Education in Ancient Greece and Rome
How Classical Education from the Past Influences Education Today
To understand Greek education is to to understand the Trivium. The Trivium and Quadrivium were Greek institutions available to most or all patricians (nobility). It was in Greece that the seven liberal arts were developed and honed. And it was Koine Greek, or common Greek, which was spoken by much of the "modern" Roman world. Important histories, the Bible, and Church councils were written in Greek. Business was conducted in Greek.
Education in Ancient Greece and Rome
To understand Latin, is to understand Rome. The character of the Romans is reflected in their language. In an article "Defense of Latin" in The Classical Teacher summer 2007 magazine, a quote from Cicero sums up the differences between Greece and Rome when he acknowledge the excellences of Greece and Rome and explains their differences.
"Our mastery of character, national life, family and home is far higher and nobler than theirs; ...these achievements depend on character...Where will you find a sense of dignity, a resolution of purpose, a loftiness of spirit, a feeling of truth and honor which can be matched with old Rome?"
Both Greece and Rome had rigorous, grinding educational systems. Children were required to become literate at home, and cultural and character education were expected of all well-bred families (mothers). But at age 7, children( usually boys), were sent to school at dawn for a full day of classes. The ancient educational system was not filled with assisting children to have good self-images as it is in modern public and private schools of today. The Ancients required children to read poetry, learn what was considered "good" and "not good," what was beautiful, and what was true.
The day was filled with drills of numbers, grammar, systematic study of literature, and history. Older students studied and memorized the famed poets of Greece, Homer and Hesiod. In Greece, Homer was known as the "educator of Greece" and to be know his writings was to be Greek.
The Great Conversation
Classical education from the very beginning was primarily a literary education. This means writings, books, oral stories from the past were the resources for study. Artificial textbooks were not created. Poetry has always been considered the highest purpose for which words may be used.
The best poets of the time were studied. Greek poets are the beginning of what is termed "the great discussion" (this is where Classical Conversations probably chose their name). Each generation and century since, those writers, historians, and philosophers considered the most influential, enduring, beautiful, have become part of the "great conversation."
The Great Books
While the list of "Good Books" varies from list maker to list maker, what is on the "Great Book" list generally finds more agreement. Homer is always on this list.
What is the end result of an Ancient Greek or Ancient Rome classical education? According to Tracy Simmons in his book Climbing Parnassus: A New Apologia for Greek and Latin, "Classically educated people gain the power to ascribe value, simply because they have been exposed thoroughly, systematically to the best."
While the Ancient Greeks and Romans are the foundation of classical education, the "Great Conversation continues today. One has to read the "Great Books" in order to even understand what is important to talk about and where it is relevant to join the conversation. In order to understand what is "great," the classical model dictates children must be immersed in the Trivium model of learning and Great books.
Classical Books
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