Casey is seven years old and has two older brothers, Drake and Madrin, ages ten and nine. She also had a younger sister Rose; she was two years old. Her mother and father were 28 years old. Their family was in the Patrician class. Her brother Drake wants to go to war, but Madrin wants to be in the Senate. Casey’s mother weaves all day long. Her father works on the laws. Casey watches her sister Rose because her mother doesn’t trust the slaves to watch her. Their Grandparents also live with them.
Casey always wanted to know how Rome came to be Rome. One day she asked her grandmother how Rome came to be. Her grandmother said, “I will tell you the story.” While Casey and Rose sat by the fire, their grandmother told them the story of Rome’s history.
It was around 800 BC, when my parents, three sisters, and I settled here, right on these seven hills. We settled here because it had the best soil for farming. It had lots of wood and rock for building our home. There were lots of fish from the sea to eat. We also built here because we couldn’t be attacked by pirates and could still trade with Italy.
In the early times, Rome was ruled by a Monarch. “But now the government is a Republic, right?” asked Casey. “That’s right, Casey. Your father is lucky because he is in the Senate.
“Grandmother, why are we Patricians, why not Plebeians?” asked Casey.
Grandmother explained Patricians are people who are descendents of the earliest settlers of Rome. Plebeians are the people who came to Rome after the Patricians, like the farmers, merchants, soldiers, and craft workers. The Plebeians leaders are called ...
“Tribunes, right?” said Casey.
That’s right, Casey, said Grandmother.
“And they say no to the laws if they don’t like them, right?” asked Casey.
“That’s right, Casey,” said Grandmother. “They also attend the assembly.”
“So why are we not Plebeians?” asked Casey.
Because a person’s family and the amount of money they have determines what class they are. We are Patricians because our descendents are the earliest settlers of Rome, said Grandmother. Now that will be all of your teaching for today. I have to finish my weaving, said Grandmother.
Casey went outside to play with her sister, Rose. She thought about all the things she had learned. That night she told her mother all that she had learned. Her mother was very pleased with her daughter.
The next day she went downstairs and waited for her grandmother to teach her more. For when Casey grew up, she wanted to be a teacher. Her grandmother began: In 441 BC to 450 BC, the Roman government wrote the laws that they had made on tables and they were posted.
“Why did they post them?” asked Casey.
“Shhhh, my grandchild, I will tell you,” said Grandmother.
And her grandmother began again. Now the Plebeians knew that their rights differed from the Patricians. The Plebeians asked for change in the laws. In time the rights of the Patricians and the Plebeians became more equal, said Grandmother.
“Why?” asked Casey.
“Because the Assembly decided on it,” said Grandmother.
“Now after lunch I will tell you what happened in 494 BC,” said Grandmother.
“What grandmother, what!” exclaimed Casey.
“After lunch, my grandchild, after lunch,” said Grandmother.
Shortly after lunch grandmother began: In 494 BC, the Plebeians rebelled and left Rome to set up their own Assembly. They elected their own officials, the Tribunes. The Patricians desperately needed the Plebeians for they couldn’t live without them. They did all of the work. The Patricians agreed to let the Plebeians keep their officials if they came back to Rome. So, the Plebeians came back.
While her grandmother was teaching, Casey fell into her own little world. She became a Plebeian and they were rebelling.
“Come on, men, gather up your family and your belongings. We are leaving.”
“Mommy, why are we leaving?” asked Casey.
“Because the Patricians won’t give us our rights. Now get Rose.”
“Alright men, put down your belongings, we need to make shelter. Tomorrow we will discuss our rights.”
The next day appeared in her head.
“Father, where are you going?” asked Casey.
“All the men are gathering to help fix breakfast. We have come to a conclusion. We are going to have our own officials. We are also going to make our own Assembly and Senate.
Quite a few weeks later the Senate of the Patricians came to visit the Plebeians. “We need your people, they do important work. Will you come back?” said a Plebeian.
“We will come back if we can make laws and keep our Tribunes,” said a Plebeian.
“You can veto laws, but not make them, and you can keep your Tribunes,” said a Patrician. They settled on that deal.
“Casey, Casey,” said Grandmother, as Casey came out of her trance.
“I was just thinking,” said Casey.
“I have to go to the market with your mother. Stay and play with Rose, will you?” said Grandmother.
“Yes,” said Casey.
Casey did as she was told and took Rose out to play. The next day Casey couldn’t wait to start school again for she loved to take in new things. She soaked them up like a sponge.
“Grandmother, what are you going to teach me today?” asked Casey.
Today, my dear, you will learn about the first Punic war. In 500 BC, Rome had power throughout Italy. By 272 BC, Rome had all of the Italian Peninsula. A rivalry between Carthage, in northern Africa, and Rome occurred.
“Why did they call it the Punic War?” asked Casey.
“I don’t know, Casey. That is just they name they wanted to call it,” said Grandmother.
“It all started when they both wanted to control the western Mediterranean Sea trade,” said Grandmother as she started again.
“Why didn’t they share the sea trade?” asked Casey.
“Because both of them thought they should have it for themselves,” said Grandmother.
“Grandmother, grandmother,” Drake called. “Madrin and Chaulk (his friend) were wrestling and are bleeding. Mother needs your help.”
“Alright, I’m coming,” said Grandmother.
“Drake, why were they wrestling?” asked Casey.
“Because they were fighting, of course. They had a disagreement. Now help me take care of Rose. You know mother doesn’t like the servant taking care of her,” said Drake. “Here, you do it. I’m going to talk to dad,” said Drake.
