical Rhetoric for the Christian Student. YouTube version

The Greatest Roman | By Wes Callihan

by Wesley Callihan on Posted on

Vergil’s Aeneid, the epic poem which tells the story of the wanderings of Aeneas on his way to becoming the founder of Rome, is propaganda. But such a statement would not have bothered Vergil a bit. “Propaganda” in Latin simply means “things which ought to be propagated,” and Vergil certainly believed that the values espoused in his story needed to be spread about a bit. Aeneas was the ultimate Roman, primarily because he revered the gods. “Pious Aeneas” is the epithet used of him throughout the poem, and if anyone missed the point, they were asleep during the reading. Aeneas modeled for … Continue Reading “The Greatest Roman | By Wes Callihan”

2015 Great Books Challenge for Parents (and how to earn FREE curriculum)

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Are you giving your kids (or have given them) the classical education you never had? My invitation to you this new year is to dive in yourself! Old Western Culture is for parents too! While it may be daunting to pick up the Great Books and start reading, make 2015 the year you do it YOURSELF, and earn some FREE curriculum in the process! So here is my NEW YEARS CHALLENGE TO PARENTS: As a parent, use our newly released unit of Old Western Culture, The Aeneid, YOURSELF (with your kids if they’re the right age) before May 15th, 2015 UPDATE: EXTENDING DATE … Continue Reading “2015 Great Books Challenge for Parents (and how to earn FREE curriculum)”

Cathy Duffy's 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

We’re thrilled that the Old Western Culture curriculum will be included in Cathy Duffy’s upcoming book “102 Top Picks“! You can read Cathy Duffy’s online review of Old Western Culture here: HERE.

How do Credits and Transcripts work with Old Western Culture? | Webcast

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

I’ve received several questions from parents about how to record Old Western Culture on a transcript, and how much credit it’s worth in terms of completeing high school. I created a 10 min webcast to answer these questions. I hope this helps you, and don’t hesitate to post a question or comment below, or be emailing info@romanroadsmedia.com. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO: – A blank high school transcript. Download: Word (RTF)  or PDF– Completed example transcript: PDF OVERVIEW: Old Western Culture is an integrated humanities, double credit high school course. Those credits most often fit into the “Social Studies” category. Depending … Continue Reading “How do Credits and Transcripts work with Old Western Culture? | Webcast”

In what way is Old Western Culture a "Christian Approach" to the Great Books?

by Daniel Foucachon on Posted on

Old Western Culture is a distinctly Christian course. The creators of the course believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Providence of God working in history, and that all truth is God’s truth wherever it may be found. A Christian worldview is not “taught” as an afterthought, but assumed throughout and thoroughly integrated in the approach to the material. Below are two small excerpts from the course which demonstrate how this works itself out in Old Western Culture.   Platonic Heresies and the Church (excerpt from The Philosophers). Why the Aeneid Mattered to Early Christians (and still matters today!) The … Continue Reading “In what way is Old Western Culture a "Christian Approach" to the Great Books?”