Classical Kingdoms: Survey - Curriculum

Foundations of Classics & Civics

Classical Kingdoms: Survey

A 30-Lesson Journey Into the Western Civilization's Beginnings

This comprehensive journey through the origins of Western Civilization instills the essential understanding of virtue, history, and civic duty that all students need.

? Who formed the original civilizations?
? Where was democracy invented?
? Why did Julius Caesar get assassinated?

? What were the enduring beliefs of ancient people?
? When was the Trojan Horse wheeled into Troy?
? How did Rome fall after 1000 years?

UNIT I

The Birth of Civilization

Lesson 1 — What Is Civilization?

Early river civilizations; writing and record-keeping; agriculture, trade, and cooperation; foundations of social order.

Lesson 2 — The Invention of Writing

Cuneiform and hieroglyphics; communication and memory; how writing shaped government, economy, and culture.

Lesson 3 — Ancient Market Day (Trade Simulation)

Exchange, specialization, surplus; development of the first trade routes; Phoenician alphabet and cultural diffusion.

Lesson 4 — Early Law and Justice

Hammurabi’s Code; concepts of justice and fairness; the importance of written law for stable societies.

Lesson 5 — Abraham and the Ancient Near East

Migration, covenant, family-as-nation; Mesopotamian background of early Biblical history.

Lesson 6 — Collapse and Recovery

The Bronze Age Collapse; causes of societal failure; rebuilding and cultural resilience.

UNIT II

Athens and the Birth of Democracy

Lesson 7 — Greek Geography and Polis Life

Athens, Sparta, Corinth; geography shaping identity; the agora and daily life.

Lesson 8 — Athens Invents Democracy

Citizenship, assembly, debate; the original meaning of “people power”; civic duty.

Lesson 9 — The Persian Wars

Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis; heroism, unity, strategy; rise of Greek confidence.

Lesson 10 — The Golden Age of Athens

Art, drama, architecture; tragedy and comedy; beauty, form, and civic identity.

Lesson 11 — Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

The examined life; virtue and the Golden Mean; classical reasoning and human flourishing.

Lesson 12 — The Peloponnesian War and Athenian Failure

Rivalry between Athens and Sparta; hubris, division, and collapse of a great city-state.

UNIT III

Rome: Power, Law, and Citizenship

Lesson 13 — The Rise of Rome

Geography of Italy; Roman character and early government; foundations of the Republic.

Lesson 14 — The Roman Republic: Checks and Balances

Consuls, Senate, assemblies; the Twelve Tables; republicanism and the rule of law.

Lesson 15 — The Punic Wars

Rome vs. Carthage; Hannibal’s march; expansion and military dominance.

Lesson 16 — Julius Caesar and the Death of the Republic

Ambition, loyalty, betrayal; “crossing the Rubicon”; why Caesar was assassinated.

Lesson 17 — Augustus and the Roman Empire

Pax Romana; imperial structure; provinces, citizenship, and political stability.

Lesson 18 — Daily Life in the Roman World

Baths, marketplaces, aqueducts, amphitheaters; Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius; engineering achievements.

UNIT IV

Christianity and the Classical World

Lesson 19 — Judea Under Roman Rule

Governors and taxation; Herod’s kingdom; cultural and political tensions.

Lesson 20 — Jesus in a Roman World

Teachings and conflict; Roman authority; the meaning of kingship.

Lesson 21 — Paul and the Spread of Christianity

Roman citizenship; missionary journeys; the Mediterranean network of roads and cities.

Lesson 22 — Persecution and Martyrdom

Nero, Trajan, and early Christian bravery; catacombs and underground identity.

Lesson 23 — Constantine and a Christian Empire

The Edict of Milan; rise of Christian institutions; Nicaea and doctrinal unity.

Lesson 24 — Augustine and the City of God

Earthly vs. heavenly city; classical philosophy meets Christian theology; virtue and society.

UNIT V

The Fall of Rome and the Classical Legacy

Lesson 25 — Barbarian Invasions and Internal Decay

Goths, Vandals, and Franks; economic strain; cultural fragmentation.

Lesson 26 — The Fall of Rome (AD 476)

Alaric, Odoacer, and the final collapse; what “fall” means historically.

Lesson 27 — Preserving the Ancient World

Monasteries, scribes, manuscripts; transmission of classical knowledge through the Middle Ages.

Lesson 28 — Classical Virtues in Transition

Aesop, Stoicism, Cicero, and Plutarch; moral lessons carried through changing ages.

Lesson 29 — The Classical Roots of America

Greek democracy, Roman republicanism, natural law; classical ideas in the Declaration and Constitution.

Lesson 30 — Why the Classical Foundations Still Matter

Virtue, freedom, identity, and the pursuit of happiness; how the ancient world shapes our story today.

Bonus Content

Authentic Simulations

This course weaves together realistic games based on ancient trade, government, and culture. Some simulations require extra time and strategy, providing the opportunity students want to achieve “arete” (excellence).

Trade Simulation Government Simulation Cultural Strategy

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