Out he went faster than a speeding spear. He didn’t want to be stuck doing girl’s work.
“Drakeeeeeeeee,” Casey cried out.
Casey always had to take care of Rose. Her mother didn’t like the servants taking care of her, but Casey liked them.
“Mother, how come you don’t teach me?” Casey asked that night.
“Because dear, when you have children I will teach them. I will then be their grandmother. When they have children you will teach the girls because you will be their grandmother,” explained Casey’s mother.
Casey didn’t like the thought of being a grandmother. Casey wanted to teach her kids no matter what. The next day her grandmother began teaching her about the second Punic War. Rome would be threatened. General Hannibal led his soldiers and war elephants over high mountains into Italy. Casey went into a trance.
“Come on, soldiers!”
“But there are soldiers that are too tired,” said Casey.
“Oh, well, they’ll die with us or without us. Move out, soldiers. This is the last mountain we cross. Then we will be able to see Rome. Onward!” shouted Hannibal atop an elephant.
“That was extraordinary how you stood up to Hannibal,” said a soldier.
“Thank you,” said Casey.
The next picture that came into her head was of the biggest mountain. The last one they had to cross.
“It’s huge and covered in snow,” exclaimed Casey aloud.
“I know, hope we will live through it,” said a soldier.
Two weeks later they made it up to the top of the mountain.
“We made it!” exclaimed Casey.
“We haven’t yet, soldiers. We still have to go down the other side,” said Hannibal.
“Carthage’s soldiers started a sudden violent attack on Rome,” said Grandmother.
Ready, aim, fire, bang. Casey heard people crying out and people screaming.
“Come on, soldier. Fire! Don’t just stand there!” came a soldier’s voice yelling at her. So she fired.
“Then General Scipio took his soldiers to attack lands in northern Africa that were owned by Carthage,” said Grandmother.
Soon Casey’s mind was swept away and she was with Rome’s soldiers while General Scipio yelled out orders. They fired and killed, fired and killed, and soon destroyed Carthage. Soon General Hannibal returned to Carthage because he had to save Carthage, said Grandmother.
“Casey, it seemed like you were in your own little world,” said Grandmother.
“Oh,” said Casey, then laughed, but in her head she said, I was.
“Is there only two Punic wars?” asked Casey.
No, there are three. The third Punic War was in 146 BC. This was the last Punic war, and it left Carthage in ruins.
“Now that’s all for today. Tomorrow I will tell you the story of Romulus and Remus,” said Grandmother.
“What’s it about, what’s it about, Grandmother,” asked Casey.
“Tomorrow, my child, tomorrow,” said Grandmother. With that, she walked out of the room. Grandmother always left Casey hanging when she told stories.
That night Grandmother felt weak. She saw spots in front of her eyes and her arm hurt. However, the next morning she still wanted to teach Casey.
“Casey, dear. This is the story of Romulus and Remus,” said Grandmother.
“In the beginning there was a cruel brother. He stole the throne from the Latin king who was the rightful leader,” said Grandmother.
Casey got a picture in her head of the cruel brother: he was tall and skinny. He had hair that was black as the night and a short pointy black beard with a handle bar mustache (curls up at the end). He didn’t walk; he sleeked around like a black cat that is looking for trouble. His face looked cold as stone. Then a picture of the King (his older brother) came into her head. He was a little on the heavy side and looked like a rolly polly ball. He wasn’t as tall as his younger brother and had a long white beard. He had a face that was loving and caring.
“Soon the King’s daughter gave birth to two twin boys; their names were Romulus and Remus,” said Grandmother.
A picture of two twin boys and their beautiful mother came to Casey. Their mother had long black hair that was piled on top of her head. She was very pretty despite that she was still a little chubby from being pregnant. The twins both had dark brown eyes and were very cute babies. At least that was the image Casey had in her mind.
The cruel brother feared the boys would grow up and take over the throne from him. So he left the twins to die on the bank of the Tiber River, said Grandmother.
In her mind, Casey saw the tall man slinking away with the two twins. She saw him set the twins down, laugh, and twirl his mustache. Then he sleeked away. Casey had a sad look on her face and was looking off into the distance.
Her grandmother asked her, “What is wrong, Casey?”
“What, what happened to Remus and Romulus?” asked Casey.
Oh, my child, I will tell you. A mother wolf saved Romulus and Remus and raised them. When the twins grew into adults, they defeated their great uncle. Then they made their grandfather king again.
A new picture came into her head of a mother wolf nursing and caring for the twins. Then Romulus and Remus were in a battle against their great uncle, and defeating him.
In 753 BC, the legend said the brothers set out to build their own city near the Tiber River, where they had been rescued long ago. They quarreled over what hill to build the new city on and one of the brothers was killed, said grandmother. She told the story to Casey and kept her in suspense as the story went on.
At that time Grandmother slumped over and couldn’t talk. She was unable to move her right arm or leg. The next day Grandmother died. Nobody ever finished the story of the legend of Romulus and Remus for Casey at that time. But, over the years, she had learned it from her mother. Forty-three years later Casey was telling her grandchildren the same legend.
“And one of the brothers was killed,” finished grandmother Casey.
“Who, grandmother, who?” asked little Breanne.
“Shhhh, my child, I will tell you. It was Remus. Romulus became the first ruler of the new city. His followers named the city Rome in his honor. Romulus promised that the small city would someday rise in greatness,” finished Grandmother Casey.
“Now, go play. I have to finish my weaving,” said Grandmother.
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