Today's blog assignment is to write a bit about the ancient Rome simulation we participated in last Friday morning in Core class. What was our role? If we could, how would we change it and why?
I was a provincial in last Friday's simulation. My partner was Leonor, and we represented Britain, whose main industry to be profited by sale from the empire was iron. We had to tear out small blocks of iron coins to sell to the four Romans. There were twenty coins in all, but only four were sold to the empire. In the end, we ended up being invaded by the barbarians -- specifically, the Angles -- because our army was weak and included only 1200 "men" (represented by coins that featured a picture of a Roman helmet and plume). This was disappointing, but Rome was and is still very well-known for mistreating its people, so in many ways, they did deserve to be sacked.
If I could have changed my role in the simulation, I would have chosen to be a barbarian, probably an Angle, Saxon, or Goth. People who have not been introduced and taught about Rome the way we have this year probably only believe that the barbarians were evil, with cruel intentions toward the empire without motivation. This isn't true, as I learned, when we watched a video in cflass about the Goths the next week. This Germanic tribe was mistreated by the Romans whenever they had made deals for property, and sold into slavery. After many failed rebellions and angry wars between the Goths and Romans like the one at Adrianople, they were used as disposable troops by the Roman military, and many of their people were killed or treated as savages. Even after many of the other tribes invaded Rome and it fell, the Goths found other places to live and their strong king led the sack of Rome. Many barbarian tribes were not really "barbarian". The Romans were just snooty and prejudiced, even after letting the tribes into their land. As is said, oppression sires rebellion.
I was a provincial in last Friday's simulation. My partner was Leonor, and we represented Britain, whose main industry to be profited by sale from the empire was iron. We had to tear out small blocks of iron coins to sell to the four Romans. There were twenty coins in all, but only four were sold to the empire. In the end, we ended up being invaded by the barbarians -- specifically, the Angles -- because our army was weak and included only 1200 "men" (represented by coins that featured a picture of a Roman helmet and plume). This was disappointing, but Rome was and is still very well-known for mistreating its people, so in many ways, they did deserve to be sacked.
If I could have changed my role in the simulation, I would have chosen to be a barbarian, probably an Angle, Saxon, or Goth. People who have not been introduced and taught about Rome the way we have this year probably only believe that the barbarians were evil, with cruel intentions toward the empire without motivation. This isn't true, as I learned, when we watched a video in cflass about the Goths the next week. This Germanic tribe was mistreated by the Romans whenever they had made deals for property, and sold into slavery. After many failed rebellions and angry wars between the Goths and Romans like the one at Adrianople, they were used as disposable troops by the Roman military, and many of their people were killed or treated as savages. Even after many of the other tribes invaded Rome and it fell, the Goths found other places to live and their strong king led the sack of Rome. Many barbarian tribes were not really "barbarian". The Romans were just snooty and prejudiced, even after letting the tribes into their land. As is said, oppression sires rebellion.
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