Horrible Romans and Egyptians

Take a guided tour through Rome and Egypt by way of Headmaster Galahad and the acclaimed Horrible Histories series: a fun and accessible introduction to wicked, weird and woeful events of the ancient world.  Our end goal? To instill an unbridled love of history and the desire to go forward and explore in-depth even more world events, Horrible and otherwise. In and outside the webinars, this class will focus on the stories of the people of these ancient empires, while also beginning to introduce critical thinking skills and primary source analysis in supplement to the Horrible Histories.

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Take a guided tour through Rome and Egypt by way of Headmaster Galahad and the acclaimed Horrible Histories series: a fun and accessible introduction to wicked, weird and woeful events of the ancient world.  Our end goal? To instill an unbridled love of history and the desire to go forward and explore in-depth even more world events, Horrible and otherwise. In and outside the webinars, this class will focus on the stories of the people of these ancient empires, while also beginning to introduce critical thinking skills and primary source analysis in supplement to the Horrible Histories.

This course covers:

  • The Roman Kingdom, Republic and Principate
  • The Egyptian Kingdoms
  • Spartacus and Slave Revolts in the Roman Republic
  • Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Republic
  • Boudica and Her Uprising
  • Cleopatra and the End of Independent Egypt

This is a semester-long, early middle school course. Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recordings are available for students who must miss a session.

Links to Required Books (roughly in reading order, though we bounce around a bit):

Links to OPTIONAL Books (roughly in reading order, though we bounce around a bit):

The optional books can usually be found used + shipping for seven or so dollars on Amazon. We do not recommend paying more than that. The topics covered in these books are supplemented with videos and online readings if learners do not have the books.

The best source for Horrible Books in the United States is Horrible Ray in California.  Some books may also be available at your local library. Any edition is acceptable, so if you find an inexpensive used copy, feel free to purchase.  Reading assignments are posted by section, not page number.

Topics Covered

Thinking Critically About History
Pharaohs and Pyramids
Myth, Mummies and Egyptology
Egypt's Rivals
The Mythical Roman Founding Fathers
The Republic's Early Days
The Roman Army
George Washington's Roman Inspiration
Life of the Poor in the Republic
Life Outside Rome
The Last War of the Republic
Augustus and his Line
Roman Britain
Rise of Christianity
The 3rd Century Crisis
The Sacks of Rome and Survival in Constantinople

Challenge Level

Aimed at students ready for work appropriate to grades 6 and 7. This is a middle school history course open to students ages 8 and up who are prepared to critically think about challenging ancient history topics.

Time Commitment

Most students report spending approximately 3 hours per week on homework outside of the webinar, including the reading assignments.

Instructor

Headmaster Galahad

Reading List

Roughly in reading order:
Horrible Histories: Awesome Egyptians
Horrible Histories: Awful Egyptians
Horribly Famous (or Dead Famous): Julius Caesar and his Foul Friends – OPTIONAL
Horribly Famous (or Dead Famous): Cleopatra and her Angry Asp – OPTIONAL
Horribly Famous (or Dead Famous): Spartacus and his Glorious Gladiators – OPTIONAL
Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans
Horribly Famous (or Dead Famous): Boudica and her Barmy Army – OPTIONAL
Horrible Histories: Ruthless Romans

Usually Offered

Fall Semester

Prerequisites

None. Students must be able to read at the 5th grade level or above (Lexile 780+), and have sufficient typing skills to communicate effectively with classmates in complete sentences. Ability to compose a paragraph independently recommended but not required.

Available Sessions

Fall 2024 Friday 10am Pacific, Fall 2024 Thursday 12pm Pacific, Fall 2023 Monday 11am Pacific, Fall 2022 Thursday 10am Pacific, Fall 2022 Wed 11am Pacific, Fall 2021 Wed 12 pm Pacific, Fall 2021 Tues 10am Pacific, Fall 2020 Mon 1pm Pacific, Fall 2020 Mon 10am Pacific, Fall 2020 Mon 12pm Pacific, Fall 2019 Thursday 12pm Pacific, Fall 2019 Friday 10am Pacific, Fall 2018 Tuesday 12pm Pacific, Fall 2018 Wednesday 10am Pacific, Fall 2018 Wednesday 1pm Pacific, Fall 2017 Wednesday 12pm Pacific, Fall 2017 Wednesday 3pm Pacific, Fall 2017 Thursday 1pm Pacific